Father and Two Young Daughters Found Dead Hours After Divorce Hearing in Wisconsin
A father and his two daughters were discovered dead in their Winneconne home shortly after a divorce hearing between the parents.
Police performing a welfare check at a residence in Winneconne, Wisconsin, uncovered the bodies of Jeffrey Manke, 57, and his two daughters, Lenora, 11, and Jaely, 16. The tragedy unfolded just hours after a divorce hearing in which a judge ruled the marriage between Manke and Lindsey Lewandowski was irreparably broken, leading to a year-long custody dispute. Court records show the court awarded joint legal custody to both parents, despite Lewandowski’s request for sole custody.
Lewandowski later posted on Facebook that she had repeatedly warned authorities that the children felt unsafe with their father, citing prior CPS reports and a restraining order that barred Manke from firearms and substance use while caring for the children. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on whether the incident is being treated as a double murder-suicide, and the county’s human-services department has not responded to inquiries.
Why it matters
The case highlights potential gaps in child-protective interventions during contentious custody battles.
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