A Sheboygan man who admitted to fatally stabbing his roommate last summer has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in a secure mental health institution.
Zachary Kent Little, 34, appeared in Sheboygan County Court on Monday and entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. Judge Rebecca Persick accepted the plea and issued a lifetime commitment order, finding that Little suffers from a significant mental illness that rendered him unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions.
The incident happened on July 5, 2024, at a home on South 25th Street in Sheboygan, where Little had been staying with the victim. According to the criminal complaint, Little confronted his roommate, stating, “I know what you did,” before attacking him with a folding knife. The victim, who managed to identify Little to police before succumbing to his injuries, had suffered 16 stab wounds — including one that punctured his heart.
Witnesses and surveillance footage from the neighborhood confirmed the violent encounter. One neighbor told police she saw Little chasing the victim across the street while holding a knife. Officers arriving at the scene found the victim bleeding in a driveway and rushed him to a safer location to meet paramedics, but he later died from his injuries.
Little was arrested after attempting to flee the home through a window. He later told police he believed the victim was going to hurt him but couldn’t recall exactly what happened. He admitted to not taking his prescribed mental health medications and described experiencing hallucinations and paranoia in the weeks leading up to the stabbing.
As part of Monday’s ruling, Judge Persick also found that Little is not competent to refuse psychiatric medication, citing clear and convincing evidence.
Little’s commitment to a state psychiatric facility will be reviewed periodically, but under Wisconsin law, such commitments are typically indefinite in cases involving violent crimes and ongoing mental illness.
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