Mugshots Charles Ducksworth Jr. (left) and Kevin McCaa (right).
Kevin McCaa and Charles Ducksworth Jr. are accused in connection with the murder of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, postal employee Aundre Cross, according to a December 29, 2022, press release from United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Online Wisconsin court records say that McCaa, who is already a felon convicted in multiple previous drug trafficking offenses, was out on bail in two pending Milwaukee County felony cases with a total of eight felony charges in Milwaukee County Circuit Court at the time of the Cross murder. He was released on $15,000 bail on June 27, 2022, in the most recent pending case on the same day that criminal complaint was filed, online court records say, and there still hasn’t been a preliminary hearing in the case for a variety of reasons outlined in the records.
He was out on $3,500 bail in the first pending case, which dates to 2021, when he was accused in the second, online court records say. He was accused in both of those cases before the postal worker murder. Read the criminal complaints in the pending case here and here. An amended complaint was filed in the 2022 case, a shooting involving McCaa’s nephew per the complaint, and it can be read here.
In the press release, Haanstad announced that, on December 28, 2022, a federal criminal complaint was issued “charging three individuals with offenses related to the killing of an on-duty United States Postal Service letter carrier on December 9, 2022.”
According to the Haanstad press release, McCaa, 36, and Ducksworth Jr., 26, both of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are accused of murdering or aiding and abetting the murder of the postal employee.
According to the press release, Shanelle McCoy, 34, also of Milwaukee, is accused of “providing materially false statements to law enforcement investigating the murder.”
The federal affidavit does not outline a specific motive for the murder, although it extensively details parcels that the postal service gave Cross to deliver but that did not make it to their destination. The affidavit outlined different ways in which investigators believe those parcels were tied to McCaa and Ducksworth; authorities believe they were tied to drug trafficking, the affidavit reports.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Authorities Say They Traced an Audi Carrying the Suspects Throughout Milwaukee in a Series of Surveillance Videos
Federal affidavit obtained through PacerThe car authorities accuse the suspects of driving in the Milwaukee letter carrier shooting.
According to the affidavit, Cross, a United States Postal Service letter carrier, was shot and killed on December 9, 2022, at approximately 4:38 p.m., at 5029 North 65th Street, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He was “delivering mail” when he was shot to the head a single time, the affidavit says.
A review of surveillance footage around the time of the shooting led law enforcement to believe that the occupants of a silver-colored Audi Q5 SUV vehicle “were involved in the shooting,” according to the affidavit, which says that authorities traced the movements of the Audi through various videos.
One video from a nearby home showed Cross’s postal delivery vehicle park in front of a home, the affidavit says. It says that Cross retrieved mail from the vehicle’s rear. At that time, the Audi pulled up “across the intersection from the location of the victim,” the affidavit says.
Eventually, Cross got back into his vehicle and drove to another location, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit accuses McCaa and Ducksworth of “conducting surveillance on the victim while he conducted his letter carrier duties,” for about eight minutes. According to the affidavit, video shows a suspect walking down the street, and approaching Cross from behind, before a gunshot was heard, and the suspect ran back in the direction of the Audi, which had no license plates. The Audi’s driver was wearing clothing consistent with the shooter in the earlier video, according to the affidavit, which added that, a short time later, video picked up the Audi with license plates now attached.
Authorities continued to trace the Audi’s path through the city by stitching together surveillance videos, the affidavit says, adding that, eventually, one of the suspects went into a mobile phone store.
On December 12, 2022, authorities located what they believe was the Audi, the affidavit says.
The affidavit says that authorities interviewed a Milwaukee woman named Shanelle McCoy, who is accused of telling them that she had the “target vehicle” the entire day on December 9, 2022, using it to make DoorDash deliveries.
The affidavit says that authorities believe evidence shows McCoy was not driving the Audi between approximately 4:20 p.m. and 7:59 p.m. on the day of the shooting. Instead, she was driving a silver Acura registered to Ducksworth and later parked in front of the address for his child’s mother, the affidavit says.
#NOW: Dozens are gathering in #Milwaukee for a vigil meant to remember and honor 44yo Aundre Cross — a USPS worker who was shot and killed while on duty yesterday. Friends say he was “a beacon of light with an infectious laugh.” @CBS58
Authorities later used a search warrant to obtain a latent print from the glass sunroof of the driver’s side area of the Audi, and it matched to McCaa, the affidavit says. It says that authorities later obtained a black Glock 19 Gen 4 9mm semiautomatic handgun submerged in water in a creek.
A crime lab analyst determined that a casing from the murder scene matched the Glock, according to the affidavit.
