COTTAGE GROVE, Wis. (WFRV) – A southern Wisconsin man who was facing multiple felony charges for allegedly intentionally driving into a family, killing a well-known chiropractor and the family dog, and injuring a child has died in custody.
According to the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office, 49-year-old Jeffrey M. Endres was pronounced dead at the Dane County Jail on May 6. The cause and manner of death are pending. The Madison Police Department and the medical examiner’s office are continuing to investigate.
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Endres, of Cottage Grove, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, among other charges, following the April 28 incident.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m., Cottage Grove police responded to the 1300 block of Landmark Drive for a report of a vehicle hitting multiple pedestrians. Officers arrived to find three family members and a dog had been struck while walking on the sidewalk.
The victims were identified as Dr. Kami Hansen, her husband, and their son. Kami later died at the hospital, while her son underwent emergency surgery and has since been released. Her husband did not require medical attention. The family dog was also killed.
Endres, whose SUV had overturned at the scene, was found nearby with injuries. When officers asked what had happened, he reportedly said he was “having a bad day” and declined to comment further. He told police he had been driving about 25 mph to a gas station when he lost control of the vehicle.
The husband told police the SUV appeared to accelerate directly toward the family, jumping the curb without braking. A witness described the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, estimated at 60 mph.
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According to the criminal complaint, the husband recognized the driver as Endres, a neighbor and former family friend. Their relationship had reportedly deteriorated following a March 2025 investigation into a sensitive incident involving children from both families.
Endres had submitted an open records request for that case and received the documents just hours before the crash, the complaint stated.
“I’m confident he was intentionally trying to kill us or [my son] at least,” the husband told police.
Another person who reportedly saw the crash ran to the scene, saying, “He tried to hit you.”
Endres was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He also faced two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, each carrying up to 60 years in prison, and one count of mistreatment of animals, which carries up to 3.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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His cash bond had been set at $1 million. He was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 14.
Local 5 News will continue to follow developments in the investigation.
