Bobby Curry: A Troubled Life

On Easter night in 2005, Bobby Curry stopped by his girlfriend Patricia Wade’s house to drop something off for their two kids, who were only 1 year old at the time.

Then Curry and three family members went to Erv’s Lounge, a small local bar in Kenosha. Later that night, Curry got into an argument with two Caucasian men at the bar, according to police and Wade.

Eventually, they settled their dispute and bought Curry a drink. Curry then left the bar with those two men and has never been seen since.

Almost 20 years later, Wade has not heard from him, their two children have grown up, and his mom has passed away without ever seeing him again. But two Kenosha detectives have not given up yet. Neither has she.

A team of 12 student journalists spent three months investigating 18 open missing people cases, most of them people of color in Milwaukee but several from smaller Wisconsin cities. The students spoke with family members and detectives and filed open records requests.  In the case of Curry, Kenosha Police Department declined to release any police reports but agreed to an interview.

Media Milwaukee also attempted to obtain files on his criminal history to further shed light on the activities Curry was involved in leading up to his disappearance. Many of the files on his parole were destroyed when the Department of Corrections Building burned down in the 2020 Kenosha riots, but Media Milwaukee was able to obtain files on his criminal history leading up to his disappearance, via an open records request to Kenosha police.

Bobby Curry is a 27-year-old African-American man from Kenosha, Wis. who has been missing since March 27, 2005. Curry is 5’10”, 175 lbs with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo of “MOM” on his upper right arm and a “C” between his right thumb and index finger.

He was last seen at 1916 63rd St, Kenosha, WI 53143 which was called Erv’s Lounge at the time, police say. This address is now an Asian food market named Moe Moe’s Food Market. Media Milwaukee attempted to contact the owner, but the building was temporarily closed at the time.

Curry’s mother Bertha Curry hadn’t heard from him several days after that night, so she called Curry’s girlfriend at the time Patricia Wade. According to Wade, the last time she saw him was Easter night before he went to the bar when he stopped by the house to drop something off for their two kids.

“So when she told me that she hadn’t heard from him, that’s when I knew something happened to him,” said Wade. “For him not to call his mom at all, that was a problem.”

Bertha Curry reported Curry missing on May 1, about a month after she had last seen him. It is often said that the first 48 hours of an investigation are the most important, so according to KPD the fact that Curry wasn’t reported missing until a month after he was last seen made this investigation especially difficult.

“For homicide detectives, the clock starts ticking the moment they are called,” says the opening of the A&E show “The First 48.”

“Their chance of solving a murder is cut in half if they don’t get a lead within the first 48 hours.”

Bertha told KPD that it was common for Curry not to be in contact with her for a while, but not normally this long. Bertha also told KPD that Curry had a warrant through Probation and Parole, and that may be why he’s not around, police say.

Kenosha Police Department entered the missing case into his profile on the National Crime Information Center which also listed that Curry had a felony warrant for Probation Violation.

According to the current detective Vicente Correa, the original detective Diane Walton assumed that Curry was fleeing his warrant at the time. Walton flagged his name in NCIC, so they would be alerted if he had any other police contact in the U.S. Walton did not answer Media Milwaukee’s requests for an interview.

On Feb. 28, 2006, Bertha went to KPD and told them that she still has not heard from Curry after almost a year. NCIC also had no record of any further police contact in the U.S., according to police.

“Whether he was on the run or not, the fact that he had not been in contact with his mom should’ve been a red flag,” said Wade.

Detective Walton asked Bertha for Curry’s dental reports, blood type, and any distinctive traits like jewelry, scars, marks, or tattoos. Bertha did not know Curry’s blood type, but she did say that he had a watch and a tattoo on his left arm, police told Media Milwaukee.

According to Correa, the case wasn’t seriously investigated until 2010 when Detective James Beller was assigned the case shortly after being promoted to Detective.

“I’m so angry at KPD’s original detective,” said Wade. “For them not to take it seriously like that broke my heart, and that really is what screwed us on any evidence now.”

Beller began to put up missing person flyers for Curry, but people kept tearing them down.

“Could we have done something better, 100%. But the right people didn’t fall into place,” said Capt. Beller, who began investigating the case in earnest before the torch was picked up by Correa.

Beller got in contact with Bertha, and was able to get her DNA. Beller also contacted Wade, and was able to get DNA from their two kids.

