Chief: Homicide victim went into cardiac arrest when officers arrived

An official said Saturday afternoon that a man killed at a north Madison apartment was in cardiac arrest when officers arrived, and the case is considered a homicide.

Madison police Chief Mike Koval said at a news conference Saturday afternoon that between eight to 10 people were at a party at an apartment inside 1405 Trailsway Friday night into Saturday morning, including a 26-year-old man.

Madison police said officers responded to a disturbance there at 12:45 a.m. Officers found an injured man in the apartment, though police did not specify Saturday the nature of the injuries.

“There have been a lot of forensic challenges there at the scene which have caused us to bring in a lot of extra resources and do an awful lot of crime scene processing,” Koval said.

Police spokesman Joel DeSpain said the man was visiting people at the apartment when he was killed.

“There have been no arrests, and the MPD is in the process of canvassing the neighborhood, talking with those who may (have) information pertinent to the crime,” DeSpain said.

Koval said the 26-year-old died of cardiac arrest. The scene where the man was killed was chaotic and there are conflicting witness reports about how he died.

“Rather than provide any dis- or misinformation, we’re waiting for the (medical examiner’s) autopsy to be concluded,” Koval said.

The man was alive when police arrived but died at the scene.

Koval and DeSpain said the parties involved in the incident knew each other and the public is not in danger.

“This was not a random act of violence,” DeSpain said.

Koval said people at the party had been drinking and that was a factor in the disturbance.

“Intoxication did play a seminal role as is often the case in a lot of disputes,” Koval said.

The death Saturday morning was the first homicide in Madison in 2015. An autopsy was underway Saturday afternoon, police said.

Anyone who may have information about the case is asked to call Madison police or Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 266-6014.