NewsNational

Actions

Five months later, Milwaukee man charged in missing father's death

Posted at 7:08 PM, May 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-12 08:49:16-04

Antwone Berry was found shot and killed in January in Milwaukee, two weeks after he went missing.

Milwaukee police say 34-year-old Skylard Grant is accused of killing Berry. According to police and family members, the two were close friends around each other a lot. That's why this killing is senseless to them.

“It's just ridiculous, to come to find out that someone that's very close to you and be the one to hurt you," said Tashe Lee, Berry’s cousin.

"He didn't deserve that, you know that was the wrong thing," said Steve Lee, another cousin.

Berry went missing on Christmas Eve, for two weeks his family searched all over for him in the cold.

He was found shot to death two weeks later on Jan. 7 in a wooded area in Milwaukee.

According to the criminal complaint, witnesses say Grant was drunk and began arguing with Berry about not sending him money when he was previously in jail.

Grant allegedly shot and killed Berry with his own gun. Grant tried to then sell Berry's gun to another friend, who declined and asked of Berry's whereabouts. Court documents show that's when Grant said.

"....you ain't gonna be seeing him no more, I had to take care of him," he allegedly said. 

"That wasn't fair to him it wasn't fair to us for somebody to be getting taken away from us," Tasha Lee said.  "Just hoping for the best, hope that he gets life, that’s what I want for him to have life, he took my cousin's life, he deserve to have life."

Grant was actually arrested for this case on Jan. 4. Investigators analyzed phone records placing grant near the area where berry's body was found. Surveillance video also showed Grant's SUV near the scene the day Berry went missing.

Homicide numbers from Milwaukee Police for this year indicate that of 32 homicide cases so far in Milwaukee this year, 14 remain open.