Wisconsin woman arrested for killing pro-Trump coworker—she called victim ‘racist’
Wallace had previously accused Jones of being “racist,” and is also accused of slashing the tires of Jones’ Chevrolet Silverado.
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Wallace had previously accused Jones of being “racist,” and is also accused of slashing the tires of Jones’ Chevrolet Silverado.
A Wisconsin woman has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide after allegedly gunning down her former coworker in what authorities say may have been a politically charged attack because the victim was a supporter of President Donald Trump.
Diamond Wallace, 31, appeared in Dane County Court on Wednesday, where a commissioner set her bail at $2 million in connection with the killing of 61-year-old Christine Jones of Cottage Grove.
Jones was found dead on the morning of March 22 in a parking ramp on West Washington Avenue in downtown Madison. Police say she had just arrived for her shift at a nearby hotel when she was shot.
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According to WKOW, Wallace and Jones previously worked together at the same hotel until Wallace was fired in April 2025. Investigators believe tensions between the two escalated following Wallace’s termination, which she allegedly blamed on Jones. Court documents state that Wallace had previously accused Jones of being “racist” and expressed hostility toward her for supporting President Trump. Around the time of her firing, Wallace is also accused of slashing the tires of Jones’ Chevrolet Silverado.
Following her termination, Wallace reportedly returned to the workplace on multiple occasions, making threats and causing disturbances. The hotel’s general manager ultimately obtained a temporary restraining order against her.
Police arrested Wallace on March 23 outside an apartment on Milwaukee Street. A handgun and a blue hooded sweatshirt matching surveillance footage from the scene were recovered. Ballistics testing later linked the firearm to the fatal shooting, according to investigators. Wallace, a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2019 conviction for resisting an officer with substantial bodily harm. Wallace reportedly changed her name to Sainte La Rell Vargas in April of 2025, but former coworkers still referred to her as Wallace.
She now faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 1.
The Republican Party of Dane County issued a statement condemning the killing, urging the community not to excuse or politicize the violence. “No grievance, no workplace conflict, no personal resentment ever excuses violence,” the group said. “We reject attempts to turn this tragedy into a partisan argument… It is about a woman in Dane County who lost her life.”
The statement added that residents should “recommit to the most basic civic shared responsibility: treating one another as human beings worthy of dignity, safety, and respect.”
Authorities have not officially confirmed a motive, but the complaint indicates Wallace harbored ongoing resentment toward Jones, tied to both workplace conflict and political differences.
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