LOCAL MAN SENTENCED FOR THE AUGUST DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND By: John Vogel Over a dozen family

members of domestic murder victim Lisa Lock filled the left hand side of the courtroom. Several came wearing t-shirts featuring the phrase in loving memory along with pictures of Lock. Certain audience members audibly cried while the mother of twos death was recounted before Judge Kevin Martens. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder many supportive family members embraced each other as they cried. In Thursday mornings sentencing hearing, Milwaukee man Michael Grandberry, 39, was sentenced to 29 years in prison for Locks death. Last August, Grandberry turned himself in after beating his girlfriend to death with his own hands. According to police reports the murder was the result of a jealous rage fueled by alcohol. The case was part of 2010s trend of increasing domestic violence murders. According to the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, this increase was the cause for the Milwaukee homicide rising 31 percent between 2009 and 2010. The hearing took place downtown in the Milwaukee County Safety Building off of State Street. Judge Martens presided over the hearing while Attorney Kevin Shomin represented the prosecution while Attorney Richard Carpenter defended Grandberry. In his statement before the judge, Shomin described Locks death as the worst scenario of domestic violence. BACKGROUND According to the criminal complaint file: The night of the murder began when Grandberry saw Lock talking to another man. This angered Grandberry as the other man, identified as Ronnie, had previously expressed his interest to Lock. Fueled by both jealousy and rage, Grandberry beat Lock to death with his bare hands. In a statement given to police Grandberry said, I just lost it, you dont know what its like to see your girl talking to another guy. Grandberrys exact memory of the event is unclear as he blacked out during the fight only to wake up later to see Locks body. Seeing this, Grandberry ran to the house of his grandmother Marie Grandberry. The elder Grandberry convinced her grandson to turn himself in to the police. He did so and went on to plead guilty in the case.

Grandberry had prior convictions, which included threatening someone with a dangerous weapon. PROSECUTION Shomin opened for the prosecution by reading the medical examiners report from Locks autopsy. The report showed: Lock was hit on head, neck, and torso Contusions were found on her face, chest, arms, hands and eyes. A nine and half inch long purple contusion on her face Fractured nasal bones Upon finishing the examiners report, Shomin said that Lock would have been bleeding from head to toe. In response Shomin said, I cant picture a more horrific way to die. This was an emotional point in the trial for Locks family members. The bereaved passed tissues amongst each other and provided comfort by giving one another a supportive shoulder to cry on. Some even got up and left the courtroom, later to return to the support of those around them. At this point, family members were allowed to give their prepared statements to the court. Nicole Barron, Locks sister, was overcome by emotions and cried while she stating her name to the court. Barron then held back the tears to say that not even the maximum of 35 years in prison would be long enough. Our family has lost someone very important to us, said Barron. My sister meant everything us. DEFENSE The defense centered on Grandberrys remorse and legal cooperation for what the defense termed an accidental murder. Carpenter asked that his client be given to a lighter 15 year sentence. He knew from the beginning he had done something terrible, said Carpenter. His emotions, his sorrow has been real. Some family members came to show their support for Grandberry, however they sat on the opposite side of the court audience from Locks family. Grandberrys eldest sister, Diane Hines, gave a character statement on her brothers behalf. In her prepared statement, Hines explained that Grandberry and Lock did plan on marrying during their six-year relationship and that he still loves her today.

Hines also submitted a letter to the court in which she asked the judge be merciful to who her brother. In the letter Hines described her brother in better times. I miss him so much, Hines wrote. He always made us laugh (when) he told (a) joke. Grandberry hung his head for most of the trial. When he got up to offer his statement, he asked that Locks family forgive him. At no point did I mean to take your daughter away, said Grandberry. I ask myself every night why I did not just walk and I dont know. JUDGE SENTENCING In the end of the hearing some of Locks family members leaned forward in their seats as Judge Martens handed down Grandberrys sentence. Martens described Locks murder as an act of destruction motivated by jealousy. Even in the worst of moments this is not the sort of conduct one would suspect, said Martens. What defies understanding is the extreme reaction you had. After hearing from both families and considering all the facts, Judge Martens sentenced Grandberry to 29 years in prison, to then be followed by 10 supervision. During his sentence, Grandberry will be required to take anger management counseling and forbidden from contacting any of Locks family members.