Madison Police and the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating after a man was found dead in the Dane County Jail early Tuesday morning.
The man who died was 49-year-old Jeffrey Endres of Cottage Grove, according to multiple media outlets citing anonymous sources.
A Madison police spokesperson said the department would not confirm the name of the man who died until autopsy results are complete.
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The day before he was found dead, Dane County prosecutors charged Endres with multiple felonies, including homicide, after police say Endres intentionally drove his Chevrolet Traverse into a Cottage Grove family on April 28.
That crash killed Kami Hansen, a 41-year-old mother and chiropractor, and the family’s pit bull terrier. Paul Hansen, the family’s 41-year-old father, and the couple’s 13-year-old son were injured in the crash, according to documents filed in Dane County Circuit Court.
After the crash, Endres told medical staff he had been having suicidal thoughts within the last month, according to a criminal complaint.
Endres had been a neighbor and close friend to the Hansen family, the complaint says. Prosecutors say the crash happened while the family was out walking their dog on the sidewalk near their home in Cottage Grove, a suburb of Madison.
Complaint: Endres was motivated by alleged crime against his family member
Endres drove his car into his neighbors after discovering that an underage member of the Hansen family was accused of committing a “sensitive crime” against an underage member of Endres’ family, according to the complaint.
Less that three hours before the collision, Endres had received records from that criminal investigation involving the children in response to a public records request to Cottage Grove Police, according to the complaint.
Paul Hansen told police he believed Endres had tried to run them over because of the allegations involving children from both families, court records say.
Along with first degree intentional homicide, Endres had been charged with two felony counts of attempted first degree intentional homicide. He was also charged with felony mistreatment of animals in connection with the killing of the Hansen family’s dog.
A Dane County judge had set Endres’ bail at $1 million on Monday. If convicted, he could have faced life in prison.
Emily Bell, the attorney who had been representing Endres in the criminal case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Kami Hansen died of blunt force injuries at UW Hospital. Her 13-year-old son survived, but was hospitalized with a concussion and needed surgery, prosecutors said. Paul Hansen’s injuries were less severe, and included cuts and scratches on his leg.
Witnesses described SUV accelerating before hitting family
While he was being treating for injuries from the crash, Endres told medical staff he had lost control of his car while driving at 25 mph on his way to the gas station, the criminal complaint says.
But Paul Hansen told police he heard Endres’ engine rev before the car flew over the curb and went “straight into us.” Another neighbor said she saw an SUV from her driveway, and estimated that Endres had been driving at at least 60 mph in an area with a 25 mph speed limit.
An Uber driver who had been in the area told police that it looked the SUV’s driver had meant to hit three pedestrians.
“If he’s telling you he veered off the roadway, then he’s lying to you,” the Uber driver said, according to the criminal complaint. “I saw that vehicle jerk.”
Jail death is under investigation
Authorities have not yet released the cause of Endres’ death.
Dane County deputies found him unresponsive in his cell shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. The news release says he was pronounced dead after jail staff and paramedics attempted resuscitation.
Madison’s Police Department is now leading the investigation into Endres’ death in accordance with a sheriff’s department policy requiring an outside agency to investigate such incidents, officials said.
“Our deepest condolences are extended to the person’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement released Tuesday. “We take any in-custody death extremely seriously, and this will be thoroughly investigated to ensure full transparency.”
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