Third suspect pleads guilty in Anisa Scott’s death

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The last of three suspects charged in connection to the killing of an 11-year-old girl who was riding in a car when she was shot pleaded guilty Wednesday.

Jerry Ward Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide as party to a crime in reference to the 2020 shooting of Anisa Scott.

The charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide as party to a crime and felony bail jumping were dismissed but read in. Several other pending cases against Ward were also dismissed but read in, including charges of burglary, robbery, and first-degree recklessly endangering safety as party to a crime.

According to court records, Ward was initially going to plead no contest to the first-degree reckless homicide charge. Prosecutors took a break to speak with the victim’s family about the plea before court resumed and Ward changed his plea.

The two other suspects in the killing, Andre Brown and Perion Carreon, have already been sentenced.

In addition to a 25-year prison sentence for the first-degree reckless homicide conviction stemming from Anisa Scott’s death, Andre Brown was given 15 additional years for an attempted homicide conviction stemming from the same shooting. The two sentences will be served consecutively, putting the total at 40 years behind bars, to be followed by 25 years combined of extended supervision.

Carreon was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for the charge of first-degree reckless homicide, as party to a crime. He was also given five years for the charge of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, which will be served consecutively with the other count. The two charges are followed by 15 years and 10 years, respectively, of extended supervision.

Prosecutors say they were allegedly targeting the driver of the vehicle Anisa was riding in on the city’s east side in August of 2020. The driver, who was identified as Christopher Carthens, told officers that Anisa was his girlfriend’s daughter.

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