STATE OF WISCONSIN

CIRCUIT COURT
CRIMINAL DIVISION

MILWAUKEE COUNTY

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
STATE OF WISCONSIN

DA Case No.:2015ML023654
Plaintiff,
Complaining Witness:

vs.

Det. Angela Juarez

Court Case No.:

Ferreira, Jose Edward Jr

2103 W. Mitchell Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
DOB: 07/27/1965
Defendant,

THE ABOVE NAMED COMPLAINING WITNESS BEING DULY SWORN, ON INFORMATION

AND BELIEF STATES THAT:
Count 1: 2ND-DEGREE MURDER/FELONY COMMISSION - PTAC, AS A PARTY TO A
CRIME
The above-named defendant on or about Tuesday, March 16, 1982, at 1944 S. 10th Street,
Milwaukee WI, in the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, as a party to a crime,
did cause the death of another human being, Carrie Ann Jopek, as a natural and probable
consequence of the commission of or attempt to commit a felony1, contrary to sec. 940.02(2),
939.50(3)(b), 939.05 Wis. Stats.
Upon conviction for this offense, a Class B Felony, the defendant may be sentenced to a term of
imprisonment not to exceed twenty (20) years.
PROBABLE CAUSE
I am a City of Milwaukee law enforcement officer and I base this complaint upon a review of
official Milwaukee Police Department incident reports, memoranda and other documents
pertaining to the investigation into the disappearance and death of Carrie Ann Jopek
(08/17/1968 d.o.b.). I have relied on such reports and memoranda in the past and found them to
be truthful and accurate. Said documents indicate the following facts:
In 1982, Carrie Ann Jopek was thirteen years old and lived with her mother and step-father in a
house located at 1929 S. 10th Street in Milwaukee. On Tuesday, March 16th (the above date),
Carrie was suspended for walking in the halls without a pass and was sent home from
Kosciusko Middle School at approximately 1:30PM. When Carrie did not arrive home, her
mother Carol Tousignant, called the police. Carries disappearance was treated as a missingperson investigation, and her mother apparently suspected that Carrie had run away from
home. Investigation revealed that Carries close friends included Robin Mandt (02/11/1969
d.o.b.), who lived with her older brother John Mandt (04/02/1964 d.o.b.) and their mother,
1

The applicable law in 1982 does not require the State to allege one felony, nor are the felonies underlying the
charge of 2nd Degree Murder statutorily restricted in any way. For purposes of this complaint, the State is alleging
that the defendant caused the death of Carrie Jopek as a natural and probable consequence of the defendants
commission of or attempt to commit one or more of the following: Second Degree Sexual Assault contrary to Wis.
Stat. 940.225 (2) (e) (a Class C felony in 1982), False Imprisonment contrary to Wis. Stat. 940.30 (a Class E
felony in 1982) and Endangering Safety by Conduct Regardless of Life contrary to Wis. Stat. 941.30 (a Class D
felony in 1982). The Statutory references are to 1981-82.

Jose Edward Ferreira Jr, DOB: 07/27/1965

Page 2 of 4

Donna Mandt in the same neighborhood in a house located at 1944 S. 10th Street (the above
location).
In 1983, over seventeen months after Carrie Jopek was reported missing, Donna Mandt
undertook to remodel the rear porch of her house at the above location. A carpenter hired to do
this work tore down part of the back porch along the western-facing side of the Mandt home, to
the immediate north of the back door. In doing so, a patch of ground was uncovered which had
previously been concealed underneath the porch. Upon digging into this ground on Friday,
September 2nd, 1983, the carpenter observed what appeared to be a human skeleton. The
carpenter later told the police that John Mandt was present when the remains were uncovered,
and that he became extremely upset and ill.
Milwaukee Police detectives and forensic investigators responded immediately. The skeletal
remains were conveyed to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office. On September 6th,
1983, police retrieved Carrie Jopeks dental records, including a chart and numerous x-rays,
from Dr. Fink. Later that same day, Dr. Samuels, an Associate Medical Examiner, compared the
human remains recovered from the above location to the dental record. Dr. Samuels positively
identified the remains as those of Carrie Ann Jopek. Police notified Carries parents.
On September 6th, Raymond Robakowski (04/15/1957 d.o.b.) called the police to report that he
observed the above-named defendant standing in the back yard of the Mandt residence,
behaving strangely. Mr. Robakowski stated that he observed the defendant (known in the
neighborhood as Junior) standing next to the hole where Carries body had been found,
apparently crying and raising his hands up. The police questioned the defendant on September
7th, 1983. The defendant denied any knowledge of or involvement in Carrie Jopeks
disappearance or death.
Dr. Samuels then performed an autopsy on September 8th. Dr. Samuels examination revealed
that the cause of Carries death had been an intracranial hemorrhage, due to a laceration of the
left vertebral artery, a fracture of the left occipital condyle, and a fracture of vertebra C-1.
[Many years passed. The defendant and others were developed as suspects, and remained so.
The leads and available evidence did not result in the filing of any criminal charges. There was
no inquest.]
On Sunday, October 11th, 2015 the defendants wife Brenda Jean Ferreira (02/11/1972 d.o.b.)
walked into the lobby of the West Milwaukee Police station and stated to Sgt. Randolph that the
defendant had called her on the phone earlier that day. Brenda stated that the defendant told
her that he was responsible for killing a female and burying her body under a porch in
Milwaukee when the defendant was seventeen years old. Brenda stated that the defendant told
her that he hit this female, causing her to fall down some stairs and break her neck. Brenda
stated that she believed that this incident occurred somewhere near where the defendant lived
when he was that age, which was 1952 S. 10th Street in Milwaukee.
Also on October 11th, 2015 a crisis counselor at the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health
Division called 911 to report that she had received a call from a male subject who identified
himself as Jose. This caller stated that in 1982 or 1983 when he was sixteen years old, he was
at a house party with a 12- or 13-year-old runaway girl. The caller stated that this girl somehow
fell down some stairs. The caller stated that he went down the stairs behind her and closed the
door. The caller stated that he fondled the girl and had his way with her. The caller stated that
he buried this girl underneath a porch. The caller stated that at the time of the incident he lived
at 1952 S. 10th Street. The caller stated that he now wants this incident to be on the news and

