Neil LaFave was killed while posting “no hunting” signs at a wildlife preserve in 1971
NEED TO KNOW
- Neil LaFave was killed while posting “no hunting” signs at a wildlife preserve in 1971
- His murder led to Wisconsin’s first use of the Electronic Surveillance Law to arrest suspect Brian Hussong
- LaFave is honored with a memorial at Sensiba Wildlife Area and the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial
Neil LaFave was celebrating his 32nd birthday on Sept. 24, 1971, when he left for work as a wildlife technician and game warden in the Sensiba Wildlife Area in Brown County, Wis.
The nine-year veteran at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources headed to the game preserve to post “no hunting” signs — a trip that normally wouldn’t take much time — which made his failure to return home that evening all the more surprising.
The next day, LaFave’s body was found partially buried in the swampy preserve. He had been repeatedly shot in the face and decapitated…