JASON GRAU - 17 yo (2010) - Chippewa Falls WI

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. -- Chippewa Falls police suspect foul play in
the death of a teenager whose body was found along the banks of the
Chippewa River.
The body of a male in his mid-teens was found near a bike path that
runs by the Highway 124 bridge Wednesday. The property is owned by Xcel
Energy property.
Interim Police Chief John Liddell said Thursday state investigators
are helping determine what happened to the victim. Police also say that
there are not currently any reports of missing teens in the area.
An autopsy will be performed by the Ramsey County Medical examiner.

Investigators believe the teen who was found dead would have known
the person or people who may have been responsible for his death.
Police haven't been able to identify the teen whose body was found
near a bike path east of the Highway 124 bridge in Chippewa Falls on
Wednesday. The Chippewa Falls School District has said it doesn't
believe the teen was one of its students.
From the start, investigators have called the death suspicious and
say foul play is suspected. Investigators say the body was found
intact and would be recognizable to someone who knew him.
They did not want to elaborate any further about why they believe the teen knew those involved.
A number of agencies are now assisting police in the investigation.

Investigators are working to identify the body of a mid-teen male
found by the bank of the Chippewa River by the Highway 124 bridge
Wednesday.

Interim Chippewa Falls Chief of Police John Liddell
said Thursday morning that foul play is suspected, but police do not
believe the public is in any danger.


As of 3:55 p.m., the body had still not been identified. An autopsy is planned for Friday.

Liddell
asked for the public’s help in the investigation. The body was found
just off of the bank on the ice on the north side of the river, just
east of the Highway 124 bridge. It was on Xcel Energy property, near a
fishing pier in that area, at the bottom of the Court Street hill. A
bicycle trail goes trough that area.

Liddell asked that anyone
who may have used the bike trail in that area within the past 24 to 72
hours to call the Chippewa Falls Police Department at 715-723-4424.

Liddell
said police received a call at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday from a person
who reported seeing a body on the riverbank at that location.

The
identity of the victim has not been determined. Liddell said the victim
appeared to be in the early to mid-teens in age. An autopsy has been
scheduled for Friday at the Ramsey Medical Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The area around that location where the body was found was a flurry of activity Wednesday night.

City
police squad cars, Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department personnel, a
Wisconsin State Patrol squad and a Hazmat truck, as well as a truck
from the Wisconsin Crime Lab, were all on scene late Wednesday night.
Ambulances were also on scene.

Police cordoned off an area
between Court Street and the river. Then at about 10 p.m. officers
closed Court Street from Highway 124 to South Prairie Street. There
were barricades and police tape across the cordoned-off area. Members
of the Chippewa Falls Police Department could be seen coming and going
throughout the night.

This morning Liddell said the police were
assisted in the investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice
Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wisconsin Crime Lab, Wisconsin
State Patrol, Chippewa Falls Fire Department and Chippewa Falls Street
Department.

Here is the police department's press release:

On
February 24, 2010 at approximately 4:30pm the Chippewa Falls Police
Department received a call from a subject indicating that they had
observed a body laying along the river bank just east of the HWY 124
bridge. Officers responded and observed a deceased male subject laying
near the river bank. The subject appears to be early to mid teens in
age. Police are conducting an investigation into the cause of death and
are attempting to determine the identity of the male. An autopsy is
being scheduled at the Ramsey Medical Center. Police do suspect foul
play, but do not believe there is any danger to residents of the City.

Police
are asking that any citizen that may have used the bike trail on the
north side of the Chippewa River and east of the HWY 124 bridge in the
last 24 to 72 hours to please contact the Chippewa Falls Police
Department at 715-723-4424.