2. McCaa Was Accused of a Supervision Violation the Day Before Cross’s Death in One of the Two Pending Felony Cases, Court Records Show
CCAPKevin McCaa’s 2022 open court case.
In the pending 2021 case, according to the criminal complaint, McCaa was accused of traveling 87 miles per hour in a Toyota Solara with no registration along Mill Road and North Sherman Boulevard. The complaint accuses him of disregarding a traffic signal.
Officers tried to pull the car over, but the driver disregarded the lights and siren” and fled, the complaint says. The officer initiated a “non-pursuit” due to the “recklessness of the Toyota,” the complaint says. The officer continued following the Toyota, though. The Toyota went into the bike lane and narrowly missed striking another car, increasing speed and entering Silver Spring Road ramp, according to the complaint.
The Toyota drove off a road and ended up on a hill, according to the complaint. McCaa exited the car and a foot pursuit began, the complaint says. McCaa is accused of trying to scale a fence but was apprehended, the complaint says. In the Toyota, officers found a handgun with 15 rounds, one chambered, and zipper pouches containing marijuana as well as a scale, the complaint says. McCaa was accused of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of a firearm by a felon and fleeing an officer. The incident occurred November 26, 2021, the complaint says. Read the complaint here: here.
A backlog in Milwaukee County court cases has delayed some cases, according to Wispolitics.com.
In the 2021 case, he was accused of three felonies: Second-degree recklessly endangering safety, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and fleeing an officer as a vehicle operator, the online court records also show.
The complaint was filed on November 28, 2021, and McCaa was listed as being in custody. He appeared in intake court, and an initial appearance was held the same day before Court Commissioner Dewey B. Martin, according to online court records.
A preliminary hearing was set for December 6, 2021, and bail was set at $3,500 cash by Martin, the court records show.
The case was transferred to Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Mark A. Sanders, and a JusticePoint violation was filed on December 1, 2021. On December 2, 2021, McCaa posted bail with the sheriff, according to the court records. JusticePoint conducts pretrial supervision.
On December 6, 2021, a court hearing was adjourned when McCaa appeared without a lawyer so an indigency hearing could be held on December 20, 2021, the records say.
Due to COVID protocols, when that date rolled around, McCaa appeared by video, again without counsel. The judge appointed an attorney at county expense, with the defendant having to pay the county back at $150 a month, according to the court records.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 31, 2022. Court records show the defendant obtained a lawyer who couldn’t make the preliminary hearing date, which was adjourned. The preliminary hearing was rescheduled to January 28 when a new attorney came on. On that date, the preliminary hearing was held, and the defendant was bound over for trial, the court records show.
On March 2, 2022, the attorney requested an adjournment for a plea and sentencing on May 20, 2022. On May 20, 2022, a hearing was held when the defendant said he wanted to have another lawyer who was rarely in Wisconsin. The case was transferred to Judge John Franke, and a new attorney came on board on June 21, 2022, according to the court records.
The court records also say:
On June 23, 2022, the court was advised that McCaa was in custody on the new charges by Milwaukee police.
On July 5, 2022, there was a JusticePoint violation report forwarded to Franke.
The case was transferred to Judge David Swanson. In August 12, 2022, the defense asked for an adjournment to get all of the discovery. The defense asked for another adjournment to determine trial posture on October 5, 2022.
A status hearing was held on December 16, 2022. The records refer to the new pending case and say the case “may resolve globally.” That is the last hearing in the case. A status conference is scheduled for January 30, 2023.
In the more recent pending case, McCaa has an open criminal case that was filed in Milwaukee County on June 27, 2022, according to online court records. He is accused of five felony charges: first-degree and second-degree recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon, possessing a firearm while convicted of a felony, bail jumping, and methamphetamine possession.
Mayor Johnson on the killing of 44-year-old Aundre Cross who worked as a postal worker for 18 years.
Cross was shot and killed Friday, Dec. 9, while delivering on his route near 65th and Lancaster.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled in the case on January 5, 2023, the court records say.
McCaa posted $15,000 cash bond on June 27, 2022, according to court records, which do not specify who set the bond. The court records say that he was “out-of-custody” and “court appearance in out-of-custody court, Room 221 Safety Building on 8/11/22.”
Often, bail is set in Milwaukee County by a court commissioner at an initial appearance. In this case, the initial appearance came almost a month after the complaint was filed, online court records show. Heavy has filed an open records request with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department to determine when McCaa was booked and released into and from the jail.
On July 5, 2022, there was an “amended complaint,” court records show. McCaa was accused of possessing methamphetamine, in the complaint sent to Heavy by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. The complaint says that officers responded to the home for a report of a shooting. In the house, they found methamphetamine as well as THC, as well as digital scales, the complaint says. Read it here: here. However, court records online indicate that additional charges were added, including first degree recklessly endangering safety with a weapon, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, possessing a firearm as a felon, and bail jumping.
