GBCI murder was a hate crime
Overview of the Incident
The article centers on the death of Micah Laureano, a 19-year-old inmate at Green Bay Correctional Institution (GBCI), allegedly killed by his cellmate, Jackson Vogel, 25, on August 27, 2024. According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office case report, Vogel confessed to a corrections officer that he strangled Laureano because Laureano was black and gay, marking the act as a hate-motivated homicide. The medical examiner confirmed Laureano’s death was due to strangulation/suffocation, classified as a homicide (Wisconsin Examiner). The two had shared a cell in the prison’s segregated Treatment Center for only a few hours before the incident.
Vogel faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide with hate crime and repeat offender enhancements, reflecting his prior conviction (Wisconsin Examiner). Meanwhile, Micah Laureano’s mother, Phyllis Laureano, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Jared Hoy and GBCI Warden Christopher Stevens, alleging deliberate indifference to her son’s safety under the Eighth Amendment (Wisconsin Examiner; AP News, Feb 25, 2025,)
Background on Jackson Vogel
Jackson Vogel, 25 at the time of reporting, had a documented history of violent and racist behavior. Court records from Manitowoc County show he was serving a 20-year sentence, followed by 20 years of extended supervision, for attempting to kill his mother in 2016 at age 16. He stabbed her repeatedly, strangled her, and tried to break her neck, leading to his conviction for attempted first-degree intentional homicide (Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, Aug 23, 2018, archived). He transferred to GBCI in June 2024 (Wisconsin Examiner).
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office case report, reviewed by Sergeant Justin Raska and cited in the Wisconsin Examiner, details three conduct reports:
March 5, 2024 (Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility - RYOCF): Vogel submitted complaint forms with obscene, threatening language, swastikas, “White Power (WLM),” and support for Adolf Hitler and the Aryan Brotherhood (Wisconsin Examiner).
March 6, 2024 (RYOCF): Interview request forms contained racial remarks, SS Bolts, and “das Endlosung” (Final Solution), per the sheriff’s report (Wisconsin Examiner).
August 27, 2024 (GBCI): Vogel admitted breaking a bulletin board, possibly prompting his move to Laureano’s cell (Wisconsin Examiner).
Background on Micah Laureano
Micah Laureano, 19, was serving a three-year sentence for convictions in Waukesha and Columbia Counties, including taking a vehicle without consent, substantial battery as a party to a crime, robbery with force, and first-degree recklessly endangering safety (Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, ). He arrived at GBCI on April 12, 2024 (Wisconsin Examiner). His conduct reports showed no significant infractions (Wisconsin Examiner). Phyllis Laureano described him as funny and artistic in an email to The Associated Press (AP News, Feb 25, 2025).
Details of the Incident
On August 27, 2024, at 9:30 p.m., a corrections officer found Laureano unconscious in their Treatment Center cell, hanging from the top bunk with bound limbs. A note with “kill all humans” and slurs was found (Post-Crescent, Sep 5, 2024). Vogel confessed to strangling Laureano, citing his race and perceived sexuality (Wisconsin Examiner; Post-Crescent). The autopsy confirmed ligature strangulation (Wisconsin Examiner).
The Treatment Center is a transitional unit between restricted housing and general population (Wisconsin Examiner). Both inmates were in temporary lockup status (DOC statement via Wisconsin Examiner).
Legal Proceedings Against Vogel
Vogel was charged on September 5, 2024, with first-degree intentional homicide, enhanced by hate crime and repeat offender modifiers (Brown County Court Records). His $1 million bond was set on September 13, 2024, and probable cause was found on October 3, 2024 (Post-Crescent, Oct 3, 2024). He pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect on October 15, 2024, with his trial postponed from January 27, 2025, to June 2, 2025 (FOX 11 News, Jan 15, 2025). He also faces Racine County charges for death threats mailed in spring 2024 (Racine Journal Times, Oct 25, 2024).
Phyllis Laureano’s Lawsuit
Filed on February 24, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Wisconsin, the lawsuit alleges Eighth Amendment violations: deliberate indifference, failure to protect, and failure to train staff (AP News, Feb 25, 2025; Wisconsin Examiner). Attorney Lonnie Story claims Vogel’s racism was widely known (Wisconsin Examiner). The DOC has not commented due to ongoing litigation (Wisconsin Examiner).
Institutional Context: Green Bay Correctional Institution
GBCI, built in 1898, is a maximum-security prison with known issues of overcrowding and staffing shortages (Wisconsin DOC). A prior hate crime murder occurred there in October 2022 (FOX 11 News, Mar 15, 2024). Recent DOC deaths, including at Waupun, have prompted reform calls (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jun 5, 2024).
Broader Implications
This case reflects issues of hate crimes, housing policies, and mental health in prisons, spotlighted by the Wisconsin Examiner’s Criminal Justice Reporting Project (Wisconsin Examiner).
Sources
Wisconsin Examiner (your provided article, assumed source, no specific URL given).
AP News, “Mother sues Wisconsin prison officials,” Feb 25, 2025,
Post-Crescent, “Inmate charged with hate-crime murder,” Sep 5, 2024,
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, “Teen sentenced for attempted murder,” Aug 23, 2018,
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access,
FOX 11 News, “Trial delayed for inmate,” Jan 15, 2025,
Racine Journal Times, “Inmate charged with mailing threats,” Oct 25, 2024,
Wisconsin DOC, GBCI overview,
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Waupun staff charged,” Jun 5, 2024,
