A Wisconsin man accused of killing his girlfriend before leaving her in another state claims he accidentally shot her.
Robert Chilcote, 29, is currently facing first-degree intentional homicide after allegedly killing 24-year-old Gabrielle Cartagena. He’s currently behind bars at the at the Wright County Jail in Minnesota.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Cartagena was last seen February 4 at the Red Arrow Park in Marinette, Wisconsin, at around 5 p.m. Police described her as “involuntarily missing.”
Loved ones said Cartagena was last seen with Chilcote while leaving to go to a grocery store that day, and nothing seemed unusual at the time.
However, during a phone call on February 4, family members reportedly heard Cartagena say,”Please don’t shoot me. I’m sorry.”
An unsealed criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime indicated that Chilcote told investigators that he had shot Cartagena in the head, during a heated argument.
Chilcote allegedly claimed that he tried to “scare her with the gun” before it went off. The incident happened in a Red Pruis while she called him names, Chilcote told investigators.
He also stated that he panicked, removed Cartagena from the car and placed her on the ground at the park, before returning her to the vehicle and throwing her phone away.
Chilcote then drove Cartagena to Michigan, where he left Cartagena in a wooded area, before returning to a Wisconsin Walmart the pair had worked at.
Authorities tracked Chilcote through hours clocked at the store. Spectrum News reports that a supervisor stated that Chilcote clocked in at around 10 p.m. on February 4, worked a few hours, and then quit his job for “personal reasons.”
Investigators also tracked Chilcote’s phone, which showed he had traveled to Michigan, returned to Wisconsin, then fled to Minnesota.
Police arrested Chilcote on February 5, following a high-speed car chase in Wright County, Minnesota. Police found a firearm and ammunition inside his vehicle.
After Chilcote’s confession, law enforcement found Cartagena’s body ‘just over the Michigan state line,” 2 First Alert reports.
The Walworth County Medical Examiner stated that she had a gunshot wound to her head.
Chilcote is currently awaiting an extradition hearing. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Gabriela Cartagena/GoFundMe and Robert Chilcote/Wright County Sheriff’s Office]