The body of a teenager has been identified but there are still many questions unanswered: chief among those who killed him.
Jason Grau was found dead on Wednesday along a bike trail a few
blocks from downtown. He was 17. The Chippewa County Coroner tells us
an autopsy has been completed and says the cause of death is a
homicide. No arrests have been made.
Jason was a student at McKinley charter school in Eau Claire. He
lived in Eau Claire but police say he had ties to the Chippewa Falls
area.
At a press conference Friday, investigators would not comment on whether or not a weapon was used or what he was doing there.
"You have to understand. We can't give out certain types of
information because when we question people, then we don't know if the
information they know is coming from us, or somebody that actually
knows what happened," says John Liddell, Chippewa Falls Police
Department Interim Chief.
Jason was a student not only at McKinley, but also at Eau Claire
Memorial and Eau Claire North high schools at one time. The
superintendent says students are grieving.
"We saw impacts of that with students at McKinley today. A
counselor was there today and we will expand that Monday morning at
McKinley, North and Memorial," says Dr. Ron Heilmann, ECASD
Superintendent.
The interim police chief says they are following up on a number of leads and the family is cooperating with the investigation.
The interim police chief says this was an isolated incident and
there's no need for the public to be concerned. Still, Jason's killer
or killers are still out there. No arrests yet in this case.
Investigators have told us they believe whoever did this knew Jason. If you know something that can help police, call 723-4424.
A benefit account to help the family has been set up in Jason's name. You can go to any RCU bank to donate.

Chippewa Falls Police have identified the body found Wednesday near
the Chippewa River as 17-year-old Jason A. Grau of Eau Claire.

Interim
Police Chief John Liddell said the incident is being investigated as a
homicide, but he released few details about the investigation at a
Friday afternoon press conference at City Hall.

No arrests have been made, but Liddell said there is no danger to the public.

“Based on what we’ve seen in the investigation, we don’t believe it was just a random act on the street,” he said.

An
autopsy was performed Friday at the St. Paul (Minn.) Ramsey Medical
Center. With preliminary results, Liddell said it was determined Grau
was murdered.

“Cause of death will be determine by the coroner,” he said.

When reached for comment, Chippewa County Coroner Kay Gerrits referred questions back to Liddell.

Grau’s
body was found Wednesday afternoon near a bike trail that runs along
the Chippewa River at the bottom of the East Hill in Chippewa Falls. A
passerby saw the body and reported it to police at 4:30 p.m.

Police
will not yet say if Grau was killed there or if the body was dumped in
the area. Liddell also did not release any information about possible
wounds or the use of any weapons. He didn’t release any information
about when Grau might have been killed either.

“I will not
speculate on when Jason died, but investigators have been able to
confirm that Jason was seen on Sunday, Feb. 21 in the Eau
Claire/Chippewa Falls area,” he said.

Grau was initially
identified by an agency that was assisting the Chippewa Falls Police
Department. Liddell said he’s not aware of any missing person reports
made about Grau.

Investigators met with his family yesterday,
though they weren’t able to positively identify the body until the
autopsy was performed.

“I will not confirm it until I have proof
of who it is,” Liddell said of why the department hadn’t released
Grau’s identity earlier.

Grau had tattoos that helped law enforcement identify him.

Liddell
said he expects no arrests will be made in the immediate future, but
investigators are conducting several interviews per day.

“We have received numerous tips from the public,” he said.

Grau
was a student at McKinley Charter School, which specializes in students
who have had issues at other schools or those who could not complete
their education at a public school.

Grau lived in Eau Claire,
but he often visited Chippewa Falls. He may have been enrolled in the
Chippewa Falls School District in the past, Liddell said.

Online
court records show a traffic citation issued to Grau in October in
Chippewa County. At that time he had an address of 201 Ferry St., Eau
Claire.

“He did have friends here. He did apparently frequent Chippewa Falls,” Liddell added.

Liddell asked that the media to respect Grau’s family’s privacy at this time.

“I would like to express my sympathy to the family of Jason Grau,” he said.

The
Chippewa Falls Police Department is being assisted by the Wisconsin
Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Wisconsin
Crime Lab, Wisconsin State Patrol, Chippewa County Sheriff’s
Department, Eau Claire Police Department, Chippewa County Coroner,
Altoona Police Department, Chippewa Falls Fire Department, Chippewa
Falls Street Department and Xcel Energy, which owns the property on
which Grau’s body was found.

Liddell said sworn and civilian
staff of his department have put in numerous hours over the past few
days working on the investigation.

