Lance Devon White, 29, faces first-degree intentional homicide charges for the January 14, 2026, shooting death of 29-year-old Alicia Machnik at the Port Motel on Appleton Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Police found Machnik dead on the bed with a gunshot wound to her upper right forehead and an exit wound at the back of her head; a 9mm cartridge casing and bloodied bullet were recovered in the room. White’s ID, birth certificate, debit card, and Social Security card were also left behind.
Timeline of Events
Surveillance video showed White and Machnik checking in on January 12; a motel worker spoke to Machnik around 11:30 a.m. on January 14, after which White exited at 11:36 a.m., with no one else entering until the body was discovered at 2:38 p.m. White attempted to check into a nearby motel later but was denied for lacking ID, then went to his mother’s home before being taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where police arrested him around 8:30 p.m. Uber records from Machnik’s account, accessed by her on-and-off boyfriend of five years, showed a ride from the Port Motel to near White’s mother’s address post-shooting.
White’s Confession and Relationship
In a post-Miranda interview, White admitted shooting Machnik once in the head after she allegedly asked him to target the forehead spot with his name tattooed, claiming she feared her child’s father, soon to be released from prison, would kill them both while they were “getting high.” He said he fled in shock and discarded the gun in a sewer. Machnik’s mother noted their year-long marriage led to her “spiraling out of control”; the boyfriend confirmed frequent motel stays funded by him.
Court Proceedings
White appeared in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on January 21, 2026, with bond set at $300,000; he faces life in prison if convicted. The commissioner highlighted the alleged execution-style shooting despite White’s clean prior record. No further court dates were detailed beyond a return next week.​
