Eight months after a Mother’s Day crash on Milwaukee’s northwest side killed Tonya Missouri‑Smith, her family says slow-moving court dates are stretching their grief into overtime. Missouri‑Smith, 55, died when a vehicle slammed into her SUV in a multi-car collision on May 10, 2025, that also injured two others. Now the family is asking neighbors and customers from their local restaurant to show up in force when the defendant returns to court next month.
Prosecutors charged 32‑year‑old A’Jena Wynn‑Howard with first‑degree reckless homicide and two counts of first‑degree recklessly endangering safety after the crash near North 76th Street and West Marion Street. According to TMJ4, the criminal complaint says Wynn‑Howard’s Jeep struck Missouri‑Smith’s Chevrolet Traverse and pushed it into a parked vehicle, fatally injuring Missouri‑Smith and wounding her son. Authorities have said the case was presented to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Vehicle data recovered after the crash shows Wynn‑Howard’s Jeep was traveling at extremely high speeds seconds before impact. Prosecutors say the airbag control module recorded 96 mph five seconds before the collision and a final reading of 102 mph. According to Law&Crime, officers also report that Wynn‑Howard later climbed into the back of a squad car and told an officer, “Take me to jail. I crashed that car,” before asking, “Did I kill anybody?”
Family Seeks Court Date to Move Toward Closure
The family says stalled hearings have turned a single terrible night into a long, grinding wait for answers, and they are urging the community to show up when Wynn‑Howard returns to court on Feb. 3. As FOX6 Milwaukee reports, relatives described the emotional toll of the delays and said Wynn‑Howard pleaded not guilty in June, and that her defense team hired an expert in December to evaluate a possible not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity defense. “There are good days, there are bad days. But we just try to hold each other together best we can,” Tyrisha Smith, Missouri‑Smith’s daughter, told the station.
Earlier Reporting and Context
We first covered the case when charges were filed in May and collected the initial criminal complaint and the speed data prosecutors cited. See speeding at 102 mph for our earlier item and background on the original filing.
Legal Implications
Under Wisconsin law, first‑degree reckless homicide is defined as causing a death under circumstances which show utter disregard for human life. The statute, Wis. Stat. § 940.02, is detailed by Justia. Class B felonies in Wisconsin can carry prison terms of up to 60 years, according to Grieve Law. Pretrial evaluations, motions, and rulings on psychiatric evidence could significantly shape whether prosecutors keep the top charge in place if the case goes to trial…