Wade has been in contact with KPD ever since, and updates them every time her phone number or address changes.

“I wanna know,” said Wade. “You guys ain’t got no excuse, ’cause you guys got my information.”

On Oct. 31, 2012, Beller did an interview with TMJ4’s Jermont Terry in a segment called Crack That Case. This is the only media coverage of Curry’s case to this day. But it shows how important media attention can be when it comes to the missing.

“When white people go missing, within 12 hours, you get news reports, helicopters, and all types of stuff,” said Wade. “When minorities go missing, it takes years for them to even put up a small article.”

Beller has worked with KPD for 24 years, and has served as a patrolman, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. When Beller was promoted to captain, Detective Vicente Correa took over the case and is still the current detective. Captain Beller is still involved in the investigation.

Detective Correa was born in Milwaukee and wanted to become a police officer after his parents witnessed an armed robbery.

Correa put himself through the Police Academy in 2000 and was hired by KPD as a patrolman in 2001. According to Correa, he had several run-ins with Curry before he went missing. Correa described Curry as cordial and never a threat to KPD.

“I believe that Curry going missing is under suspicious circumstances,” said Correa. “On its face, it looks like a racial issue, but I don’t believe it was.”

Correa said that KPD is still actively receiving and investigating tips for Curry’s case. “We have done as much as we can at this point, but we are still waiting for that last tip,” said Correa. The previous television story did generate important tips, police said.

KPD’s policy and procedure for the handling of missing persons as of 2003 states, “The Kenosha Police Department will investigate reports of missing persons to the fullest extent possible, with the intent to locate the person as soon as possible.”

Bobby Curry’s Troubled Past

Curry was born in 1978 in Waukegan, Illinois. According to Wade, Curry was very close to his mom, but he was rebellious as a child. His dad wasn’t around, but he did have a stepdad.

When Wade first met Curry, he was staying at the Columbus House Homeless Shelter with one of her sister’s friends. They were walking to her sister’s house, and Wade met Curry outside the house.

“Since the day he met me, he was always trying to get me. He was very relentless,” said Wade. For the next couple months, they just talked, but they were not in a relationship. Then he got locked up for a couple of months, and when he got out, they got reconnected.

“He was very sweet, and he had a heart of gold like he would help anybody,” said Wade.

According to Wade, he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, but he just kept going back to the streets. He drank alcohol occasionally but didn’t smoke or do any hard drugs.

Inside the home, when they first got together, he was caring and affectionate. He would provide for her and take care of her when she was sick. In a sense, he was “a woman’s dream.”

“He was just compassionate, like when we first started dating he would do anything,” said Wade. “He treated me like a queen.” 

Wade had a daughter from a previous relationship named Arianna. On Father’s Day in 2003, Wade had to go to the Emergency Room, so Curry stayed home to watch Arianna who was only 2 years old at the time.

While she was at the ER, the doctors told her she was pregnant with twins. She cried and immediately went home to tell Curry the news.

“Happy Father’s Day! You don’t have one, but you have two on the way!”

“He was happy with the biggest smile, and he almost started crying,” said Wade. “He was just ecstatic. That was my favorite memory of him.”

Throughout the pregnancy, she would get on his nerves about buying stuff for the twins. Curry did not have a job at the time, so he turned to other methods of making money.

“Bobby was loved, but he got into a lot of trouble,” said Correa.

Although KPD was not willing to release any police reports from the investigation of Curry’s case, as it’s ongoing, Media Milwaukee was able to receive several reports from his criminal history leading up to his disappearance to build a better timeline of events.

On Oct. 10, 2003, at 12:30 a.m. Curry went to Houston’s Tavern on 1925 45th St., allegedly with the intention of robbing it. He was wearing a black hoodie, blue-gray pants, and black shoes while carrying a 12-gauge shotgun and a Halloween mask from the movie “Scream,” reports say.

While Roy Houston, the owner of Houston’s Tavern, was closing the bar he saw the group walking onto his property. Worried about being in the bar by himself, Houston called the cops.

KPD Officer Strelow arrived on the scene, and observed Curry walking northbound. As they got out of their police car, Curry looked back at them and began running northbound. Strelow yelled, “Stop, police,” and gave chase on foot.

