Man accused of homicide in Rock Co. ‘complex violent death investigation’

TOWN OF CENTER, Wis. (WMTV) - Rock County detectives have arrested a 37-year-old man Wednesday accused of first degree intentional homicide in what authorities called a “complex violent death investigation” in the Town of Center.

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office stated that Jamie E. Beggs was temporarily staying with the victim, 97-year-old Kathleen Beggs, at her home on West Mineral Point Road.

Jamie Beggs has been the department’s person of interest in this case, authorities noted, but was being detained in the Rock County Jail on unrelated charges when authorities arrested him on homicide charge.

He will appear in court on June 25.

The sheriff’s office said no other information will be released at this time.

The sheriff’s office stated on June 18 that the person of interest was behind bars on unrelated charges, but did not release the name of the person of interest, nor any other information about the death, which was reported on Monday, June 14. The death was not called a homicide until the update provided on Wednesday.

On Friday, the Rock Co. Medical Examiner identified the victim as Kathleen Beggs. The medical examiner’s office indicated the 97-year-old Beggs was pronounced dead at the scene, but it did not say how the Janesville woman died. Additional testing is underway.

Authorities previously indicated that Beggs, the person of interest, and the person who initially contacted law enforcement were all related.

On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office reported its deputies to a home in the 11100 block of W. Mineral Point Rd. around 5:30 a.m. after receiving the 911 call from the person who found Beggs. The caller was still on scene when deputies arrived as was the person of interest, who was inside the home when authorities arrived.

Beggs was discovered in the garage. At the time, they described the case as a “complex violent death investigation” and did not offer any indications how she died or how the person of interest may have been involved.