Four Bodies Found in Abandoned SUV, Homicide Investigation Underway

A homicide investigation has been launched after four people were found dead in an abandoned SUV in western Wisconsin.

In a news release on Monday, the Dunn County Sheriff's Office said the Dunn County Emergency Communications Center had received a 911 call reporting a death in the town of Sheridan, located in northern Dunn County, at around 2.20 p.m. on Sunday.

Responding deputies found four people dead in a black SUV that had been driven into a standing corn field off a rural road.

The sheriff's office described the incident as a homicide involving four victims.

A man, who was not named, told News 18 that he had been working in a corn field on Sunday afternoon when he came across the vehicle about 50 yards into the field. He told the station that he approached the vehicle and saw that there were multiple people inside who he believed were dead.

During the early stages of the investigation, the sheriff's office urged people in the community to be vigilant about securing their doors and be aware of their surroundings.

But in an update, the sheriff's office said investigators did not believe there was a danger to the public, adding that the victims do not appear to have any connection to the area.

A second dark-colored SUV may have been traveling with the black SUV and could be related to the incident, the sheriff's office said in the news release.

The sheriff's office is being assisted by the Dunn County Medical Examiner's Office, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Wisconsin DOJ crime lab.

No other information is being released at this time, the sheriff's office said. It added that more information will be released as the investigation develops.

The sheriff's office initially appealed for information about someone walking in the area or possibly going to a residence to ask for a ride late on Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

In an update, the sheriff's office asked for anyone with information related to the incident or who saw a black SUV with Minnesota plates in the area to get in touch at 715-232-1348.

The incident came a day after two men charged in a triple homicide in Wisconsin's La Crosse County in July pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press.

Khamthaneth Rattanasack, 44, and Nya Thao, 33, are accused in the execution-style shooting of three men outside the entrance of a Wisconsin quarry.