Exotic dancer lured homicide victim to Milwaukee apartment

MILWAUKEE, WI -- A Milwaukee man is dead, and a woman working as an exotic dancer faces homicide charges after police say the woman lured the man to her apartment for sex, only to have an armed robbery attempt devolve into murder.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, police officers went to investigate a car crash at 3530 W. Thurston Ave., Milwaukee in early December. The driver of the crashed car, later identified as Scott Ross, was removed from the car and found to have a gunshot wound to the upper back. 

Paramedics came to the scene and unsuccessfully attempted lifesaving measures. Ross was pronounced deceased at the scene. Ross’s body was transported to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. 

Authorities said that Ross died as a result of a gunshot wound to the torso and determined that the manner of death was homicide.

Investigation of the crash scene and surrounding area, along with statements of witnesses in the area, led police to believe Ross had been shot in his car while it was in front of a residence at 5640 N. 36th St., and that after Ross had been shot there his car traveled to 3530 W. Thurston Ave., where it crashed.

Exotic Dancer Implicated

The investigation led police to suspect that Lyneeshia Battle, 22, Milwaukee, was involved, and she was arrested on December 28. She gave a statement to to an investigator, stating that she had met Ross while she was working as a stripper at a club near Waupaca, her criminal complaint stated.

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She said that on December 7, 2106, Ross was in town and contacted her regarding getting together to have sex. She was in a house on N. 36th St. in Milwaukee, and she arranged for him to meet her outside, the complaint stated.

According to her complaint, Battle said that her boyfriend was with her in the house. She decided not to have sex with Ross. Instead, she and her boyfriend decided to rob Ross because they knew he would have a lot of money.

Battle told police that when Ross arrived outside the house and texted her, she went outside, followed by her boyfriend, knowing the robbery was going to happen. She opened the car door to get into the car with Ross, and her boyfriend went to the driver side door and opened it. She heard her boyfriend saying something to Ross, the complaint stated. 

Suddenly Ross started driving off, and she heard one or two gunshots come from the driver side. The car drove off and she did not see where it ended up. She and her boyfriend ran back into the house, her complaint stated.

According to court records, Battle has been charged with Felony Murder - as a party to a crime, and faces up to 35 years behind bars if she is convicted. She is currently being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on a $30,000 cash bond.

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