Jason Grau’s death prompted many people to post their remembrances of the teen on social networking sites.

Memorial sites were published on Facebook and Baby-gaga.com, and more comments expressing grief over the teen’s death were left on Grau’s page on MySpace.

The names used by people posting on social networking sites can not be independently verified.

A poster using the name Laura Swan wrote on Facebook:

“Hey
Jason. We all miss you already. I wish you were here to listen to what
everyone has to say about you. You were a good kid. ...

“That’s the person I’m going to remember.”

Another
Facebook poster, signing the name of Devon Whaley, wrote, “Jason. You
will never be forgotten in my heart. One of my favorite cousins and I
love you.

“I’ll always cherish all of our memories. I just wish you were still around to create more.”

Poster
Christine Anderson wrote, “I didn’t know Jason real well, but I used to
live just a few houses down from him and his family.

“I know he
had his problems, but I know he was a good kid with a great smile and
lots of spunk! My prayers are with all of his family and friends.”

Another
poster, going just by Kourtney, wrote, “Jason I love you so much. I am
going to miss you so much. I feel like there’s a huge hole in my heart.
I want you back, to see you one more time. But I know that’s not going
to happen.”

A poster signing the name Hollyann Stabenow wrote:
“I don’t understand how anyone could do that to someone as sweet as
you. . . . The people who did this, to you will be found and they will
pay, big time.”

On Baby-gaga.com, poster Home Skillet’s Madre, who identified herself as a mother in Eau Claire, set up a memorial page to Grau.

“A friend of mine was found last night along a river on a bike trail,” she wrote.

“This
is Jason Grau, a 16 year old boy. He was violently murdered . . . This
is a horrible thing done to a good person and his family.

“Please, please pray for his friends and family.”

Another poster, Mommy TMC of Eau Claire, wrote: “I cried when I found out this morning, and I’m crying now, too.

“Even though I never knew him personally, its hard to know yet another young life was taken. And our town is normally so safe.”

Chippewa Falls police have made an arrest in
the death of a 17 year old boy whose body was found on the bank of the
Chippewa River this week.Chippewa Falls police say officers arrested
30-year old Shane A. Hawkins from Chippewa Falls Friday night on a
charge of hiding a corpse.



Hawkins was an acquaintance of Jason A. Grau
whose body was found Wednesday near the Highway 124 bridge on Xcel
Energy property.Authorities continue to investigate the incident.

* * * *

CHIPPEWA FALLS - A 30-year-old Chippewa Falls man was arrested
Friday night in connection with the murder of Jason Grau, 17, whose
body was found along the Chippewa River Wednesday afternoon.

Shane A. Hawkins was taken into custody about 8:45 p.m.,
according to a press release issued Saturday morning by Chippewa
Falls Interim Police Chief John Liddell. Hawkins was jailed on a
charge of hiding a corpse, Liddell said, adding that Hawkins was an
acquaintance of Grau.

Grau's family was notified of the arrest, and the investigation
into Grau's murder continues, Liddell said.

Court records show Hawkins has prior convictions for marijuana
possession in 2003 in Polk County, and misdemeanor battery in 2000
and disorderly conduct in 1997, both in Barron County.

