Contested death (2000 to present)

Torrance “Tory” Medley

Ruled suicide, disputedNov 13, 2025 · Age 39 · Brookfield, WI

Who Torrance was

Torrance "Tory" Medley was 39 and lived in Milwaukee. The youngest in his family, he grew up in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, and went to school there from elementary through high school. In high school he taught himself Japanese and built an online gaming community with friends in Japan.

After moving to Milwaukee he worked to support himself, and for a time he studied landscaping at Milwaukee Area Technical College. He loved to draw. Friends and family describe him as easygoing, quiet and private, with a good sense of humor, and as a loving son, brother and friend.

His older sister, Shena Medley, has become the family's public voice. She remembers a gentle, kind man who loved his family, and says she looked out for him from the day he came home.

Portrait of Torrance “Tory” Medley — Portrait provided by the Medley family · where it was shared

In the words of those who knew them

“He had just the kindest, sweetest spirit.”Shena Medley, his sister, to CBS 58 · source
“Tory was my little brother, and from the day he came home I looked out for him.”Shena Medley, his sister, to FOX6 · source
“We deserve as a family, to know what happened to him. The community deserves to know what happened to him.”Shena Medley, his sister, to CBS 58 · source

What happened

Torrance "Tory" Medley, 39, was last seen leaving his Milwaukee apartment on the evening of Nov. 11, 2025, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. On the morning of Nov. 13, he was found dead at a tree at Brookfield Hills Golf Course near I-94 and Moorland Road in Brookfield. Brookfield police said that day that a preliminary investigation indicated suicide.

His family questioned how he'd gotten to Brookfield, since he didn't have a car. On Nov. 28, the family's attorney, William Sulton, joined the Milwaukee and Waukesha NAACP chapters to call for an independent review and the release of video, and said police "rushed to judgment." Police said that day that none of the video reviewed "substantiates probable cause of a crime being committed." His sister, Shena Medley, told WISN, "If it was suicide, we'll accept that. But if it was something else, we'll accept that, too."

The MATC Times reported in January 2026 that the family had been shown footage of Tory on a bus to downtown Milwaukee on Nov. 11 and in Brookfield on Nov. 12, that his phone and ID hadn't been found, and that the Waukesha County Medical Examiner hadn't determined a cause of death. The family raised money for an independent autopsy; Capital B reported in September 2026 that its results hadn't been made public. theGrio reported that Tory was named in a September 2026 letter from House Democrats asking the Justice Department and FBI to investigate.

The case

Where found: Tree at Brookfield Hills Golf Course
Official finding: Brookfield Police say a preliminary investigation points to suicide with no indication of a crime. The Waukesha County Medical Examiner completed an autopsy but had not published a ruling as of January 2026.
Time to finding: No medical examiner ruling published as of January 2026
Investigation: Brookfield Police said footage showed no probable cause of a crime.
Family position: The family, represented by attorney William Sulton and supported by the Milwaukee and Waukesha NAACP, says police rushed to judgment. They have asked for the evidence, access to surveillance footage, a meeting with investigators and the medical examiner, and an independent review.
Public evidence: The family was shown footage of him on a bus to downtown Milwaukee on Nov 11 and in Brookfield on Nov 12. The family says nearby hotels and the golf course have cameras and wants more footage released. His phone and ID had not been found. An independent autopsy paid for by the family has been done; results had not been made public as of September 2026.
Federal review: None reported
Last verified: 2026-10-18

Sources

Record history

Oct 18, 2026 · Reviewed update
Record updated
- Date found: 2025-11-13
- Date label if approximate: Blank
Oct 18, 2026 · Reviewed update
Record updated
- What happened updated
- What happened sources updated
Oct 18, 2026 · Reviewed update
Portrait added (Portrait provided by the Medley family)
Oct 18, 2026 · Reviewed update
Portrait added (Courtesy of the family)
Oct 18, 2026 · Reviewed update
Record updated
- Official finding: Brookfield Police say a preliminary investigation points to suicide with no indication of a crime. The Waukesha County Medical Examiner completed an autopsy but had not published a ruling as of January 2026.
- Time to finding: No medical examiner ruling published as of January 2026
- Family position: The family, represented by attorney William Sulton and supported by the Milwaukee and Waukesha NAACP, says police rushed to judgment. They have asked for the evidence, access to surveillance footage, a meeting with investigators and the medical examiner, and an independent review.
- Public evidence: The family was shown footage of him on a bus to downtown Milwaukee on Nov 11 and in Brookfield on Nov 12. The family says nearby hotels and the golf course have cameras and wants more footage released. His phone and ID had not been found. An independent autopsy paid for by the family has been done; results had not been made public as of September 2026.
Oct 18, 2026 · Reviewed update
Record updated
- Life updated
- Remembered updated
- Life sources updated
Oct 15, 2026 · Initial record
Initial record from prototype research