Police clerk killed himself amid probe into Brookfield homicide

Dec. 07, 2011
SHARE

By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Dec. 07, 2011 0

Waukesha - A third person was questioned in connection with the June killing of a Brookfield businessman: a Wauwatosa Police Department clerk who committed suicide shortly after he was interviewed by Brookfield police.

The clerk, Mark Finken, shot and killed himself July 23 in the garage of his Wauwatosa home, according to an autopsy report by the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office.

Finken, 43, had been questioned twice by Brookfield police. Investigators on July 11 asked him about four phone calls he received from Lynn Hajny late June 21 and a call Finken made to Hajny.

Hajny, 49, and Tommy Douyette, 42, are accused of killing John C. Aegerter, who was found dead in the garage of his Brookfield residence on June 22.

The calls Hajny made to Finken were placed at the approximate time of Aegerter's killing, according to an affidavit filed in mid-November. The filing includes a request for a subpoena that seeks Finken's cellphone records, including calls, text messages, voice mails, contacts and other data.

That affidavit notes that Finken committed suicide after being interviewed "regarding his involvement in this homicide conspiracy and said records will provide evidence of said conspiracy."

A second affidavit filed in mid-November in Waukesha County Circuit Court, seeking a subpoena for records for two of Hajny's cellphones, calls Finken a "possible third conspirator."

About a week before he committed suicide, Finken had been suspended from his job, Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry M. Weber said.

Finken had been with the department since Sept. 6, 1994, Weber said.

Weber declined to comment further because the homicide is still being investigated by Brookfield police.

The medical examiner's report notes that Finken left a multiple-page suicide note in his garage that was addressed to his co-workers and a blue folder in the kitchen with another suicide note to family and several sealed envelopes addressed to family and friends.

In the note found in the garage, Finken wrote he was innocent of the incident in Brookfield, the medical examiner's report states. He spoke of the overwhelming magnitude of the situation he was in, felt he was no longer able to move forward and stated he was sorry and asked for forgiveness, the report states.

But authorities say they believe Finken was involved in the plan to kill Aegerter.

Brookfield police discovered Aegerter's body lying face down in his garage at 9:55 a.m. June 22.

Share Tweet Share Print
NewsWatch

Advertisement

Photo Galleries

Advertisement