CHIPPEWA FALLS - Shane Hawkins admitted he murdered Jason Grau
while the teenage boy was sleeping at his house, investigators said
Tuesday. Hawkins said the two were not arguing, and the reasoning
behind the murder is still unclear.
"Well, I don't remember that day, I just remember being angry,"
Hawkins told investigators, according to the criminal complaint
filed Tuesday.
Hawkins added: "I just remember being angry. I was just sick of
a lot of people talking, taking advantage of me."
Hawkins, 30, of 36 E. Elm St., was officially charged with
first-degree intentional homicide in the death of 17-year-old Grau
on Tuesday. If convicted, he faces life in prison. He also was
charged with hiding a corpse, which carries a maximum penalty of 10
years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
At an initial appearance in Chippewa County Court, more than 20
of Grau's friends and family packed the tension-filled courtroom,
many of them wearing red bandanas on their wrists as a show of
support. Grau's mother, Jennifer Grau, glared at Hawkins throughout
the proceeding.
Public defender Aaron Nelson represented Hawkins in the short
hearing.
According to the criminal complaint:
Hawkins killed Grau on Monday, Feb. 22. His friends had said
they last saw him on Sunday, Feb. 21. His body was discovered on
Wednesday, Feb. 24, along the north shore of the Chippewa River in
Chippewa Falls.
The eyewitness who found Grau's body also saw a Chevrolet sedan
that appeared to be stuck in the turnaround area off of Court
Street. That description matched Hawkins' vehicle.
Police interviewed one of Hawkins' friends who had been in
Hawkins' apartment on Feb. 24. The man told police that he saw a
large stain on the carpet, and the home had a strong odor of
bleach. He also was in Hawkins' vehicle that day, and saw a red
stain on the floor of the car.
While conducting a search of Hawkins' home on Saturday, Feb. 26,
police located a couch "which appeared to have been saturated with
blood." The blood had soaked through the couch and onto the wood
floor. Officers also located towels and blankets that were blood
stained.
Hawkins was arrested and taken to the Chippewa County Jail,
where he told police he killed Grau "By stabbing Grau multiple
times in the neck and back." He told officers some specific details
about the number of cuts and the locations on Grau's body. He told
officers where the knife could be found in his apartment. Officers
later located the weapon, and it has been sent to the state crime
lab.
He also sated "that he had contemplated killing six more people
during the next year."
Hawkins admitted he put Grau's body in his car, dragged it
through a wooded area, and left it on the bank of the river. His
description of where he left the body matched the location where
the eye witness saw it.
A grocery store surveillance tape showed Hawkins buying multiple
bottles of bleach. Hawkins admitted he used the bleach in an
attempt to clean the scene. He told authorities he acted alone in
Grau's death.
Chippewa County District Attorney Jon Theisen said he decided
against presenting any facts about the case in court on Tuesday out
of respect for Grau's family. He also wanted to avoid any
cross-examination.
"(Hawkins) spoke a lot," Theisen said. "I think he changes his
stories several times."
Theisen said he will ask for a higher bond at the preliminary
hearing, which is set for March 29. Hawkins is being held in the
Chippewa County Jail on a $500,000 bond, but Theisen wants it
increased to $1 million, particularly after hearing Hawkins comment
that he considered killing again.
"That's not satisfactory to me," Theisen said of the current
bond. "I'd call it a highly substantial threat."
Theisen said it was clear to investigators immediately that the
murder scene was not at the river.
Officers deserve credit for getting the case solved so quickly,
Theisen said.
"Law enforcement worked for 48 hours and took a murderer off the
streets," he said. "They did an excellent job and they are to be
commended."
Still, little is known about Hawkins. Theisen said that Hawkins
had little criminal history in Chippewa County, and he doesn't
believe that Hawkins was employed.

Chippewa Falls — Prosecutors say a 17-year-old boy was sleeping when
he was stabbed to death in a Chippewa Falls home.
A criminal complaint says Shane Hawkins, 30, confessed to stabbing Jason Grau
of Eau Claire multiple times in the neck and back as he slept at Hawkins' home.

Hawkins made his initial court appearance Tuesday. District Attorney Jon
Theisen said Hawkins hasn't been clear about a motive. But the complaint says
Hawkins told police "he had contemplated killing six more people during the next
year."
The complaint says Hawkins admitted dumping Grau's body along the Chippewa
River last week.

Hundreds are expected to gather Saturday night in memory of an area
teen who was murdered.
"He was only 17 years old and his life was taken from him obviously
for a senseless reason," says family friend Haley Whitwam. "So, instead
of taking it--it being a sad situation, we're going to make it a good
thing for her family."
Jason Grau's body was found near a bike trail in Chippewa Falls last
month.
A benefit for the family is taking place Saturday. About 600 people
are expected to celebrate Jason's life and raise money for his funeral
expenses. The benefit is at The Finish Line, which is a tavern in Eau
Claire. The event includes live music, food, a bake sale and a raffle.
"He'd want us to party, knowing the boy as I do," says family friend
Jerry Justice. "He'd probably like it better out in the fields hunting
or fishing but this will work for him, too. He'd be glad that
everybody'd be smiling and showed up. He's looking down on us now,
saying, 'Good job!'"
The benefit continues through the night. Again, it is being held at
The Finish Line on Esmond Road in Eau Claire.

