Madison Police Chief Mike Koval
Madison’s police chief says a man found dead at a Culver’s restaurant early Tuesday morning had been “literally scared to death.”
The victim was part of a four-man crew doing remodeling at the closed restaurant, when two masked robbers entered the building. One man held them at gunpoint, while the other tried to access the safe. After the safe was opened, Police Chief Mike Koval says one of the workers started to suffer from a medical emergency. “They allowed the man to languish, and subsequently to die, while they handed themselves the greater priority of dipping into the safe and getting their filthy lucre…or what I call blood money,” Koval said.
Emergency responders were called by the man’s co-workers only after the robbers left, and the victim died at the scene.
Since he died during the commission of a crime, Koval said they are treating the case as a homicide, and will recommend felony murder charges be filed when the thieves are caught.
The investigation is ongoing and no suspects are in custody. Koval said they are casting a wide net in their search, including a review of camera footage from multiple businesses in the area. The restaurant is located just off Madison’s busy beltline highway, and is tucked into a strip mall area with multiple other businesses.
The victim’s name has not been released. An autopsy was scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon.