Milwaukee man faces first-degree intentional homicide charge after wife fatally shot in Port Motel room

What investigators say happened

A 29-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide after prosecutors allege he shot his wife in the head inside a motel room on the city’s northwest side.

The victim, 29-year-old Alicia Machnik, was found inside a unit at the Port Motel on West Appleton Avenue near Timmerman Airport after Milwaukee police responded to a call shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Court records describe a timeline built from surveillance video and witness statements. Video from the motel is described as showing Machnik checking in with a man later identified as Lance Devon White on Jan. 12. On Jan. 14, a motel employee reported speaking with Machnik late in the morning when the employee arrived to clean the room. Machnik told the employee she planned to stay an additional night, but records indicate she did not complete payment at the front desk.

Investigators say surveillance later showed White leaving the unit around 11:36 a.m. and that no one else was seen entering or exiting before Machnik was discovered several hours later by a motel employee.

Evidence described in the criminal complaint

Investigators reported finding items in the room that they associated with White, including identification and other personal documents. The complaint also describes a 9 mm cartridge casing and an intact bullet recovered inside the room.

White was arrested the same day as the shooting, and the complaint summarizes an interview in which he allegedly admitted to firing a single shot. The complaint further alleges he discarded the gun in a sewer after leaving the motel.

Statements from family and others interviewed

Detectives interviewed Machnik’s mother, who told investigators the couple had been married for about a year and that Machnik’s life had “spiraled out of control” during that period, according to the complaint. A man described in the complaint as an on-and-off boyfriend of several years was also interviewed; he told investigators he had been in contact with Machnik and was aware she had been staying at motels.

In the interview summarized in court documents, White described fears involving the father of Machnik’s child and said Machnik told him to shoot her, investigators wrote. The charge filed is first-degree intentional homicide, which requires proof that the defendant acted with intent to kill.

What happens next in court

White is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. The case is expected to proceed through a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors must show probable cause that a felony was committed and that White likely committed it.

• Defendant: Lance Devon White, 29
• Victim: Alicia Machnik, 29
• Location: Port Motel, West Appleton Avenue, Milwaukee
• Charge: First-degree intentional homicide

The allegations in the complaint remain unproven in court. White is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.