A judge says there is enough evidence for 30-year-old Shane Hawkins to stand trial in connection to
the death of a teenager, but there are still questions about whether
Hawkins is fit to stand trial.
Hawkins was in court in his hometown of Chippewa Falls Monday.
Investigators say Hawkins admitted killing Jason Grau while Grau slept in his
apartment. Grau’s body was found along a trail near the Chippewa River.
Hawkins is charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
Although the judge found there’s enough evidence to hold Hawkins for trial,
he ordered a competency evaluation for sometime in the next month.
The result of that evaluation could decide whether Hawkins ever faces trial in the case.
Grau’s mother is looking for justice for her son.

Shane A. Hawkins has a a history of psychotic thinking and was
clearly exhibiting psychotic behavior when interviewed by police
about the murder of Jason Grau, a psychologist testified Friday.
Nevertheless, Hawkins is competent to stand trial at this time,
said Dr. Harlan Heinz.
Based on that testimony, Judge Roderick Cameron found Hawkins
competent to assist in his own defense and stand trial for the
murder of Grau, whose body was found on the bank of the Chippewa
River on Feb. 24. Grau, 17, of Eau Claire died of multiple stab
wounds. His blood was found in Hawkins’ apartment.
The question of Hawkins’ competency, however, is likely to come
up again, based on arguments made by his defense attorney, Aaron
Nelson of New Richmond, who declined to comment after the
hearing.
Heinz testified that Hawkins was competent based on his ability
to comprehend the court proceedings and his ability to assist in
his own defense. That doesn’t mean Hawkins is all right.
Heinz said Hawkins was in a motor vehicle accident at age 14 and
was in a coma for several days. He suffered a severe brain injury
that left him with both short term and long term memory problems.
He has exhibited a history of psychosis, post traumatic stress
disorder and substance abuse, Heinz said.
The periods of psychosis have been intermittent, however. Under
cross examination, Heinz said Hawkins was “definitely psychotic”
during the first of four interviews with police after the murder.
Heinz said he saw the video of that interview and described
Hawkins’ response as “basically non-verbal, doing a lot of praying,
and spitting.
“He was basically not in touch with reality. He was not
following the interview, that’s for sure,” Heinz said.
Hawkins’ behavior improved in subsequent interviews.
According to Nelson, though, in a fourth interview that Heinz
did not see, Hawkins spoke a lot about orbs and alternate
universes.
Heinz said Hawkins told him that sometimes when he closes his
eyes he sees all kinds of things, but usually not when he was high
on drugs.
Hawkins has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental
disease or defect, often called an “NGI” plea in the courts.
Hawkins’ history of psychosis would certainly be the focus of
attention in a trial on that issue, but before Cameron on Friday
was only the issue of Hawkins’ competence to even proceed to that
point.
Nelson advanced an argument that Hawkins was unable to remember
his psychotic episodes, and if he couldn’t remember the episode, he
couldn’t discuss it with his attorney, and if the psychosis was the
basis for the defense, then Hawkins was not competent to assist in
his defense.
Heinz, though said the inability to remember would add to his
disability, but would not necessarily make him incompetent. He
suggested there was case law regarding amnesia cases that probably
applied, but the attorneys were not immediately familiar with
it.
That case law, and additional evidence to be found in reports on
Hawkins’ mental health, may give Nelson grounds to ask the court to
re-address competence. Cameron said an Aug. 3 hearing set in the
case would provide Nelson with the opportunity to do that.
Had Hawkins been found not competent to proceed, he would be
sent to a mental institution for up to a year. If he was not
competent by then, he would be committed under involuntary mental
commitment statutes. Of course, if the reason for his lack of
competence was his inability to remember psychotic episodes, it
would raise the question of whether he could ever be competent.
The Aug. 3 court hearing is scheduled to last an entire day.
Nelson plans extensive testimony and argument on a motion to
suppress statements Hawkins made during his interviews with police,
perhaps based on his ability to understand what was going on.
About 35 friends and family members of Jason Grau were in court.
Grau’s mother left the courtroom in tears.

