The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Steven Zelich, an ex-West Allis police officer, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Laura Simonson.
Zelich, who has body-dumping charges pending against him in Walworth County, was previously sentenced to 35 years in the Kenosha County, where he killed 19-year-old Jenny Gamez of Cottage Grove, Oregon, at a hotel on Highway 50 at Interstate 94 in 2012.
The 55-year-old Zelich, who was convicted of first-degree reckless homicide in Gamez’s death, is accused of stashing both her and Simonson’s remains in separate suitcases on North Como Road in the Town of Geneva in Walworth County in 2014.
A County Highway worker discovered both suitcases while mowing grass on June 5.
In both cases, Zelich admitted to killing the women by accident during sexual encounters.
The Star Tribune, which cited television station KTTC, states Zelich received 25 years in prison for Simonson’s death.
The plan, according to the Star-Tribune, is to have Zelich complete his 35-year sentence in Wisconsin, where he has two felony hiding of corpse charges in Walworth County, before he returns to Minnesota.