Apr. 3, 2026 10:20p; Updated 4-5 with a new lead
(WGTD)---Six weeks before he allegedly stabbed his estranged wife Makayla Plaza to death, Marckus Plaza struck and swung a knife at her boyfriend, Korey Williams. Marckus was never charged in the earlier case.
In an interview with WGTD, Williams cited the incident as one example of how ‘the system’ could’ve done more to protect his girlfriend as she tried to extract herself from a bad relationship.
Makayla was killed Wednesday in a 22nd Ave. home she was preparing to vacate because she couldn't afford the rent after Marckus left. According to court records and police reports, Makayla had filed for a divorce on Feb. 2nd following months of arguments over his controlling behavior.
Williams, who recently went through a break-up of his own, and Makayla were childhood friends. They recently reconnected and were in the process of moving into a new place together.
Williams and Makayla had plans to clean out the 22nd Ave. house this weekend. But early Wednesday, Marckus returned. That’s when the deadly confrontation occurred in the presence of the couple’s two small children.
Marckus was arrested a day later hiding in the neighborhood. He’s been charged with 1st Degree Intentional Homicide.
According to a police report on the earlier incident, Marckus went to the house they once shared on 22nd Ave. Feb. 19th to talk to Makayla. Williams was there as well. Marckus allegedly went into the kitchen where Williams had been waiting and struck him in the eye. Williams put Marckus in a headlock. Marckus then picked up a stovetop grate and swung it at Williams, who blocked the move with his hand. Still in a headlock, Marckus reached into a drawer and pulled out a knife which he swung at Williams' torso. That's when Williams backed off and Marckus fled.
According to the report, paramedics were called to the scene and treated Williams for a contusion to his forehead and a cut to his hand which he sustained in avoiding being struck by the grate.
Marckus was tracked down and jailed on charges of battery and disorderly conduct while armed. He was released after posting bail.
The case was one of two in which the police department recommended that charges be filed, although none were ever issued by the district attorneys office.
In the second case, Marckus allegedly got his hands on personal, sexually-oriented photos from Makayla's phone and posted them on the internet, according to a police report.
Makayla had three other contacts with police, beginning in early January, but those reports did not result in recommendations for charges as the disagreements that were described did not involve physical contact.
In an interview with TMJ4, District Attorney Xavier Solis said he believed his office did the best it could under the circumstances.
Solis’ office has been under pressure for months because of short-staffing. The number of prosecutors has been hovering around a dozen, a little over half of the office’s authorized strength. The office has been unable to fill vacancies, and when it does, the replacements often times don’t stick around, apparently frustrated by the workload and the lack of mentorship. On Thursday, an attorney quit after having served less than a month on the job, according to the state Department of Administration, the agency that covers the salaries of prosecutors.
Williams also has questions about a restraining order that Makayla had requested. Before a court commissioner could rule, Makayla moved to withdraw the request, checking boxes indicating she no longer felt threatened and hadn’t been pressured to change her mind.
None of that was true, according to Williams. Makayla dropped the restraining order request because Marckus had threatened to take her children, he said.
According to online court records, both Mikayla and Marckus were in court when the commissioner granted the request on Feb. 9th. WGTD has requested a transcript of the proceeding.
Mikayla knew the system. It turns out she was an advocate for a time at Women and Children’s Horizons, a shelter and a resource center for domestic violence victims in Kenosha.
The agency put out a statement Friday which read in part, “To prevent domestic violence and homicide, we as a community must listen to victims and must send a consistently strong message that all abuse is unacceptable and that help is available.” Their phone number is 262-652-9900.
The agency went on to say that it’s understandable for people to try to find fault with what the victim or others did “to cause” the abuser to act. “This takes the focus off the abuser who thought they had the right to take a person’s life. The responsibility rests on them,” the agency said.
A gofundme account has been established. The page displays a photo of Makayla in uniform while serving for a brief time as a corrections officer. At the time of her death, Makayla was employed as a Head Start teacher, according to Williams.
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