'Armed and Dangerous' Wis. Man Arrested for Allegedly Killing Woman and 2 Girls

Mar. 15, 2025

Elizabeth Kolber and Virgil Thew.Photo:Legacy.com; New Lisbon Police Department

Legacy.com; New Lisbon Police Department

Police in Juneau County, Wis., say they’ve arrested a man wanted in connection with the deaths of a woman and two girls at a home in New Lisbon last month.

The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office said in a brief update on Facebook on Thursday that Virgil Thew was arrested in Elroy, Wis., amid an “increased law enforcement presence” in the area after a tip about a “suspicious” man.

Ina press releaselater in the day, the sheriff’s office said Thew was “taken into custody without incident” shortly after officers arrived at the scene.

Thew was arrested in connection with the killings of Elizabeth Kolba, 33, and two girls aged 12 and 13 at a house in New Lisbon on Dec. 30, according toThe Associated Press. The outlet reported that police believe Thew, 47, knew the victims.

The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release last week that Thew is believed to have picked up one of the juvenile victims earlier the night of the killings before family reported the girl missing. While searching for one of the juvenile girls, police learned of another girl missing and later found them both deceased in the New Lisbon home alongside Kolba.

As they searched for Thew, investigators shared the suspect’s name and photo across social media over the last week, telling the public in an earlier press release last week that he was considered “armed and dangerous.” The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office gave thanks to the public in its press release for its “assistance in providing tips that contributed to the successful resolution of this matter.”

Virgil Thew.Juneau County Sheriff

Juneau County Sheriff

Kolba was remembered as “a fun-loving joyous individual, who loved her friends, family and the outdoors,” inan obituaryshared online.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“Beth loved working on the farm, driving the tractors, grain carts and the combine,” the obituary read. “She spent her days watching her niece, Emilia, who she loved and cared for as if she was her own. Beth also loved spending time with her stepdaughter Alex and going on her school field trips. She had a ready smile for everyone and hugs to those who needed them. Beth was a true Angel with beautiful bright blue eyes and long dark brown hair, we were all blessed to have her in our presence, for the time we were allotted.”

The sheriff’s office also thanked family members of the victims for helping investigators in tracking Thew down, thanking them “for their patience and cooperation throughout” the investigation.

source: people.com