A Waukesha County judge on Tuesday refused to grant a new trial to a man convicted in the brutal sexual assault of a downtown shopkeeper, leaving in place a multi-decade prison term. Kendrew Wilson’s post-trial motion was denied in a written order, which keeps intact the sentence imposed last year. The attack, which prosecutors say happened in February 2023, drew intense attention in downtown Waukesha and remains tied up in ongoing legal filings.
Judge denies motion for new trial
Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge K. Scott Wagner turned down Wilson’s request for a new trial, finding the defense had not shown legal grounds to warrant redoing the case, according to The Freeman. The order rejected claims that newly raised issues or alleged trial errors justified overturning the jury’s verdict. Wagner’s written ruling followed a recent hearing in Waukesha County Circuit Court where the defense laid out its arguments.
Conviction and sentence
Wilson was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of an elderly person and misdemeanor bail jumping and was handed a lengthy prison term in June 2024, according to local reporting. CBS58 reported he received about 47.5 years behind bars at sentencing. Prosecutors said the stiff sentence reflected both the severity of the offense and Wilson’s criminal history.
What police say happened
According to the criminal complaint, the victim, a 68-year-old woman working in her downtown Waukesha alterations shop, allowed Wilson to use the business phone on Feb. 23, 2023, and was then pushed onto a table and sexually assaulted, police told investigators as reported by TMJ4. The complaint also alleges Wilson threatened to kill the victim and that officers later located him after tracing a phone call linked to the incident. The assault triggered a multi-agency investigation and a rapid response from Waukesha police.
Defense arguments and court response
Defense attorney Leonard Kachinsky argued in post-conviction filings that the victim’s statements about what medical personnel told her were inadmissible hearsay and that Wilson’s trial counsel had been ineffective. The assistant district attorney countered that those statements “were not hearsay, were subject to cross-examination and included an excited utterance,” according to The Freeman. Court notes also show Wilson was admonished and briefly removed from the courtroom after speaking out of turn during the proceedings.
With the judge’s order, Wilson’s conviction and sentence remain in full effect while the defense weighs its next move in the appellate courts. The case continues to be a touchpoint in Waukesha, where downtown business owners and residents are still watching closely to see what happens next.
