MAUSTON, WI – A Mauston man is facing a first-degree intentional homicide charge after authorities say he fatally stabbed his 73-year-old father more than two dozen times before fleeing across state lines in a stolen classic car.

Jacob Sanders, 34, was identified as the primary suspect in the killing of Michael Sanders, whose body was found inside his motel room on January 21. The town, roughly 75 miles northwest of Madison, was jolted by the news as investigators unraveled a series of events leading up to the fatal encounter between father and son.

The case began to unfold after deputies in Vigo County, Indiana, stopped Jacob Sanders for driving without a license. After pulling him over in his father’s 1989 Chevrolet Caprice, deputies noticed blood on his hand and became suspicious when Jacob could not produce proof that he had permission to drive the car. Attempts to contact Michael Sanders for verification were unsuccessful.

While speaking with officers, Jacob allegedly claimed he was on his way to Tennessee to visit his grandmother’s grave. However, the unanswered welfare calls prompted Indiana officials to contact law enforcement in Wisconsin, leading Mauston police to check on Michael Sanders at the Willows Motel, where both father and son lived in separate rooms.

Inside Michael Sanders’ room, officers found him lying dead on the bed, his body bearing multiple stab wounds to the hands, neck, and face. Investigators discovered a bloodied Karambit-style knife — a weapon with a curved blade — in Jacob’s adjacent room during their search.

Authorities interviewed the victim’s daughter, who indicated that a longstanding conflict existed between her brother and their father, characterizing their relationship as strained. She told investigators her brother rarely got along with their father and believed he was likely responsible for the violence.

Police records revealed that, just one day before the killing, they had responded to a call at the same motel, when Michael Sanders asked officers to remove Jacob from his room. At that time, Jacob reportedly mentioned feeling provoked whenever his father pointed his finger at him, calling the gesture a personal “trigger.”

According to investigators, Jacob expressed deep-seated feelings of anger and animosity toward his father, which had been evident for some time. Reports also stated that Jacob was listed as the sole beneficiary of his father’s life insurance policy, although family members had been attempting to modify the arrangement.

The medical examiner’s report detailed 26 stab wounds on Michael Sanders’ body, including several defensive injuries. The autopsy noted that the victim’s left index finger and thumb were nearly severed, and that his ear was almost completely detached.

With the arrest made in Indiana, Jacob Sanders remains in custody as authorities move forward with extradition proceedings to return him to Wisconsin to face charges.

The investigation continues as law enforcement collects further evidence and interviews those close to the Sanders family in an effort to piece together the events surrounding the fatal altercation.