‘I will keep having my husband’s back’: Widow seeks justice five years after husband’s freeway shooting death
By Hannah Hilyard
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PORT WASHINGTON, Wisconsin (WISN) — It’s a freeway murder mystery.
Ozaukee County investigators said someone shot and killed Joshua Terry, of Cedarburg, on Interstate 43 five years ago. Now, for the first time, his widow is speaking publicly in hopes of garnering more leads in the unsolved case.
“Josh worked from home, so the way he relaxed at night was to take rides,” Renee Terry said.
That’s what he was doing the evening of Oct. 30, 2020, but as time ticked away, Renee knew something was wrong.
“He’d usually be gone for an hour, hour and a half, and it was, you know, two and a half hours,” she said. “I just felt like it was taking way too long.”
While on his nightly ride, investigators believe Joshua Terry and another driver may have gotten in a minor crash. As Terry pulled over in the northbound lanes and got out of his car, someone shot and killed him around 6:40 p.m. Investigators said the other driver took off from the scene.
“The first couple of weeks, I, honestly, think I was in shock. And it was going through the movements because all of a sudden, you’re planning a funeral for someone who is 41,” Renee Terry said.
Five years later, the shooter remains at large. Renee Terry expressed her determination to find justice, stating, “I don’t feel like I have hate in my heart. I want this person caught. I will not stop, and as hard as it is to talk about, I will keep having my husband’s back.”
On Monday, Renee Terry sat with investigators as they brought the case back into the public eye. They said the interstate was dark and heavily traveled at the time of Joshua Terry’s death, making it tough to find eyewitnesses. It’s a case they return to often, as investigators look for a connection with any firearms case that comes across their desks.
The sheriff emphasized the need for information, saying, “This could have happened to anyone, and it happened to Renee Terry sitting beside me, and we just need answers.”
With a $15,000 reward for answers, Renee Terry wants justice for her beloved husband.
“I believe in heaven and hell, and even if you’re not caught in this lifetime, you know, you will have to answer for this,” she responded when asked what message she had for the shooter.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office. To do that, call 262-284-7172, email ozaukeecountysheriff@co.ozaukee.wi.us, or text “OZSO” to 847411. The sheriff’s office says tips can remain anonymous.
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