WAUSAU, WI – In the heart of central Wisconsin, a deadly confrontation erupted inside a quiet home, upending the lives of two men and launching a chilling criminal investigation.
Authorities allege Dustin Stinson, 35, fatally shot his longtime housemate, Jacob Socha, after a heated argument spiraled out of control on the afternoon of September 14. The residence on Lazy Creek Way, a street not far from Wausau’s southern edge, transformed from a seemingly ordinary domicile into the scene of a tragedy that sent shockwaves through the community.
Stinson is accused of not only killing Socha but also attempting to manipulate the scene by placing the gun in the victim’s hand in what investigators say was an effort to stage the incident as a suicide. Prosecutors have charged Stinson with first-degree intentional homicide, illegal firearm possession by a felon, and tampering with a GPS tracking device.
Court records indicate the confrontation began as the two men shared sandwiches and discussed a woman known to them both. Stinson reportedly threatened violence if the woman wasn’t safe. The situation escalated rapidly. According to investigators, Stinson retrieved a handgun belonging to Socha and returned to continue the tense conversation.
During the emotional exchange, the men’s foreheads touched—a gesture that became a heartbreaking prelude to tragedy. Socha is said to have told Stinson he loved him and reassured him about the woman’s wellbeing. Moments later, Stinson claimed, Socha’s body crumpled to the floor before Stinson pressed the gun to Socha’s head. As Socha tried to push the weapon aside, it fired.
Stinson then allegedly placed the gun in Socha’s hand before fleeing the home. Investigators say he tore off his ankle GPS monitor and called a woman, confessing to the crime. She soon notified police, who rushed to the house around 5:35 p.m. and discovered Socha lying dead, the fatal wound visible on his temple, the gun set in his hand.
As police scoured the nearby area, an officer spotted a man matching Stinson’s description nearly a mile away. Stinson initially tried to evade identification, introducing himself as “James,” but soon admitted he had lied out of fear. Officers arrested him at the scene.
While in custody, investigators say Stinson placed a call to the same woman he had previously alerted about the shooting—a violation of prior court instructions to avoid contact. During a conversation with a corrections officer, Stinson allegedly blurted out, “I shot my best friend in the head last night,” punctuating his confession with a gesture mimicking a gun to his own temple. He also mentioned to authorities that he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.
Socha’s family and friends have since mourned the loss of a man they remember as compassionate, playful, and devoted to those around him. He left behind a fiancée, and his memory is marked by tributes to his kindness and quirky sense of humor.
Stinson, now held on a $1 million bond in Marathon County Jail, faces the prospect of life imprisonment if convicted. His next court appearance is set for Wednesday, as the legal process moves forward in a case that has left a close-knit community reeling.