An amended complaint says that the shooting happened at 1:53 a.m.
McCaa’s nephew, 20, told police that he had issues with McCaa, the complaint says. He sold McCaa a car and then McCaa was arrested for an incident involving the car, the complaint says, adding that McCaa was upset because the nephew refused to take the blame for drugs found in the car.
They were playing videogames at separate locations when McCaa sent the nephew “threatening text messages” and then showed up at his home and said “I’ll pop your b**** a**,” the complaint says.
His mother told the nephew to go into the house of his grandmother and gave him a pistol, the complaint says.
He went to the home of the grandmother, where McCaa also lived, the complaint says, and McCaa came out of the house on the porch with a rifle and fired it, the complaint says. Their 15 year old brother said he was shot and was taken to the hospital. the complaint says. The nephew fired back, and 36 spent rifle casings were found at the scene, the complaint says.
An amended complaint in the 2022 case, a shooting, can be read here.
On July 7, 2022, he was mailed a summons and ordered into the Safety Building on July 26, 2022, the court records say.
On July 26, there was an initial appearance in the case before Court Commissioner Susan Roth. “Court reviewed complaint and found probable cause to hold defendant for further proceedings,” the court records say. A preliminary hearing date was set for August 5, 2022, and a no contact order was issued. Roth set bond at $15,000 cash and ordered McCaa not to possess firearms. He was turned over to JusticePoint for supervision, the court records say.
“Cash bail that was previously posted to remain,” the court records say.
On August 5, the hearing was adjourned because the state public defender had not yet appointed counsel. A new preliminary hearing date was set for September 13, 2022, according to the court records.
When that time came around, the hearing was adjourned again so an indigency hearing could be scheduled. “Defendant is not SPD eligible and has not retained counsel. Case is adjourned,” the court records say.
On October 17, 2022, at the indigency hearing, “Due to financial and employment circumstances, Court ordered Defendant to report to the Public Defender’s Office to be re-evaluated,” court records say.
On November 11, at a status hearing, the public defender said McCaa was not eligible, and the court appointed an attorney for him, according to the court records. A preliminary hearing date was set for November 18, 2022. When that date came around, the preliminary hearing was adjourned again because the defendant’s attorney was under subpoena in another court. The new preliminary hearing date was January 5, 2023, according to the court records.
On December 8, 2022, there was a JusticePoint PreTrial Services violation report filed with the court, the court records say. The court records do not list any action that was taken, but say McCaa was accused of “missed contact.”
The judge presiding over the case on the date the violation was filed, according to those court records, was David Feiss, who was the judge on one of Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks’ two pending felony cases in Milwaukee County, for which he had been released on bail, prompting national controversy.
McCaa has a 2018 felony conviction for fleeing an officer in Milwaukee County, court records show, and two 2009, one 2011 and one 2005 felony conviction for second-offense plus marijuana possession, according to court records.
He has a misdemeanor marijuana possession case from 2002, court records show, and 2004.
Online court records indicate that Ducksworth does not have a Wisconsin criminal history. Only traffic matters come up in the records.
3. The Federal Affidavit Accuses the Men of Receiving ‘Suspicious Packages’ Consistent With Drug Trafficking
Federal affidavit obtained through PacerThe suspect vehicle in the Milwaukee letter carrier murder, according to a federal affidavit.
Authorities alleged in the affidavit that parcels scanned by Cross as part of his letter carrier duties included one registered to Larry Ducksworth at the address of Ducksworth Jr. A second suspect parcel addressed to “Jay Thompson” listed an address next door to the home where McCaa was residing, the affidavit says.
The affidavit says that the parcels were mailed from Los Angeles and used fictitious information that “can indicate that the sender or receiver does not want to be associated with drug-laden parcels.”
The postage was paid with cryptocurrency, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit says that the first package listed as “Delivery Attempted – No Access to Delivery Location,” which the affidavit says could “indicate that a USPS employee retained the parcel or provided it to someone else outside of normal operations.”
On December 3, 2022, a person using McCaa’s cell phone requested text message delivery notifications for one of the parcels, according to the affidavit, which says that one of the locations received four other “suspicious parcels” and calls them “suspected drug laden parcels.”
On September 24, 2021, a postal inspector in another state “searched and seized another parcel with the same sender address,” and it had approximately 2,267 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine in it, according to the affidavit.
The second address also received “several suspicious parcels” more, the affidavit said.
On the day of the murder, McCaa’s phone conducted 13 telephone contacts with McCoy, the affidavit says.
