NEW LISBON, Wis. — A statewide criminal alert remains active in the manhunt for Virgil Thew.
The 47-year-old was charged with three counts of first-degree homicide, after police found his girlfriend and two girls dead inside a New Lisbon home in Juneau County on Dec. 30.
Thew is still on the run and considered armed and dangerous. Should anyone see him, they should not approach him, but call 911. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Marshal Service have joined the search.
Federal and state law enforcement agencies reported Thew’s last known location was in the Lisbon township.
He’s described by police as a white male with brown hair and blue eyes. He is 5-feet, 11-inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds. He has a one-inch scar on his forehead.
Police said he was last seen wearing a dark-colored coat, blue jeans and a hat.
Skyla Sorenson was found dead and allegedly one of Thew’s child victims. She was related to the other child victim.
Her parents shared emotional words on the devastation their 13-year-old daughter’s death has caused the family.
“It’s been really hard for the family. It’s been really hard, you know, to deal with the tragedy of the loss of of her and her cousin,” Pamela Sorenson, Skyla Sorenson’s stepmother, said.
Her parents said she was a loving child and full of potential.
“Skyla was bright, intelligent, and smart. She loved helping people,” Pamela Sorenson said.
Her dad, Jerry Sorenson, said his daughter had a lot of nicknames, like “Bug,” “Peanut” or “Mickey Mouse,” but they shared a special nickname, “Chinga.”
“When Skyla would get off the bus, I’d tap on the window and say ‘Chinga.’ She was my everything,” Jerry Sorenson said.
Skyla Sorenson’s life was filled with lots of family. She was one of eight siblings, and Pamela Sorenson said her stepdaughter was very close with her Uncle Chase.
“Skyla loved her Uncle Chase. They used to go riding on the motorcycle. That was Skyla’s favorite uncle. He’s even redoing his Harley for her,” Pamela Sorenson said.
Skyla Sorenson’s parents said she was with her family just before going missing.
Pamela Sorenson said the family is struggling to understand why their lives were cut short.
“I want answers. I want to know why, but they were just babies. They needed more time to grow up to live life,” Pamela said.
Jerry and Pamela Sorenson said they’re budgeting for many things at this stage in their life, but Pamela Sorenson said burying their daughter is something they never imagined.
“It’s been really hard on us for this funeral. We need to raise money to get, you know, the headstone and some other expenses. Our truck just blew up, and we were in need of a vehicle. We have to get to the service,” Pamela Sorenson said.
On Dec. 30, Skyla Sorenson and her 12-year-old cousin, along with Thew’s 33-year-old girlfriend Elizabeth Kolba, were all found deceased at a home in New Lisbon. Thew was charged in each homicide.
Jerry and Pamela Sorenson said they have the following messages for Thew.
“I’d like to know why, but I know I’ll never get why from you. You’re a coward. You’re my family, and you took something from me. You never should have did that,” Jerry Sorenson said.
“You took them from us. Those were our babies. We loved them. We wanted to see them grow up. We’re never going to be able to do that,” Pamela Sorenson said.
The community is invited to celebrate Skyla Sorenson’s life on Jan. 18 at the New Lisbon Community Center. A visitation will start at 10 a.m., followed by a memorial service in the same location beginning at 11 a.m.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover funeral expenses for Skyla Sorenson. View it, here.