The charge follows an April 24 apartment stabbing that prosecutors said began with a disagreement over whether to eat out or cook at home.
WAUKESHA, Wis. — A court commissioner set $2 million cash bond Monday for Mikayla R. Kloth, who is accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend after a dinner dispute in Lac La Belle.
The first court appearance moved the case from a Friday night police response to a formal homicide prosecution in Waukesha County. Kloth, 27, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of 25-year-old Lukas John Rosch. Prosecutors said Rosch was stabbed once in the chest at Kloth’s apartment on Wisconsin Avenue after he arrived with food to cook instead of taking Kloth out. The court set the next step for May 29, when a preliminary hearing is scheduled.
Court Commissioner David Herring reviewed the complaint and the alleged statements Kloth made to officers before setting bond. During the hearing, prosecutors described a direct admission at the scene and later comments during transport. Herring said Kloth did not hesitate in speaking with officers after the stabbing, according to courtroom footage and local reports. Rosch’s family also addressed the court, asking that Kloth not be released. The hearing did not decide whether Kloth is guilty. It set the conditions of custody while prosecutors prepare to show probable cause.
The charge is based on events reported around 6:48 p.m. April 24. Officers were dispatched to an apartment in the Village of Lac La Belle, a small community in Waukesha County near Okauchee. Inside, they found Rosch lying on his back and bleeding from the chest, according to the complaint. Kloth was nearby. Police said she told them she stabbed Rosch because she was angry. Emergency crews took Rosch to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities have not released a full autopsy report, but local police said the wound struck his heart.
The criminal complaint says the argument began over a plan for the evening. Rosch had brought chicken drumsticks and seasoning to Kloth’s apartment and intended to cook the food in an air fryer. Kloth told investigators she wanted to go out, including to a bar, instead of staying in. Prosecutors said that disagreement became physical. Kloth allegedly described Rosch holding or handling a knife and said he grabbed it by the sharp edge. Investigators said she later admitted driving the knife into his chest. Police have not publicly described any injuries to Kloth from the knife.
The high bond reflected the seriousness of the charge and the allegations in the complaint. First-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence in Wisconsin if the defendant is convicted. Bond hearings in such cases often focus on public safety, flight risk and the weight of the accusation. Kloth remained in the Waukesha County Jail after the appearance. No trial date has been set. The case is still at an early stage, and the defense has not had a full evidentiary hearing to test the state’s account.
The court file also includes a reported warning from about a week before Rosch died. A landlord told police that Rosch said Kloth had bitten his thumb during an earlier argument. The landlord also told investigators Rosch appeared afraid. According to the complaint, Rosch asked another woman to take down his full name in case something ever happened to him. Prosecutors have not said whether that earlier incident produced photos, medical records or a separate police report. Those details could become part of future hearings if the state seeks to show context for the relationship.
Rosch’s relatives described a loss that extends beyond the courtroom record. His family said in a public statement that they were “completely broken” and called him “the most loving, giving, kind-hearted person anyone could ever meet.” An obituary listed Rosch as the son of Matthew and Stephanie Rosch and said he was survived by sisters, nieces, grandparents, uncles, an aunt, friends and his dog, Woodruff. Family members asked for privacy as they prepared to mourn him, even as the case began drawing national attention because of the dinner dispute described by police.
The next hearing will decide whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to bind the case over for further proceedings. At a preliminary hearing, the state does not need to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It must show probable cause that a felony was committed and that the defendant probably committed it. That hearing could include testimony from an officer, a detective or another witness who can summarize the investigation. It also could give the defense its first chance to question the state’s version under oath.
The case now stands as a pending first-degree intentional homicide prosecution in Waukesha County, with Kloth jailed on $2 million cash bond. The preliminary hearing remains scheduled for May 29, and the public record is expected to grow as prosecutors file more evidence.
Author note: Last updated May 20, 2026.