Troopers Arrest Wisconsin Man After Finding Dead Woman in Vehicle

July 16, 2025 (Lincoln, Neb.)  — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, with the assistance of several other police agencies, have arrested one person after a pursuit and search west of Lincoln. After the pursuit, troopers located a deceased woman inside the suspect vehicle.

The incident stemmed from an endangered missing person alert that was issued Tuesday in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Early Wednesday, NSP received information from the Dodgeville Police Department that the vehicle associated with the missing person case was believed to be traveling westbound in Nebraska.

At approximately 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, a trooper spotted the vehicle, as it was traveling westbound on I-80 in Lincoln. The trooper attempted a traffic stop as the vehicle exited I-80 at the NW 48th Street interchange. Troopers saw that the driver was not the subject of the missing person case. The driver refused to yield and fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

Moments later, the suspect entered I-80, traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes, inside the construction zone west of Lincoln. The trooper did not pursue in the eastbound lanes, but another trooper picked up the pursuit while traveling in the westbound lanes. As the suspect vehicle exited the construction zone near mile marker 388, the driver failed to navigate the lane shift, drove into the median, and crashed into a creek. The driver then immediately fled on foot.

Troopers arrived at the crash scene and checked the vehicle. A deceased woman was found in the back seat area. It was clear that the woman had died before the crash. Investigators are working on the identification process.

Troopers contacted local partners, including the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Seward County Sheriff’s Office, and Lincoln Police Department to assist. The NSP SWAT Team was also activated to search the area. After searching the area for approximately four hours, utilizing police service dogs, drones, and the NSP helicopter, a Lancaster County deputy located the suspect as he was walking about four miles west of the crash scene. He was taken into custody without further incident.

The suspect, Gavin Thompson, 23, of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, has been lodged in Lancaster County Jail for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and other charges. The Nebraska State Patrol is working with the Dodgeville Police Department and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation on their investigation.