On Tuesday, family and friends of a murdered teen saw taped interviews between law enforcement and his accused killer.
Shane Hawkins, 30, of Chippewa
Falls is charged with first degree intentional homicide and hiding a
corpse in the death of 17-year-old Jason Grau.Tuesday
in Chippewa County court, attorney's played the video after the defense
filed a motion to suppress it as evidence. That means it asked the
judge that the video not be used in a trial.
The motion hearing turned into a day long event as investigators took the stand.
On the nights surrounding Jason Grau's murder in February, Shane Hawkins was brought in for questioning.
"Are you saying that Jason is dead? Is that what you're saying?” Sgt. Dave Johnson with Chippewa Falls Police asked.
"Yeah," Shane Hawkins replied to him.
In court, videotaped interviews showed Hawkins talking about voices in his head.
"These voices in my head say if I
don't go back home and drink some fish water and then throw it up and
ask these one guys for mercy I'm gonna die forever," Hawkins told
investigators.
He said people in heaven killed Jason Grau.
"When did they tell you they killed him? When did you find out about that? Do you remember?” Sgt. Johnson asked.
"They told me to do it or I would die," Shane said.
"They told you to do something or you will die?” Johnson asked.
"Yeah they told me to go drive around. Told me to go nuts," Hawkins replied.
On the stand, Department of
Justice Agent John Christopherson said at some points Hawkins would
interrupt questioning with random thoughts.
"After I die all the life on this planet will die," Hawkins said in an interview.
Investigators spent the day
answering questions as attorneys worked to determine whether they did
their job correctly on those February nights.
"You owe it to Jason to tell us what happened," Sgt. Johnson said.
“I don't know what happened," Hawkins replied.
"That's not what you told me last night," Sgt. Johnson countered.
"Oh, I plead the fifth. I'm done talking to ya. I just keep getting in worse trouble every time I talk to ya," Hawkins said.
In the afternoon, after a recess
for lunch, a special agent with the Department of Justice out of
Madison, Tami Sleeman, took the stand.
Sleeman and another detective were
part of a second interview team to talk to Hawkins. The prosecution
showed videos of interviews Sleeman had with Hawkins on Saturday,
February 27th, just hours after Hawkins had officially been booked in
the Chippewa County Jail.
"I'm evil," Hawkins says abruptly during questioning.
"Why?" asks Sleeman. “Why are you evil?”
"Because…I killed Jason,” says Hawkins, after a long pause. “That's not nice."
Hawkins goes on in the interviews with investigators to describe how he says he killed Grau.
"He was just laying on the couch
and I just started stabbing him in the throat and stuff,” Hawkins says,
nervously picking at his arms.
In further questioning by the same
investigation team on February 28, Hawkins says he's "thinking about
telling them everything."
"It's the longest, most insane
story you'll ever hear,” he tells investigators. “It's just crazy.
There's a lot of voices in my head…and I don't know where to begin."
He once again says voices told him to kill Grau.
"I know it was wrong. I mean I didn’t even freakin want to do it. He was my (explitive) friend," says Hawkins.
But Hawkins also says the voices told him to talk to investigators.
"They say tell the truth,” he says.
He tells investigators on tape he wishes he could disappear into another world.
After court today, Jason Grau's
grandpa says the tapes were painful to watch. But, he wants a jury to
see them, and wishes the trial would come sooner.
“I'd like it to end now so my daughter can get on with her life,” says Joe Whaley, Jason Grau’s grandpa.
Defense attorney Aaron Nelson
declined to go on camera. Nelson asked investigators whether they took
into account Hawkins’s mental health before interviewing him, as well as
Hawkins’ previous head injuries and brain surgeries from a car crash
when Hawkins was 14-years-old.
Nelson also focused heavy
questioning on whether investigators properly followed procedures of not
only reading Hawkins his Miranda rights, but also filling out the
proper form waiving his right to an attorney before investigators
questioned him.
Chippewa County Assistant District
Attorney Roy Gay says statements like the ones made in the interviews
are always important, but even if the judge decides none of the
statements can be used, Gay says he can still proceed with the case
against Hawkins.
The motion hearing wrapped up just before 5pm Tuesday night. No decisions were made. They are in recess until August 19th.http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/99892979.html

