MILWAUKEE — For the second straight day, Milwaukee police and city crews dug up the backyard and garage of a home near 15th Street and Hauser Avenue in the city’s Rufus King neighborhood — a property once linked to a notorious Milwaukee crime boss now serving life in prison.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Police execute search warrant at former home of convicted Milwaukee gang leader Michael Lock
Drone and ground video showed an excavator moving dirt and removing large concrete slabs Wednesday as investigators and Department of Public Works crews searched the site. Police have not said what prompted the search warrant.
Court records connect the property to Michael Lock, the former leader of the violent “Body Snatchers” gang. Lock was convicted in 2007 of killing two people, hiding their bodies beneath concrete, and orchestrating a range of crimes, including drug trafficking, kidnapping, and prostitution. He is serving multiple life sentences without parole.
“This is the home he once owned through an LLC connected to him, and it’s actually where he was arrested more than 20 years ago,” said John Diedrich, an investigative reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who has covered Lock extensively. The house is now owned by Lock’s ex-wife.
Watch: John Diedrich, an investigative reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who has covered Lock extensively
Diedrich said it has been roughly 15 years since Milwaukee police last dug at a property tied to Lock. He believes investigators are looking for human remains connected to several people who went missing in the early 2000s.
“There are individuals connected to Lock who were last seen around him and are missing — at least four, maybe more,” Diedrich said. “That’s what they’re looking for.”
While the search warrant remains sealed, Diedrich noted the scale of the excavation is larger than in previous searches, with entire slabs of the parking area broken apart. Police crime lab teams have been on site; the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office has not been seen at the location, which Diedrich said would indicate if remains were found.
“There’s no statute of limitations on homicide,” Diedrich said. “If they don’t find something here today, they’re not going to shut the book on this case. They’re going to stay on it — especially for the families who want closure.”
By Tuesday afternoon, police tape had been removed and heavy equipment cleared from the property. The investigation remains active.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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