While running northbound, Curry threw the shotgun over a chain link fence, the reports say. Curry ran along the sidewalk, and then west between 4410 and 4404 19th Avenue, they say. Then Curry crossed the alley and jumped a red slotted fence in the yard of 2000 44th Place, according to the reports.

Strelow was approximately 4-5 yards behind Curry for the entire chase, the reports say. After about 10-15 seconds, Strelow saw Curry emerge from the north side yards on 44th Place, they note. Curry dropped his hoodie in front of 2000 44th Place and began walking westward on 44th Place, the reports say.

Strelow yelled, “Police, come here I need to talk to you,” and Curry calmly walked to Strelow. Strelow asked Curry for his ID, and where he was going, according to the reports.

Curry said he was coming from his friend’s house on 17th Avenue, and walking to his girl’s house. Strelow asked Curry why he would drop his hoodie, the reports say.

“I was just running around trying to scare some people, you know just having fun,” said Curry, according to the reports.

Curry had beads of sweat on his forehead and was breathing heavily. Curry said that he was warm from walking, but the temperature was cool, the reports note.

Strelow placed him under arrest for obstucting without incident. Strelow recovered the hoodie, and found a white Halloween mask from the movie “Scream”. About 10 feet east of the hoodie, Strelow found a pair of black cotton gloves.

Strelow found the 12 gauge shotgun 2-4 feet from the sidewalk. The shotgun was an older model bearing the numbers 211904 and 305900. KPD was unable to find a record of either of these possible serial numbers. The shotgun was not loaded.

Strelow did not read Curry his rights, and Curry did not want to make any statements at this time. Strelow did not observe any signs of drug use or intoxication from Curry.

At about 3 a.m. Strelow transported Curry to Kenosha County Jail, and he was held on state charges of Felon in possession of a Firearm-Felony, Disorderly Conduct while armed – $150 bond, and Obstructing – $300 bond. Curry was in custody throughout the rest of Wade’s pregnancy.

After Curry was taken into custody, several area residents said that they saw two to three other subjects run north and east, but they were unable to provide a description.

On Oct. 17th, Stephen Gulan went to KPD and met with Detective Glassman who showed him the 12-gauge shotgun. Gulan identified it as his 1897 Winchester 12-gauge shotgun that he had owned for at least 40 years. 

On Oct. 6, 2003, Gulan had reported a robbery at his business Park Liquor Store on 4924 7th Avenue. Gulan reported that his 1897 Winchester shotgun with a cyanide finish had been stolen. The shotgun was in his office behind a refrigerator before it was stolen.

Gulan had named another man as a suspect.

Wade had their two twins on Jan. 21, 2004, but they couldn’t tell her if they were fraternal or identical twins. She had to get DNA tests, and she found out that they are identical twins.

On June 17, 2004, Curry supplied further information about the people he had been with and their activities prior to his arrest. Through his attorney, he informed the D.A.’s office that there were others involved.

According to his statement Curry, Isaias Mares, and two other people met at the residence of Sandra Zamora. Zamora and Mares were allegedly talking about “doing a lick” and decided that they would rob Friendly Mart at 5301 17th Avenue, Curry said, according to the reports.

One of the other men said that Zamora was allegedly “calling the shots” in a statement to KPD. According to Curry’s statement, Zamora was the one allegedly telling Mares what she wanted done, pushing Mares along.

At the Friendly Mart, Zamora decided that there were too many people around to rob the place, the records allege. They allegedly returned after about 30 minutes, and began drinking again and hanging out.

They began talking about doing another lick around midnight, and they suggested Houston’s Tavern because the owner was an older man, the reports allege.

Mares is accused of grabbing a 12-gauge shotgun and two ski masks, the reports say. They drove to Houston’s Tavern and Mares, Curry, the two other people left the van. Zamora stayed in the van listening to a police scanner and would pick up the others if she heard anything concerning Houston’s Tavern, the reports allege.

Curry began to approach Houston’s Tavern, but it looked like it was closed. Curry heard the others talking and went back to them. They told Curry that there was a police squad there, the reports say.

After about an hour and a half, Zamora and Mares returned home, and they spoke with one of the men the following day. They were upset with Curry for getting caught, and they were hoping that Curry would not bring anyone else’s names into the case, the records allege.