Shane A. Hawkins had expressed thoughts about killing someone years before he murdered a
17-year-old boy on Feb. 22, a mental health case manager said Thursday
during the competency phase of Hawkins' murder trial.
Hawkins, 31, told Corin Tubridy, a case manager with Starting
Points in Chippewa Falls, that he had thoughts about killing others.

"He started having deadly thoughts about killing someone,"
Tubridy said during Hawkins' trial in Dunn County Court. "He started to
think about his old enemies, and he thought about killing someone."

Hawkins stabbed and murdered Jason Grau in the early morning of
Feb. 22 at Hawkins' apartment in Chippewa Falls and then dumped the body
along the Chippewa River in the city, where it was discovered Feb. 24.
Hawkins was arrested Feb. 26.

Hawkins in November pleaded guilty by mental disease or defect to
murdering Grau. This second phase of the trial is to determine his
mental competency at the time of the killing. The competency phase,
which began Wednesday, will determine whether Hawkins will enter the
state prison system with a mandatory life sentence or go to a mental health center.

Chippewa County Judge Roderick Cameron, who is presiding in the
case, ordered the competency phase be moved to Dunn County because of
what the defense deemed as excessive media exposure that could influence the jury.

Chippewa County District Attorney Jon Theisen, who is prosecuting the case,
contends Hawkins was mentally competent and knew what he was doing when he killed Grau.

Tubridy, who worked with Hawkins for 1 1/2 years, said he had stopped
taking his medication because it caused numbness and headaches.

"He said his mood was out of whack," she said Thursday.

Tubridy said she encouraged Hawkins to get back on medication, but he declined.

Hawkins talked frequently about religion, saying he had "gifts
from God," and he "was prophesying," she said. Tubridy considers Hawkins
to have a lower-than-normal cognitive level, saying he has the mentality of a 14- or 15-year-old.

Hawkins hoped one day to be a star player in the National Football League, she said.

"What he believes is true and reality isn't always the case," she said.

Also testifying Thursday was Jeremy Kitchens, Hawkins'
brother-in-law. Kitchens, who has known Hawkins for eight years, said
his brother-in-law typically acts oddly.

"There was furniture in Shane's house that you couldn't sit on, because Shane said the cat would be mad at you," Kitchens said.

Kitchens told the jury about Hawkins going to Chicago to free the soul of a deceased child at an orphanage there.

"When I first heard about it, I kind of laughed it off," Kitchens
said. "It was Shane. Crazy things come out of him. You never know what
you're going to hear, so it got brushed off."

Kitchens was startled when he later learned that Hawkins traveled to Chicago.

"He actually went to find this orphanage. I was dumbfounded,"
Kitchens said. "Me and my wife discussed what we were going to do about
this, because this isn't normal, to go on a mission like this."

After his trip to Chicago, Kitchens and his wife, Brandi, who is
Hawkins' sister, became especially concerned about Hawkins. When Hawkins
started telling people he was going to "disappear" soon, they became
even more worried. Kitchens said they previously had talked about
attempting to have Hawkins civilly committed to a mental health center.
Those discussions then became more serious.

Chad Baldry briefly lived with Hawkins and has been friends with
him for four years. He told the jury Hawkins frequently makes unusual comments.

"He said that God talks to him, and he'd get answers from him," Baldry said.

Baldry said at one point he became concerned enough about
Hawkins' mental state that he contacted area hospitals to learn about
how to have his friend committed to a mental health center.

The jury finished the day by watching a video of Hawkins being
interrogated by Chippewa Falls police Detective David Johnson in the
days after Hawkins was arrested. In this interview, Hawkins denied
knowing where Grau was and denied that the boy recently had been at his home.