Jose Edward Ferreira Jr, DOB: 07/27/1965

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publicized. The caller stated that he does not know if he wants to go out in a blaze of glory or
in silence.
Police located the defendant on October 12th, 2015 and arrested him.
I further base this complaint upon the statement of the above-named defendant, who provided
the following information during a Mirandized interview with Det. James Hensley on October
13th, 2015. The defendant states that he was present at the house of John Mandt at the above
location on a particular day in March or April of 1982 or 1983. The defendant states that he was
sixteen years old at this time. The defendant states that there was a party going on at John
Mandts house, and the kids who were there were skipping school. The defendant states that
Carrie Jopek was present at the party, and that Carrie was twelve or thirteen years old at this
time. The defendant states that alcohol was served, and that he was drinking liquor mixed with
soda. The defendant states that Carrie Jopek asked him for a cigarette but he did not have one.
The defendant states that he offered Carrie some marijuana instead, and that he observed
Carrie took a puff and then coughed. The defendant states that Carrie asked if he wanted to go
down into the basement, and the defendant agreed. The defendant states that he thought he
and Carrie were going to make out in the basement. The defendant states that he opened the
door in the kitchen which led to a stairway down to the basement. The defendant states that
Carrie went first, and that he closed the door behind them.
The defendant states that Carrie then said, I dont know if this is a good idea. The defendant
states that he looked at Carrie sternly and said: You are going downstairs. The defendant
states that he pushed Carrie down the stairs and observed her body strike the railing and the
wall and fall to the basement floor, with her lower legs and feet on the last two steps.
The defendant states that he walked down the stairs, stood over the body of Carrie Jopek, and
pulled her fully onto the floor so she was lying flat on her back. The defendant states that he
thought she was knocked out, and saw this as an opportunity. The defendant states that he
told Carrie: You are such a beautiful girl and proceeded to feel her breasts with his hands over
Carries clothing.
The defendant stated that he tried to pick Carrie up from the floor and when he did so, he
observed that her neck was broken because Carries head was turned around backward. The
defendant stated that he opened the basement door, which led up a set of stairs to an exterior
cellar door and into the back yard.
[Your complainant knows that in the space in between the basement door and the exterior cellar
door at the above location, there is access to the area underneath what was in 1982 the
Mandts back porch.]
The defendant states that he used a small shovel to dig a hole underneath the porch, which
took him about forty-five minutes to do because the ground was hard. The defendant states that
he placed Carries body in the hole and then covered her with dirt. The defendant states that
because Carrie had long hair, he could still see some of her hair sticking out.
The defendant states that he left the Mandt home and disappeared for a number of hours
before going to his own home down the street, at 1954A South 10th Street. When asked later by
the other party-goers what had become of Carrie, the defendant states that he claimed not to
know.
The defendant states that approximately a year and a half after the above-described incident,
he observed some construction work being done on the Mandts rear porch. The defendant

Jose Edward Ferreira Jr, DOB: 07/27/1965

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states that he knew then that it was only a matter of time before Carries body would be found.
The defendant states that he was watching and saw John Mandt standing in the backyard at the
moment when Carries body was found. The defendant states that John Mandt vomited because
of the foul smell.
The defendant states that he waited a few days until the investigators and news reporters had
gone away, and that he then went to the spot where he had buried Carrie. The defendant states
that he knelt in the dirt and cried, apologizing to Carrie for pushing her and causing her death.
The defendant states that a neighbor saw him, so he got up and left. Two hours later the police
were at his door. The defendants brother Angel told the defendant not to tell anyone what the
defendant had done, and so the defendant denied any knowledge or involvement in Carries
death to the police when questioned.
Your complainant knows that pursuant to the applicable 1982 law, Wis. Stat. 939.74 (2) (a): A
prosecution for murder may be commenced at any time[.]
****End of Complaint****
Subscribed and sworn to before me and approved for filing this 17th day of October, 2015.

Karl P Hayes
Assistant District Attorney
1063057

Complaining Witness