A long-cold Racine homicide is suddenly back in the spotlight after a local man was brought into court Monday, accused in a late-night garage robbery that left a man dead more than five years ago. Prosecutors say new investigative leads, along with a fresh look at digital records, helped crack a case that had largely stalled since 2019, as reported by FOX6 Now.
Khalil Raggs, 28, is now charged with armed robbery and felony murder in connection with a July 21, 2019, incident in which a man was found shot to death in a garage near Mead and De Koven in Racine. Investigators at the time recovered two spent 9mm shell casings and a black "Von Dutch USA" hat near the victim. A witness told detectives the gunman demanded property, said "you know what this is," and later identified Raggs as the person wearing that hat. Raggs appeared by video from custody, and a court commissioner set cash bond at $500,000, ordered him to have no contact with the victim’s relatives and barred him from possessing weapons. Those details are reflected in court records and in reporting by FOX6 News.
How investigators say they identified a suspect
Racine County's cold-cases unit periodically reopens older files, re-interviews witnesses and runs down new tips when long-unsolved cases resurface. The county notes that these reviews can include fresh searches of social media and another pass at physical evidence as new leads develop. For more on the sheriff’s ongoing cold-case work, see Racine County Sheriff's Office Cold Cases.
What’s next in court
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 19, at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, where prosecutors are expected to present enough evidence to show whether the case should move toward a trial. During Monday’s initial appearance, Raggs waived a formal reading of the complaint and his attorney appeared remotely, according to the court file. As reported by FOX6 News, Raggs appeared by video from custody and will be required to attend all future court dates.
Legal implications
Under Wisconsin law, a felony murder charge applies when a death occurs while a defendant is committing certain listed felonies, robbery among them, and it functions as an added penalty on top of the underlying crime. The Wisconsin State Law Library outlines the elements of felony murder and notes that the charge has no statute of limitations, which allows prosecutors to file it years after an incident if new evidence comes to light. See the Wisconsin State Law Library for legal background on those statutes.
Anyone with information about the 2019 case is asked to contact the Racine County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau at (262) 636-3225 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at (800) 636-9330. The county’s cold-case page includes details on how to submit information and the resources investigators rely on when new leads surface.
