GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The victim in a Dec. 9 murder was hit in the head with a glass pitcher, hog-tied, then choked with a cable after getting into an argument with the suspect about redecorating the Western Avenue residence.
Owen Backus was charged Thursday with first-degree intentional homicide for the death of the victim, who has not been identified by authorities. Backus made an initial court appearance Thursday on the homicide charge, where a $1 million cash bond was maintained. Backus doesn’t have an attorney yet, so a status conference will be held Feb. 1, at which time a preliminary hearing may be scheduled.
According to the complaint, Backus returned home and found the victim in the residence. He and the victim argued about the victim rearranging the house, taking things off the walls and painting.
Backus took a shower, and while there, was attacked by the victim with a wrench, and two began to fight.
The complaint says:
Backus indicated Victim 1 came after him again and started to flail around. Backus pinned Victim 1 down and both began to hit each other. Backus indicated he did what he had to do to make sure Victim 1 wasn’t going to get up and keep fighting with him. Backus indicated he grabbed a beer pitcher that Victim 1 was trying to hit him with and clubbed him [Victim 1] in the head with it. Backus indicated once Victim 1 stopped flailing around, Victim 1 was still breathing and Backus took a cable and wrapped it around Victim 1’s ankle in an attempt to hog tie Victim 1. Backus indicated Victim 1 flipped out and they wrestled for another 15-20 minutes. Backus indicated he tied Victim 1 up and got a black t-shirt and put it around Victim 1’s head and tied it with more cable so Victim 1 could not see in case he got up.
The autopsy showed the victim died of “blunt impacts to the head and asphyxia injuries,” the complaint states.
Backus described the victim as ‘relentless.’
“Backus indicated his actions were in self- defense, he did not want to kill anyone, and he was protecting his home,” the complaint states.
