Formal charges filed in Beatrice shooting death

BEATRICE – A Beatrice man accused of the shooting death of a 42-year-old woman is now facing formal charges.

The Gage County Attorney’s office filed the charges Friday against 51-year-old Christopher Milke, in the shooting death of Tammy Leslie, last September 8^th at a Hillcrest Street home in east Beatrice.

Milke is charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of kidnapping.   Police responding to the scene broke through a door to the home to help two children, ages 11 and 19, escape the house.  They then arrested Milke who was allegedly holding a nine-millimeter handgun, and finding the victim of a shooting.

The second-degree murder charge carries a minimum 20-year-prison term and up to life-in-prison, if convicted. The gun charge carries a potential prison term of up to 50-years, with a mandatory minimum five-year sentence.  The kidnapping counts, if convicted, each carry life-in-prison terms.

One of the children, authorities said, had heard four gunshots coming from a northeast bedroom of the house, early the morning of September 8^th.  According to a probable cause affidavit, Milke allegedly had told one of the children he had shot Leslie three times in the head and once in the chest. One of the children had called police after Milke has passed out.

Law officers said one of the children stated that Milke was convinced that Leslie had been cheating on him and had screwed the doors shut to the residence each evening for the past month, to keep Leslie and the two children inside the home. 

According to the affidavit, Milke and Leslie were not married, but had been in a relationship for over 20-years.