MILWAUKEE, WI – A Milwaukee man faces homicide charges after police say he stabbed a woman to death during a violent altercation inside their shared apartment last week, sending shockwaves through their South Side neighborhood.
Investigators identified the suspect as 39-year-old Mile Dukic, who lived with 44-year-old Amanda Varisco. Authorities allege that Dukic attacked Varisco after she attempted to leave the residence following an argument. Emergency responders were called to the apartment late Thursday evening, where they found Varisco unresponsive on the floor. Efforts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Details emerged as police pieced together the events leading up to the deadly encounter. The criminal complaint outlines that Dukic texted Varisco’s adult daughter, confessing to the killing and attributing his actions to an escalating argument about Varisco’s interactions with another man. The daughter said she received the alarming messages, in which Dukic described feeling provoked and admitted, “I think she is dead.”
Alarmed by the texts, Varisco’s daughter and her boyfriend rushed to the apartment and called 911. They tried to gain entry, but Dukic refused to let them in, reportedly telling them through the door that Varisco was already gone. Police eventually entered the apartment after Dukic allowed officers inside.
When questioned, Dukic told detectives that his relationship with Varisco was complicated—describing it as non-romantic but occasionally sexual. He claimed that on the night of the incident, a confrontation erupted when Varisco expressed a desire to leave and visit another man. According to police documents, Dukic admitted to punching Varisco multiple times, then retrieving a knife and stabbing her repeatedly.
A forensic examination by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Varisco sustained 22 stab wounds to her chest and abdomen. The autopsy further revealed signs of struggle, including defensive wounds on her hands and forearms.
Authorities also noted that Dukic was previously facing felony charges, including stalking, and was out on bail at the time of the alleged homicide. Court records indicate that he had been ordered not to commit additional offenses while those prior cases were pending.
Following his arrest, Dukic was formally charged with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of bail jumping. He is currently being held without bond at the Milwaukee County Jail and made his initial court appearance Tuesday. He is also due in court next week on matters related to his earlier charges.
Family members remembered Varisco as a devoted mother of four and grandmother of five. Loved ones have launched an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs, highlighting the impact her loss will have on her children and grandchildren.
As the case moves through the legal system, residents in the community are left grappling with the grim aftermath of the violence that unfolded behind closed doors in their midst.