October 14, 2021 at 11:35 a.m.
Governor's office confirms Anderson requisition warrant has been sent to Illinois
Governor's office confirms Anderson requisition warrant has been sent to Illinois
According to the governor's communications director Britt Cudaback, Evers signed the warrant Tuesday and it was to be sent to Illinois "at once."
A requisition warrant, also known as a governor's warrant, is a constitutionally required formal demand to another state that a wanted person be turned over for prosecution, Cudaback explained.
"In Wisconsin, before a requisition warrant may be issued, the Wisconsin Department of Justice reviews and approves an application. Once approved and issued, a requisition warrant is then sent to the other state's governor's office (in this case Gov. Pritzker in Illinois)," Cudaback continued. "Once the other governor's office receives and reviews the warrant, they then issue their own warrant called a 'rendition warrant,' which will be sent to the county in which the individual is held. At that point, a judge typically examines and reviews the warrant and holds an extradition hearing."
"In this case, Mr. Anderson is in Illinois and is refusing to consent to be brought to Wisconsin to stand trial," Cudaback added. "Our office received an application to issue a governor's warrant for Mr. Anderson. Today (Tuesday), after reviewing the application and receiving the necessary approval from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Gov. Evers signed the warrant and will be sending it to Illinois at once."
Anderson, 30, has been held in the DuPage County jail in Wheaton, Ill. since his arrest on Sept. 7, just shy of 70 days after the body of his former girlfriend, Hannah Rose Miller, 26, was found on a roadside in the Town of Pelican.
On July 1, a complaint was filed in Oneida County Circuit Court charging Anderson with first-degree intentional homicide in connection with Miller's death.
According to the complaint, police responded to River Bend Road in the Town of Pelican on the morning of June 30 after receiving a 911 call reporting a female, later identified as Miller, lying on the side of the road.
"It was apparent that she was deceased from a gunshot wound or wounds," sheriff Grady Hartman reported later.
According to the complaint, a couple traveling on River Bend Road discovered Miller's body.
The couple was headed from the Town of Pelican toward the City of Rhinelander when they realized they forgot something at their residence and decided to turn around, the complaint states. While traveling back toward their residence, the couple saw a black male and a white female "standing in or near the ditch line" on River Bend Road near a small white SUV. After retrieving the forgotten item, the couple headed back toward Rhinelander at which point they passed the same location where they saw the man and woman. However, "the small white SUV and black male were gone and the female was lying in the ditch line," the complaint states.
In an interview with police, Miller's mother reported that Miller and Anderson had been in a dating relationship for approximately four years and were the parents of a young child. She indicated that the couple moved to the Rhinelander area in the spring of 2020 and broke up in early June. She also reported that her daughter had expressed concern for her safety but offered few details about the relationship.
Following the Fourth of July weekend, Seth Wakefield, 25, of Rhinelander, was charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide (as party to the crime) in connection with Miller's death.
According to the criminal complaint in his case, the state is alleging Wakefield "assisted in some of the planning" of the homicide, including renting a U-Haul to conduct surveillance of Miller and her relatives. When asked why he did not contact law enforcement to report Anderson's plans and activities, Wakefield allegedly told investigators he didn't think it was any of his business and that he was expecting some sort of compensation in exchange for providing assistance.
"Seth stated that on the night prior to the murder, Christopher stayed overnight at Seth's apartment (he had been staying there intermittently, according to the complaint) and the following morning when Christopher left, Seth was aware Christopher was leaving with the intent to commit a homicide," the complaint states. "Seth stated Seth simply waited to hear news of a homicide occurring."
Wakefield is being held in the Oneida County jail in lieu of $250,000 cash bail. A competency hearing in his case is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Both Anderson and Wakefield face the possibility of life in prison, if convicted.
Meanwhile, a vigil was held in Miller's memory Oct. 8 as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Shellie Holmes, the executive director of the Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, referred to Miller as "a beautiful life lost to domestic violence" and stressed that her agency is available to help persons in abusive relationships. She also noted the Miller family had asked her to convey their gratitude to the community for the support extended over the last few months.
A close friend of Miller also addressed the crowd and played one of her friend's favorite songs, "Praying" by Kesha.
The program ended with the reading of the poem "She Is Gone" by British poet David Harkins.
She Is Gone
You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her, or you can be full of the love that you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live for yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her and only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back, or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
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