Barron County, Wis., authorities say woman's fatal stabbing, man's death in crash are connected

Calls about 5 hours apart to 911 alerted authorities to a body, then fatal crash.

September 16, 2019 at 1:43AM
Audra Poppe Credit: Facebook
Audra Poppe Credit: Facebook (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Two deadly incidents reported to authorities about five hours apart in separate locations in Barron County, Wis., are being connected by law enforcement: the stabbing of a woman and the highway crash that killed a man who lived with the woman.

Information from a 911 caller received by the Sheriff's Office about 5:45 a.m. Thursday directed deputies to Hwy. 8 just west of the city of Barron, to the scene of a collision involving a car and a dump truck.

Dead inside the car was Eldon Jackson, 21, the Sheriff's Office said. Jackson crossed the centerline and hit the dump truck driven by Robert Tourville, 52, of Prairie Farm, Wis. Tourville suffered noncritical injuries.

About 10:50 a.m. Thursday, a 911 caller reported a woman was dead in a mobile home at 800 S. Limits Av. in Cameron.

Emergency responders located Audra Poppe, 22, of nearby Rice Lake, dead inside. No one else was in the residence.

The mobile home was where Jackson lived. Jackson was driving Poppe's vehicle when he crashed, the Sheriff Office said.

"These two cases appear to be related, and more information will be released later," a Sheriff's Office statement read. "There is no danger to the public, and we are not looking for any suspects."

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

Eldon Jackson Credit: Facebook
Eldon Jackson Credit: Facebook (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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