Why Did Jonathan Kwiatkowski Die?

The details surrounding why Jonathan Kwiatkowski died are murky at best.

Kwiatkowski, 21, of Wind Point, was stabbed in the throat while he was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher. He died early Monday after he, and his family, had a violent conflict with a neighbor. Sean Forester-Hoare, 29, lived three houses down from the Kwiatkowski and his family, according to the DA's office.

Forester-Hoare is accused of stabbing Kwiatkowski in the 5300 block of Valley Trail Monday morning.

But the unanswered question is, why Forester-Hoare confronted Jonathan in the first place. The criminal complaint outlines what happened when Forester-Hoare confronted Jonathan, but doesn’t mention a motive.

Wind Point Police Chief Dave Rossman said there haven’t been any calls for service for either household until the morning of the homicide. Court records show that Kwiatkowski and Forester-Hoare didn’t have criminal records. Several neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous, also don’t understand why the fight happened. The neighborhood is quaint and quiet, they said.

One of Forester-Hoare’s friends, who commented on Caledonia Patch, said that while Forester-Hoare was trained in martial arts, but he had never seen him act aggressively.

Still, Forester-Hoare admitted to investigators with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department that he did have a confrontation with the Kwiatkowski family and that he had a knife during conflict.

The case also baffles Jonathan Lavoy, Forester-Hoare’s attorney.

Lavoy said Sean’s family feels horrible for the Kwiatkowski’s loss in the death of their son. But Lavoy noted that Sean comes from a good family, and he doesn’t have a criminal record.

“We are still investigating this ourselves,” Lavoy said. “But Sean’s parents are devastated… Still, there are always two sides to every story and everyone should withhold judgment until all of the facts come out.”

Lavoy said he anticipates more details to come out after the preliminary hearing when the police reports are released on April 21.

A memorial website has been established for Jonathan Kwiatkowski on Facebook.

Jonathan’s obituary indicated that he was a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where he studied humanities. The last thing Jonathan posted on his Facebook page was the phrase, “Heads up. Hearts up. Hopes up.” He was employed at Best Buy. According to a story by the Racine Journal Times, a co-worker is making bracelets with the phrase to sell to raise money for a scholarship fund in Kwiatkowski's name.

A memorial services for Jonathan will be held at the Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home, 4600 Highway KR, on Sunday at 11 a.m. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 to 11 a.m.

Calls and contact attempts to reach Kwiatkowski’s friends and family, and the Racine County District Attorney’s Office have not yet been returned. However, the story will be updated when they are returned.