Michael W. Desalvo Leaves Woman to Die - Dec. 9, 2005
Michael W. Desalvo (24) left a 25 year old women, only partially clothed and overly intoxicated,
to die out in the cold Wisconsin winter in temperatures that dipped below 15 degrees. Her body
was found in a culvert in a snow-swept farm field in the town of Oregon, three miles from Desalvo's
home. Coroner's officials said she froze to death.
Desalvo entered a no-contest plea to first-degree reckless homicide a year to the day after he
met her at the Dry Bean Saloon in Fitchburg, took her to the duplex he shared with roommates at
2314 Fitchburg Road.
Desalvo became a suspect in the disappearance when his roommates contacted police after one of
them received a missing person notice by e-mail issued by the woman's step-father. One of
Desalvo's roommates last saw the woman in Desalvo's bed after they had come home from a night of
drinking. Police didn't find her body until Dec. 22, wearing only a red sweater and socks,
partially snow covered, with leaves stuck to her skin, indicating that she was alive when she
was left in the culvert near Storytown Road. The rest of her clothes were found in Desalvo's SUV
when police picked him up three days after she went missing. Police also found her blood on
Desalvo's bed, Desalvo's DNA on her body, and her charred Wisconsin identification card amid
burnt debris in a garbage can at his home.
The woman was last seen alive early Dec. 9 shortly after leaving The Dry Bean Saloon and
Steakhouse off Verona Road with Desalvo, 24, whom she met that night along with his three
roommates. Her father reported her missing Saturday evening, Dec. 10, when she didn't return to
their home and her car was found in the Dry Bean's parking lot.
Desalvo was initially arrested on an outstanding Dane County warrant for missing court dates on
a September drug charge.
