Jackson Vogel leaves a Brown County courtroom Oct. 15, 2024, after entering an "insanity plea" to charges he killed his cellmate Micah Laureano at Green Bay Correctional Institution. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Jackson Vogel plans to withdraw the so-called insanity plea in the case for allegedly killing his cellmate at the Green Bay Correctional Institution.
Vogel, 25, faces one count of first-degree intentional homicide for the Aug. 27 death of Micah Laureano at the prison in Allouez. The charges include hate crime enhancers, as Vogel allegedly targeted Laureano due to his race and sexual preference. Vogel told police he choked Laureano.
Trial is scheduled for June 2, with a pre-trial conference May 21.
Vogel had pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. In court lingo, it’s often called an “NGI” plea, for not guilty by insanity.
In a letter to the court, attorney Ann Larson said she met with Vogel last week.
“He informed us that he wishes to withdraw his NGI plea and will proceed to jury trial with a not guilty plea. I anticipate he will change his plea at the pretrial conference unless the Court would like to have him appear before that time,” Larson wrote.
Laureano had 18 months left on a three-year sentence for crimes in Waukesha and Columbia counties that include robbery use of force, first-degree recklessly endangering safety and substantial battery. Vogel is serving a 20-year sentence for trying to kill his mother in Two Rivers when he was 16.
In a separate legal action, Laureano’s mother, Phyllis Laureano, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit which named GBCI Warden Christopher Stevens and Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretery Jared Hoy as defendants. The suit claims prison officials were negligent in their duties when placing Laureano in a cell with Vogel. The state has not responded to the suit, and no hearings have been scheduled.
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