TOWN OF ALBION – A death investigation Tuesday in Iowa lead to a police chase in Wisconsin overnight, and a deadly end to a standoff in rural Dane County.
The standoff stems from a death investigation in Dubuque, Iowa Wednesday. There, Dubuque County Sherriff Joe Kennedy says authorities located 32-year-old Tana Poppe dead with her two children missing.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett says they were first alerted to a check-person in the Town of Dunn around 5:30pm Tuesday. “Deputies responded on scene and made contact with the family, that advised that two individuals came by and dropped off a young child,” said Barrett. When deputies attempted contact with the suspects’ vehicle, Barrett says they were shot at by the suspects.
Residents in the Albion area received this message overnight:

That chase led to the hours-long standoff at a home on Ramsey Road in the Town of Albion, where the male suspect, identified as Alexander C. Grunke, had fired shots at and entered the home where a woman and her two children were inside, then barricaded himself in the basement. The 13-year-old female suspect ran into a forested area, where she was found dead by authorities of unknown causes.
“Dane County deputies courageously ran into the house, were able to secure the family, and able to get them away from the house in a safe manner,” said Barrett. After multiple unsuccessful negotiation attempts with Grunke, officials discovered he had died from an apparent suicide.
It is believed that Grunke may have committed the homicide in Dubuque, Iowa. The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office is conducting that investigation. The infant is in the care of Dane County Human Services and was not injured. Dane County’s Victim Services also responded to the scene to assist two displaced families during the incident.
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