WAUKESHA, Wis. — A Waukesha man accused of killing his neighbor and having a hit list targeting others is back in court.
The man spoke to TMJ4 News reporter Rebecca Klopf hours after the body of his neighbor was discovered. Kevin Lychwick is now charged with murdering him.
Lychwick quietly walked into a Waukesha County courtroom for the second time in three days. He heard again he was charged with first-degree murder and hiding a corpse for the death of his neighbor Carlos Maldonado, 56.
Watch: Accused killer's lawyer reacts to his TMJ4 interview
At the hearing, the court commissioner confirmed Lychwick now has a newly appointed lawyer Russell Jones.
“At this point in time, he is presumed innocent. And he should remain presumed innocent,” said Jones after the hearing.
Police say Lychwick shot Maldonado in the head back in April. Then, they say he later wrapped the body in plastic, bound it with duct tape, and moved it to the end of his apartment driveway, where it stayed until it was discovered in October.
Police matched the bullets in Maldonado to a gun in Lychwick’s truck. They also found what they consider a hit list written by Lychwick with Maldonado being the first target on the list, even naming his killing “Operation Slop Shop.”
“Even though the public has heard a lot about the case, [it] case hasn’t begun yet?” asked Rebecca.
“From a legal perspective, the case has not begun so that is why I encourage everyone out there to reserve judgment. No evidence has been presented. No evidence has been provided to us,” said Jones.
Six weeks ago, on Halloween day, Rebecca spoke to Lychwick for an interview about the body being found outside his apartment. He told Rebecca all his neighbors were friendly. This while police say inside his apartment, were handwritten notes on how to eliminate targets with “interrogation sites,” “staging areas” and “disposal of rotten meat.”
Rebecca asked Lychwick about the body being found outside his building back in October.
“When you heard that there was a body what were your thoughts, living here?” asked Rebecca on October 31, 2024.
“It is bizarre. It is bizarre,” answered Lychwick.
Waukesha Police have since told TMJ4 News that they plan to subpoena the interview Lychwick did with Rebecca. His lawyer learned just this afternoon that Lychwick gave that interview.
“He did talk to me the day after the body was found, and now he is charged with murder, what does that mean for him?” asked Rebecca.
“It means at this point he is still presumed innocent, and at this point, until we get the evidence there is nothing we can really comment on,” said Jones.
Jones says Lychwick plans to plead not guilty. That will happen at his next court appearance on Dec. 23.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
