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Steven Mark Zelich, born on October 29, 1961, is a former West Allis, Wisconsin police officer who became known as the "Wisconsin Suitcase Murderer" after being convicted of murdering two women. Zelich met his victims, 19-year-old Jenny Gamez from Cottage Grove, Oregon, and 37-year-old Laura Simonson from Farmington, Minnesota, through sadomasochism (S&M) websites where he sought submissive partners. In August 2012, he killed Gamez during a sexual encounter in a Kenosha, Wisconsin hotel room. Similarly, in November 2013, he killed Simonson in a Rochester, Minnesota hotel. Zelich claimed both deaths were accidental during consensual "breath play." After their deaths, Zelich concealed the women's bodies in suitcases, initially storing them in his home and car before eventually dumping them along a roadway in Geneva, Wisconsin. The suitcases were discovered by highway workers on June 5, 2014. Following his arrest on June 27, 2014, Zelich was charged with multiple offenses, including first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse. He pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide for Gamez's death and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. For Simonson's death, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Minnesota and received a consecutive 25-year sentence. Additionally, he was sentenced to 10 years for hiding the corpses, bringing his total imprisonment to 70 years, effectively a life sentence.
