“Don’t Shoot Me” Call SHATTERS Case

A mother’s desperate plea captured on a phone call—”Please don’t shoot me”—became the haunting final evidence in a cross-state manhunt that exposed how modern surveillance technology and law enforcement coordination can pierce through a killer’s attempts to vanish across state lines.

Story Snapshot

Gabriella Cartagena, 24, called her mother in distress at 7:19 p.m. on February 4; her body was found six days later in Michigan woods
Boyfriend Robert Chilcote, 29, arrested in Minnesota after police chase; surveillance cameras and cell towers tracked his vehicle crossing state lines
Investigators pieced together a 20-minute round trip from Wisconsin crime scene to Michigan burial site using multi-jurisdictional evidence
No prior domestic violence reports existed between the couple despite living together in Marinette, Wisconsin
Weapons found in suspect’s vehicle; autopsy results pending to determine formal charges

The Phone Call That Launched a Three-State Investigation

Gabriella Cartagena’s voice trembled with terror during that February 4 evening call to her mother. The 24-year-old mother from Marinette, Wisconsin, had been last seen around 5:00 p.m. at Red Arrow Park with her boyfriend, Robert Chilcote. Two hours later, her mother heard words no parent should ever hear: a daughter begging for her life. The next day, when Cartagena failed to return home to her young child from a previous relationship, her family reported her missing to Marinette Police at 11:40 a.m.

Digital Breadcrumbs Across State Lines

Marinette Police Chief Jon LaCombe and his team faced an investigation complicated by geography and weather. Snow had blanketed Red Arrow Park, hindering initial searches, but blood evidence and signs of disturbance at the park told investigators they had found their crime scene. What happened next showcased modern investigative work at its finest. Surveillance cameras positioned at Red Arrow Park, the Birch Street boat launch, Ogden Street, and various Menominee, Michigan businesses captured Chilcote’s distinctive red Toyota Prius traveling northbound on Highway 41 between 9:25 and 9:45 p.m.

Cell tower data corroborated the visual evidence, painting a precise picture of movement across the Wisconsin-Michigan border. The Menominee River separates these twin communities, making cross-state body transport a matter of minutes rather than hours. Investigators calculated that Chilcote completed a round trip north of Menominee in approximately 20 minutes—just enough time to dispose of a body in a remote wooded area. This technological tracking narrowed the search zone dramatically, ultimately leading searchers to Birch Creek Road in Menominee County on February 10 at approximately 10:00 a.m.

Flight to Minnesota and Capture

Chilcote’s movements after the alleged killing demonstrated consciousness of guilt. With no known ties to Minnesota, the 29-year-old fled west, traveling hundreds of miles from the crime scene. Wright County, Minnesota deputies spotted him on February 5 around 3:30 p.m., triggering a police chase that ended with his arrest. Deputies found weapons in his vehicle during the arrest, though investigators have not confirmed whether these weapons connect directly to Cartagena’s death. Chilcote was booked as a fugitive from justice and has remained silent during police interviews, invoking his right not to speak.

The Absence of Warning Signs

What makes this case particularly chilling is the complete absence of prior red flags. Cartagena and Chilcote lived together in Marinette after she moved from the Milwaukee area about a year earlier with her family. Despite their cohabitation, Marinette police records show zero prior domestic disturbance calls involving the couple. This reality underscores a sobering truth about intimate partner violence: the absence of documented incidents does not guarantee safety. Many relationships that end in tragedy never generate police reports beforehand, either because victims fear escalation or because abusers carefully control their violence to avoid detection.

Multi-Jurisdictional Coordination Proves Critical

This investigation required seamless cooperation between Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota law enforcement agencies. Marinette County District Attorney DeShea Morrow now awaits autopsy results from the medical examiner to determine the official cause and manner of death before filing formal charges. The extradition process from Minnesota to Wisconsin is underway, though such procedures often involve legal delays. Public Information Officer Brad Bayerl delivered condolences to Cartagena’s family at a February 12 press conference, while Chief LaCombe emphasized the department’s commitment to seeking justice. Police have confirmed Chilcote is the sole suspect with no additional persons involved.

The Twin Peninsula region along the Wisconsin-Michigan border has seen cross-jurisdictional investigations before due to the geographic proximity of communities, but few cases involve such rapid evidence collection across three states. The coordination demonstrated here—from initial missing person report to body recovery to suspect arrest in under a week—reflects the capabilities of modern law enforcement when agencies share information efficiently. Surveillance infrastructure and cell tower technology provided objective, time-stamped evidence that would have been impossible to gather just two decades ago.

A Community Confronts Violence

Marinette and Menominee residents now face uncomfortable questions about safety in public spaces like Red Arrow Park. Cartagena left behind a young child who will grow up without a mother, a family shattered by sudden loss, and a community grappling with violence that shattered the quiet of their border towns. The social impact extends beyond immediate grief. Domestic violence awareness becomes urgent conversation material in small communities that often pride themselves on being immune to such tragedies. The reality is that intimate partner homicide recognizes no geographic boundaries, no economic status, and no community size.

Law enforcement has requested any additional surveillance footage from residents or businesses in the area, recognizing that even small details can strengthen prosecution cases. The economic impact on local agencies handling this multi-state investigation remains unreported, though such cases strain resources in smaller jurisdictions. Politically, the case demonstrates the value of inter-state law enforcement cooperation and the essential role of surveillance technology in solving violent crimes—a reminder that public safety infrastructure investments pay dividends when seconds and evidence matter most.