Wisconsin – A Wisconsin woman pIeaded not guiIty on Monday to a charge of first-degree intentionaI homicide in the death of her chiIdren’s dad, 37-year-old MichaeI. Court records show a status conference in the case is scheduled next year and prosecutors have asked for domestic-abuse assessments as part of pretrial proceedings.
The woman, 29-year-old D. Bilderback, is accused of fataIIy shooting her children’s dad earlier this year at the family’s home in Wisconsin. Authorities say they received a 911 call just after 2 p.m. reporting a shooting; officers who responded found the victim deceased at the scene. The department identified both the victim and the person taken into custody in public posts about the investigation.
According to a criminal complaint and police statements released to the media, the defendant initially called 911 to report that someone was injured and later told dispatchers that the injured person had been shot. When asked who had been shot, she said, “I had to shoot my children’s father. To protect my children,” the complaint says. After emergency crews arrived, she was interviewed by officers and taken into custody.
Investigators say the victim died of gunshot wounds. Police and the criminal affidavit describe how first responders found him unresponsive; he was later pronounced dead. Wisconsin authorities secured the scene and began an evidence-gathering and interview process typical in homicide investigations. That work included seizing items from the home, documenting the scene, and interviewing witnesses and family members; prosecutors later reviewed the case and filed formal homicide charges.
During her interview with detectives, she provided a detailed account of what she said happened that morning. She told investigators she had been struggling with mentaI-heaIth probIems and that she had recently relapsed on meth, which she said had worsened her condition. She said she had the firearm because she had been thinking about taking her own Iife and that she had sent the children upstairs before a conversation with the victim in the kitchen. She told officers she put the gun to her own head and that she believed the victim would “help her do it for herself” only to then shoot the victim and fired a second shot to “stop the threat.” The complaint quotes her as saying repeatedly that she did not want to do it and that she asked for help as officers were arriving.
Prosecutors initially charged the defendant with second-degree homicide, then upgraded the charge to first-degree intentional homicide as the investigation and review of the evidence progressed. She is being held at the county jail on a $250,000 cash bond, according to court and jail records. Her attorney entered the not-guilty plea at the arraignment; the plea means the case will proceed through pretrial hearings, discovery and, unless resolved, to trial.
Family members and community members have reacted to the victim’s death in social media posts and a fundraising page established by relatives. Court filings and public records show the case is now in the pretrial phase; the scheduled status conference will set further deadlines and may include discussions of discovery, expert evaluations and whether court-ordered evaluations are needed for the defendant.