Gabriella Alexis Cartagena

The Person
Gabriella “Gaby” Cartagena was a 24-year-old mother who lived in Marinette, Wisconsin, after previously residing in Milwaukee. She was the cherished daughter of Denise Reed and the late Alfonso Cartagena, and a “beloved baby sister” to her four brothers. She was loud, energetic, funny, and had an unforgettable smile that could light up a room. Gaby loved the simple joys of life: cooking for her family (despite her “questionable” skills), bonfires, and trips to the beach. Above all, she was a dedicated mother to her three-year-old daughter, Anaya, whom her family says was her world.

The Case
On the evening of February 4, 2026, Gaby went missing after leaving her home with her boyfriend. Her mother later received a distressing phone call in which Gaby was heard pleading, “Please don’t shoot me.” Following a massive multi-agency search across Wisconsin and Michigan, her body was found on February 10, 2026, in a wooded area near Birch Creek Road in Menominee County, Michigan. Investigation revealed she had been fatally shot at Red Arrow Park in Marinette before being moved. Her boyfriend, Robert Chilcote, was apprehended in Minnesota following a high-speed chase and later confessed to the killing, claiming it was an accident. He has since been charged with first-degree intentional homicide.