MILWAUKEE, WI – Dennis Kurasz, a 46-year-old Milwaukee man, has been sentenced to life in prison by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey A. Wagner for the 2021 beating death of his girlfriend.
In November, a jury convicted Kurasz of first-degree intentional homicide for killing Amanda Ducharme. Kurasz was out on $250 bail at the time of the homicide for a domestic violence case involving Ducharme, 43.
According to prosecutors, Kurasz called police on Dec. 27, 2021, to report an attack at the auto recycling business he ran. Ducharme was found in a bathroom within the same building with extensive head injuries. Kurasz initially claimed they had been attacked by robbers, but later admitted to striking Ducharme repeatedly with a concrete-bottomed rodent trap and strangling her with an electrical cord.
Despite being under orders to stay away from Ducharme due to the domestic violence incident, Kurasz ignored these orders and carried out the fatal attack. As a result, he will not receive credit for time served while awaiting trial and sentencing. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 7.
The sentencing of Dennis Kurasz to life in prison serves as justice for the heinous crime committed, and is a harsh reminder of the consequences of domestic violence. The tragic loss of Amanda Ducharme will not be forgotten, and Kurasz’s actions have brought swift and severe legal consequences.