Cops: Menomonie Man Stabbed His Mom 44 Times in Grisly Eau Claire Killing

An Eau Claire apartment near West Grand Avenue turned into a homicide scene Friday after police say a Menomonie man repeatedly stabbed his mother, leaving her with more than 40 wounds. Officers found 56-year-old Lisa Bragg-Hurlburt unresponsive inside the unit, and her son, 27-year-old Michael Jon Hurlburt, is now charged with first-degree intentional homicide and is being held on $1,000,000 bail.

According to KSTP, officers arrested Hurlburt near 6th Street and Congress Street after responding to a 911 call. Court documents reviewed by KSTP state Hurlburt admitted he planned the killing earlier that day and had his mother pick him up at a Dairy Queen so he could have one last meal before being arrested.

WEAU reports that online court records list a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office told WEAU that Bragg-Hurlburt suffered 44 stab wounds, most of them to her neck and upper back, including injuries that punctured a lung and severed major arteries.

KSTP reports Hurlburt's bail was set at $1,000,000, with his next court appearance scheduled for July 14. Authorities say the investigation remains active and no additional details have been released.

Court documents indicate Hurlburt told detectives he believed he was being "gang stalked" by the U.S. and Chinese governments and said he targeted his mother because she had "been mean" to him when he was young, according to WEAU. WEAU also reports Hurlburt discussed his mental-health struggles with investigators and said he wanted to "make a statement" to family members.

Legal consequences and next steps

First-degree intentional homicide is a Class A felony under Wisconsin law and can be punished by life imprisonment, per the text of Wis. Stat. § 940.01 on Justia. The case is scheduled to proceed in Eau Claire County Circuit Court, with pretrial activity expected ahead of the July 14 hearing.