Police say the victim was shot once after a dispute over missing chicken and a soda left on a porch.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Prosecutors say a Milwaukee woman shot a 63-year-old man once in the back during a fight that started over a food delivery, then later described the killing on a recorded phone call, leading to first-degree intentional homicide and gun charges filed in Milwaukee County.
The case centers on what investigators describe as a short chain of events inside a home near North 22nd Street and West Locust Street, where Charley Collins was found shot in a kitchen around 12:30 a.m. Feb. 21. Police say a witness saw the shooting and that the suspect, 41-year-old Bonnie Blackwell, later gave detectives her own account that included an argument, a hallway confrontation and the gun firing.
Blackwell is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and possessing a firearm as a felon. Prosecutors say the investigation also includes phone recordings involving jail inmates that pointed detectives toward a confession-like statement shortly after the shooting. Blackwell was arrested Feb. 24 at a mental health facility in West Allis, according to investigators, and prosecutors say she later told detectives she sold the gun for $200 after Collins was killed.
Police first arrived at the home after reports of gunfire in the neighborhood near 22nd and Locust, a crossroads in Milwaukee’s northwest side where houses sit close together and late-night traffic can include delivery drivers. In the kitchen, officers found Collins with a gunshot wound, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators said they found a fired bullet near his feet and one spent casing in a hallway, details prosecutors say support the witness account that only one shot was fired.
A witness told a detective that Collins stepped outside to meet a delivery person in front of the home and returned with food, prosecutors said. The witness said Blackwell confronted Collins and argued with him after he came back inside. Collins put the food in a bedroom, then walked into the kitchen, the witness said. Blackwell came out of her bedroom holding a gun, yelling at Collins as the argument continued, and then fired one shot before running outside, the witness told investigators.
In the days that followed, detectives traced phone contacts connected to Blackwell and learned that multiple jail inmates had called her, according to court records. One recording, prosecutors said, included a caller telling an inmate, “I just shot somebody last night, and I think I killed him — I am going to be on the run.” Prosecutors say the voice went on to describe details of the shooting. Investigators have not publicly identified the inmate involved in that call or said whether other recordings will be used in court, but prosecutors cited the call as part of the reason charges were filed.
When detectives interviewed Blackwell after her arrest, prosecutors say she described a dispute that began with Collins claiming someone took his delivery. She told investigators she heard Collins say, “somebody stole his chicken,” according to the complaint. Blackwell said she saw a bottle of Dr. Pepper on the porch but did not see the chicken and that the two started to have “words.” The complaint says she told detectives Collins came toward her in the hallway, aggressively calling her names, and she backed up when the gun went off.
Blackwell told investigators she did not remember pulling the trigger, prosecutors said. The same court record also says she admitted she shot Collins in the back as he was walking away, a statement prosecutors are expected to highlight as they argue intent. Investigators have not released information about how close the two were when the gun fired or whether there were signs of a struggle for the weapon. Police also have not said whether the delivery order was recovered or whether anyone confirmed a theft beyond Collins’ claim.
Prosecutors filed a second count accusing Blackwell of possessing a firearm as a felon, which would make it illegal for her to have a gun at all. In one brief summary of the case, prosecutors said Blackwell admitted she killed Collins because he disrespected her during the argument. Court records made public so far do not include a detailed explanation from Blackwell’s defense about what happened in the hallway or why she had a gun, and her attorney’s position was not included in the initial reports describing the charges.
Investigators say the gun itself became part of the story after the shooting. According to the complaint, Blackwell later sold the firearm to someone else for $200. Police have not publicly identified the buyer or said whether the gun was recovered. Prosecutors are likely to argue that selling the weapon and referencing being “on the run” show awareness of wrongdoing, while defense attorneys may challenge how investigators interpreted those statements or how reliably witnesses described events during a chaotic moment.
Cases involving shootings inside homes often turn on a small set of evidence: who was present, what they saw, where people stood, and what a defendant said afterward. Here, prosecutors are leaning on a witness who said they watched Blackwell fire the gun, plus physical evidence in the kitchen and hallway. They also point to Blackwell’s interview statements, which include both a claim that the gun “went off” and an admission that the bullet struck Collins in the back.
Blackwell’s initial court appearance was scheduled for Feb. 28, prosecutors said. If the case moves forward, the next steps typically include a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors must show probable cause to continue, and then an arraignment and a series of deadlines for motions and evidence review. A judge can also set conditions of release, including cash bail, monitoring or an order that a defendant have no contact with witnesses, depending on the facts presented in court.
For now, the case remains at the charging stage, with investigators still assembling records, interviews and any additional forensic work tied to the bullet and casing recovered at the home. Prosecutors say the allegation is straightforward: a dispute over missing chicken and a soda on a porch turned into a fatal shot, and the suspect later spoke about it in ways detectives say amount to a confession. The next milestone is the court’s first evidentiary hearing date, where more details may become public.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.