A 15-year-old South Milwaukee boy facing felony charges of strangling his grandmother could be transferred to juvenile court.
Edward Barbara had his preliminary hearing on Oct. 10 for a single charge of felony first-degree intentional homicide. His defense team argued the case be dismissed but was denied by the court.
Instead, a request for a reverse waiver hearing was granted, along with a motion to not publish an image of the teenager.
A reverse waiver hearing is where the court will determine if a case can be waived, or transferred, from adult to juvenile court, per Wisconsin Statue 970.032. Two hearings have been scheduled for the case, one on Jan. 9, 2026, and the other Jan. 30, 2026, per online court records.
Barbara is accused of strangling his grandmother, Elizabeth Totsky, 68, in her home in South Milwaukee on Aug. 27.
During his initial appearance on Sept. 8, Court Commissioner Barry Phillips noted “in the eyes of the law, being charged with this offense, he’s treated as an adult.”
Wisconsin law allows children as young as 10 years old to be charged as adults for attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide.
Adult court carries much longer terms of confinement than juvenile court, which focuses on rehabilitation and offers more services.
According to the criminal complaint:
South Milwaukee police found Totsky on the kitchen floor of her home in the 1700 block of Oak Street in South Milwaukee around 2:15 p.m. Aug. 27.
She received medical treatment from the South Milwaukee Fire Department and was transported to the hospital for further treatment after regaining a pulse. However, she died four days later.
Barbara told police he lived with his grandmother and initially said she suffered a seizure and collapsed while cooking in the kitchen.
The autopsy concluded Totsky died of strangulation, noting multiple neck injuries.
Totsky’s husband, along with Ring doorbell footage, both confirmed only she and Barbara were in the home.
When confronted that the autopsy indicated his grandmother was strangled, Barbara told authorities he strangled her from behind, only releasing her when she went limp.
Adrienne Davis and Chris Ramirez contributed to this report.
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Teen charged with strangling his grandmother could move to juvenile court
Edward Barbara, South Milwaukee, juvenile court, grandmother, Elizabeth Totsky, preliminary hearing, felony charges, Adult court, intentional homicide, strangling
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