Cell phone data for McCaa’s phone showed records consistent with the phone being in the area where the Audi was seen with the man wearing clothing similar to the shooter on the day of the murder, the affidavit says.
When McCaa and McCoy were arrested, authorities found two Glock magazines and ammunition in the home, even though, as a convicted felon, McCaa is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, the affidavit says. Clothing was found that is consistent with McCaa in gas station footage on the day of the murder, the affidavit says.
When Ducksworth Jr. was arrested, authorities located a Glock 9mm with a drum magazine in a kitchen sink and a large quantity of marijuana, according to the affidavit, which it says was consistent with distribution. A search of the Acura turned up a sweatshirt consistent with the sweatshirt worn by a suspect during the homicide, the affidavit says.
Federal affidavits represent the accusations of the federal government, which must prove its case in court in order to obtain convictions.
The complaint accuses McCaa and Ducksworth Jr. of discharging a firearm “in furtherance of a crime of violence,” the Haanstad press release says.
The maximum penalty that the men are facing, if convicted, is life in prison, according to the press release.
McCaa is also accused of possessing ammunition as a convicted felon on or about December 27, 2022, according to the press release.
The federal affidavit filed by the U.S. attorney’s office also accuses McCaa of possessing marijuana “with the intent to distribute it,” as well as possessing a firearm “in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.”
4. Cross Was Remembered in Tributes for His Religious Faith
Cross, the 44-year-old victim, was remembered by his co-workers and members of his church community for his religious faith.
“Christ shined through him. RIP,” Tammy Davis Boyd wrote in a comment thread on a Facebook tribute to Cross. The woman who posted the tribute, Bridgett Wilder, wrote, “Bro that dude encouraged me daily!!! True brother in Christ!!! ANDRE CROSS WE LOVE YOU!!!!”
In 2014, Cross wrote on Facebook, “TURN TO GOD NOT WITH TEARS BUT WITH FAITH…AND TIMES WHEN THOU ART FULL…TURN!!!”
Another postal carrier in Milwaukee, Chevy Hart, wrote in a lengthy Facebook tribute:
Waking up in so much disbelief still….I probably ask the question a million times ‘who could hurt Dre?’ Aundre Cross was not just anybody!!!he was loved by everybody that came in contact with him!!
He was that guy that made you continually turn around in church to see what he was doing….♥️ he loved GOD proudly …
the laughter he brought when he came in…MISSED ALREADY!!!
‘To know him is to love him.’
I just hope & pray that whomever did this have enough heart to turn themselves in! Because your split second decision turned into a lifetime of hurt. I just hope you didn’t sleep well knowing what you’ve done…it’s a family hurting because the HUSBAND/FATHER didn’t come home after he finished working…. it’s a postal (HAMPTON)station in Milwaukee that’s hurting because Dre wasn’t there last night to punch out!!!smh #RIPAUNDRE I know he prayed for you!!!”
5. An FBI Official Says Anyone Held Responsible for Crimes ‘Against Federal Employees Who Are Doing Their Jobs in Service of the American People’ Will Be Held Accountable
“Today’s charges are the direct result of the tireless efforts of dedicated law enforcement professionals from the Milwaukee Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and other federal, state, and local partners,” Haanstad said in the press release.
“I commend the hard work and collaboration of all involved in seeking justice for the victim, his family, and his loved ones,” he added in the release. “This office remains fully committed to seeking to hold those responsible for acts of violence fully accountable for their actions.”
“The FBI sends our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier Aundre Cross,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle in the release.
FacebookAundre Cross, also known as Dre Cross.
Hensle added in the release that anyone responsible “for crimes against federal employees who are doing their jobs in service of the American people will be investigated and held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
“These arrests should make very clear to criminals everywhere that the Postal Inspection Service will not rest when it comes to solving attacks like this,” said Chicago Division Acting Inspector in Charge Kai Pickens, also in the release.
A beaming smile and belly laugh that echoes. This video captures Aundre Cross’ personality and was taken just hours before police say he was gunned down while delivering the mail.
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Video credit: Elaxex Trammell
Around 5:59 p.m., Milwaukee police officers located “an injured person in the 5000 block of N. 65th St.,” Milwaukee police wrote in an email statement to Heavy at the time of Cross’s shooting.
“Upon arrival, officers observed that the victim sustained a gunshot and was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Milwaukee Fire Department,” MPD wrote in the emailed statement.
The deceased postal worker “was an on duty United States Postal Carrier with over 18 years of service,” the Milwaukee police statement said.
Posts on Facebook indicated that Cross was married with kids.
He wrote about his wife on Facebook in 2021, writing, “WISHING MY WIFE AN AMAZING HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
READ NEXT: The Life of Aundre Cross.