Kenneth B. Freeman: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Kenneth B. Freeman, the suspect accused in the murder of a nurse practitioner at a major Milwaukee, Wisconsin area hospital, had worked as a valet at the complex.

Freeman was criminally charged on January 29, 2019 with the slaying of Froedtert Hospital nurse Carlie Beaudin, 33, who was discovered frozen under a car in a parking structure there on January 25. The motive for the horrific attack has not been revealed. However, tributes to Carlie flooded in after her death, indicating she had touched many people. She was a singer. A nurse. A wife.

Here’s what you need to know about the accusations against Kenneth B. Freeman and about the life of Carlie Beaudin:

1. Freeman Is Accused of Brutally Beating Carlie Beaudin in a Parking Garage

The criminal complaint accusing Freeman of the homicide paints a bizarre and brutal scene in which Beaudin was discovered with head and facial injures. The medical examiner’s office ruled that she suffered “blunt force trauma to the head and neck,” and bore “indica of manual strangulation,” according to Fox 6 Milwaukee.

A witness who was removing snow from the parking garage found Beaudin’s body, according to the complaint, which indicates that he saw her legs sticking out from under a car, which was “parked in a weird manner.”

Authorities pieced together what happened through review of surveillance video, the complaint accuses. It showed Carlie Beaudin entering the parking structure at the hospital around 1 a.m. Freeman was standing “behind a concrete pillar” and “briefly spoke with Beaudin, who kept walking toward her vehicle,” according to Fox 6. He is accused of running after her.

Patch reported that Freeman is accused of knocking “Beaudin to the ground,” kicking her repeatedly in the head and neck, and then dragging the unconscious nurse toward the vehicle. The complaint accuses Freeman of kicking or stomping on Beaudin’s head and neck area almost 40 times. He’s accused of putting her body in a car and driving to another parking garage, where he then called 911 and allegedly admitted to the murder. He also is accused of having Beaudin’s purse, according to Patch.

He’s accused of telling authorities that he “deliberately and purely murdered Ms. Willa” and added “there isn’t anything I want to talk about.” The Ms. Willa reference was not explained. The motive for the attack was not specified.

Horribly, when found, Beaudin was frozen to the ground.

2. Freeman Is Facing a Criminal Charge of First Degree Intentional Homicide

Kenneth B. Freeman court entry.

Freeman, 27, of Milwaukee, now stands accused of the most serious homicide offense under Wisconsin law: first-degree intentional homicide. You can read the court entry here. He appeared in intake court on January 29, 2019.

A review of court records shows that Kenneth B. Freeman does not have a prior criminal history in Wisconsin. A Kenneth B. Freeman with a date of birth in the same month and year does have a municipal ticket for resisting arrest.

The Milwaukee County Jail’s inmate search has a mugshot showing Kenneth Freeman in a hospital bed. It says that he’s being held on $500,000 bail. He’s described as 5 foot 9 inches tall and 150 pounds.

3. Beaudin Was Married & Was Remembered for Her Love of Animals

On Facebook, Beaudin’s profile picture was a photo with her husband. She wrote on Facebook that she had started a new job at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin in October 2014, working as a Nurse Practitioner in Acute Care. The complex is located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Other photos show her at a wedding and camping with her husband. Her husband, Nick Beaudin, also filled his Facebook page with photos of the couple. “The sweetest couple ever!” wrote one friend under a cover photo that he posted of himself with Carlie after the murder. “I always remember your wedding as the most beautiful ever. The singing! ?” wrote another.

Her husband worked at Best Buy and studied accounting, according to his Facebook page.

A fundraiser to help the Wisconsin Humane Society in Carlie’s name has raised thousands of dollars.

“Carlie Beaudin, DSHA class of 2003, was taken from us suddenly on January 25th, 2019,” the post reads. “Everyone who remembers Carlie, remembers her beautiful voice, kindness, and vivacious personality. Carlie loved animals and to honor her, we ask you to donate to the Wisconsin Humane Society. May her memory and smile never be forgotten.”

Divine Savior Holy Angels High School mourned the loss of “Carlie Gagliano Beaudin, DSHA ’03, and asks you to keep Carlie, her family, and classmates in your prayers.”

“At DSHA, Carlie was involved in theatre and the Angelaires, and continued to sing well beyond her years as a Dasher,” a Facebook post reads. “Carlie’s love of animals was also well known; to remember Carlie, the DSHA Class of 2003 established a memorial fund with the Wisconsin Humane Society in her name….Eternal rest grant to her, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon her. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

4. Beaudin Was Described as Nurturing & Also Was a Singer

Beaudin’s husband Nick spoke to Milwaukee news outlets about his wife after the tragedy. “She was incredibly nurturing,” he told Fox 6. “She, somewhere in her file somewhere, won a DAISY Award, which is a pretty big deal for nursing. Our family is suffering, and it’s a tragedy.”

The testimonial on the DAISY Award page reads, “During my recent stay on the BMT unit, Carlie was extremely compassionate and sensitive in her care of me. She had me at my worst, when I was close to death. Her compassion helped to pull me from the depth of my despair, and I am now recovering at home. Without Carlie’s help, I do not believe I would be here today.”

Bel Canto Chorus wrote that Carlie was a member.

“We are sad to hear of the tragic passing of our member, Carlie Beaudin,” the post said. “She was a ray of sunshine in our soprano section. Although she only sang with us for a few years, she made a positive impact on the lives of all those she touched. We will forever remember her glowing smile, happy disposition, and beautiful voice. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and countless friends and co-workers who are mourning her death. RIP Carlie.”

Online records show Freeman also has ties to Illinois.

5. The Hospital Says Freeman Worked as a Valet But Was Fired

Froedtert Hospital released a statement after the suspect, Kenneth B. Freeman, was charged.

According to CBS58, the statement reads that Freeman “has been identified as being formerly employed by a parking service provider as a valet on the Froedtert Hospital campus from January to October of 2018.”

He was fired from the position, according to the statement. “Froedtert policies require that contracted employees from third-party vendors follow the same background checks required for direct employees. The parking service provider has confirmed that the suspect cleared the background check and that he was terminated for a non-violent infraction,” it reads.