WEST MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A 38-year-old man has been charged with murdering his mother following a late-night visit that turned tragic. According to court documents, Hayward Jenkins allegedly attacked 66-year-old Cheryl Jenkins with a wooden baseball bat in her home after she had welcomed him for food and shelter.
Authorities found Cheryl Jenkins dead on February 24 in a guest room of her residence on South 44th Street. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office has charged Jenkins with first-degree intentional homicide, a charge that carries a potential life sentence if he is convicted.
The sequence of events leading to the fatal confrontation began the previous evening when Hayward Jenkins arrived at his mother’s home late at night, knocking on a window seeking assistance. After being invited in, he was fed and offered a place to stay. The mother’s fiancé, who was present that night, reported that he retired to bed shortly after asking Cheryl to join him. He later woke up around 4 a.m. but assumed the noise he heard came from upstairs neighbors, believing Cheryl was upstairs talking to her son.
Concern arose the next morning when Cheryl Jenkins did not respond to calls. After checking the guest room and other parts of the house, her fiancé found her lifeless body on the floor. Responding officers noted signs of a violent struggle, including blood spatter and a broken bed frame. A wooden baseball bat was found lying beside her, indicating the brutal nature of the attack.
An autopsy revealed Cheryl Jenkins suffered multiple blunt-force injuries, which included skull fractures and extensive bruising on various parts of her body. These findings solidified the homicide charge against her son, painting a disturbing picture of the events that unfolded that night.
Investigators were able to gather surveillance footage that showed a figure dressed in dark clothing leaving the area early the next morning before boarding a city bus shortly after 6 a.m. A tip from family members led authorities to Potawatomi Casino, where they apprehended Hayward Jenkins hours later, still wearing the same outfit seen on the video.
In a post-arrest statement, Jenkins described an argument with his mother over various issues, including financial matters. He claimed that Cheryl was holding scissors and appeared ready to attack him during the dispute, which triggered his violent response. In a moment of reflection, he later told investigators he felt remorse, admitting to being “wrong for murdering my mother.”
Jenkins made his first appearance in court on March 1, where his cash bond was set at $300,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 10, as the case continues to unfold, shedding light on a family tragedy that has left a community in shock.