A man from Iowa and a teenage girl died following a chase and overnight standoff south of Madison, Wisconsin Wednesday evening.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said 37-year-old Alexander C. Grunke of Middleton died from an apparent suicide. A 13-year-old girl accompanying Grunke is also dead. Grunke is identified by the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office as a person of interest in the death of 32-year-old Tana Poppe at a home in La Motte, Iowa. The 13-year-old and a five-month-old baby who had been staying with her were gone.
Barrett said Grunke and the girl dropped that baby off at a home in Dane County. Deputies responding to that residence spotted the vehicle, which led to the pursuit. He says the two fired at deputies. A tire deflation device ended the chase. The teen was found unresponsive after running into a wooded area and later died. Grunke fired several shots into a Town of Albion home and barricaded himself inside. Deputies were able to get the family out safely before eventually finding Grunke dead in the basement.
(Thanks to Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network)