Zamora and Mares were charged with Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery-Felony and were sentenced to three years of Initial Confinement and three years of Extended Supervision. Curry negotiated a plea, and was let out on Jan. 18, 2005, with five years of probation.

When Curry got out of jail, he didn’t immediately return home. A couple of days after he got out, Wade had to have emergency gallbladder surgery, and she couldn’t get Curry to watch the kids. For a couple of months, he was just doing his own thing, and Wade got angry with him.

“Obviously, when you’re in and out of jail, he had to get that energy out,” said Wade. “I think at some point, he probably would have come around.”

The last time Wade saw Curry was Easter night before he went to Erv’s Lounge. He stopped by the house to drop something off for their two kids, who would have been 1 year old. At that time, Wade was still angry at him for not being around.

“Did I want something bad to happen to him? Absolutely not, because at the end of the day he still had a good heart,” said Wade.

According to Wade, after Curry went missing, rumors spread that they would never find Curry.

“When he came up missing a couple months after he got out of jail,” there were theories that the motive for the disappearance was caught up in the robbery, but that has never been proven.

After Captain Beller took over the case, Zamora agreed to do a lie detector test and the results showed that she probably was not involved in Curry’s disappearance, police say.

What Curry Left Behind

According to Wade, she grew up in Kenosha and her parents were alcoholics and drug abusers. Due to their neglect, she was put up for adoption and she went through several foster homes.

“I was a troublemaker, so I’d run away a lot and get in trouble in school,” said Wade. “So that’s why I bounced around a lot.” 

Wade said that she has only been in contact with one of her foster families from when she was 11 years old. They almost adopted her, and she would have liked that, but her biological mom wouldn’t allow it. 

When she turned 16, Wade was supposed to go into an independent living program. Wade was in a foster home in Beaver Dam at the time, but the social worker sent her back home to her biological parents without the court’s permission. 

The court saw this mistake as Wade being reunited with her family, so they closed her case. Wade has been on her own ever since.

When Curry was arrested, Wade didn’t have any family or support system to help her through the pregnancy. When Wade had the twins on Jan. 21, 2004, Curry was still incarcerated until Jan. 18, 2005, when the twins were about to turn one.

The twins were also very hyper. One night, Wade had laid the twins down to take a nap while she went right next door to pick up her daughter Arianna from school. By the time she came back in, the twins were on top of the stove and had dumped sugar all over the floor.

When the twins were almost 3 years old, Wade made the final decision to put them up for adoption. 

“The boys needed something I couldn’t give them,” said Wade. “They needed more strict structure, but I couldn’t get them into a routine.”

When Wade went to court to finalize it, the judge on the stand knew her from when she was a kid in foster care. All of the social workers she had worked with throughout the years were also there. 

After the ruling was made, Wade was in tears. The judge left the stand and gave Wade a hug while they both cried.

“People would say to me, ‘You couldn’t even take care of your kids,'” said Wade. “But I did take care of them because I gave them what I couldn’t.”

After Wade put the twins up for adoption, she was able to pick their adopted family and she picked a family that had babysat the twins for her in the past. Wade kept a distant eye on them through school and community events during their foster care.

The adoptive family reached out to her a couple of years ago on Christmas Eve to ask if they could bring them over for Christmas. They had a million questions and she was honest with them about everything. She told them about her struggles and about their father.

“It’s very painful to know that he’s still out there, and not knowing what happened to him,” said Wade. “Figuring that out would not minimize the pain, but it can help us heal.”

Nowadays, Wade is attending Gateway Technical College in Kenosha to study Juvenile Justice. Wade has an Associate’s Degree in Human Services, a certificate in Child Welfare and Case Management, and is working towards a certificate in NODA.

Wade also works at Gateway Technical College as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Peer Advocate.

“My daughter is grown, and I am a Grandmother,” said Wade. “So now I actually have the time, I was able to put myself first. I’ve been excelling at it actually.”

Gateway is having a transfer fair soon, and Wade is looking at transferring to another college to complete her Bachelor’s Degree.

Unfortunately, Bertha Curry passed away in 2017, before she could see her son again.

“I have to prove this case,” said Detective Correa. “I feel like I’ve failed Bertha.”

If you have any information regarding Curry’s whereabouts please contact KPD’s Detective Bureau at 262-605-5203 or KPD’s 24-hour non-emergency line at 262-656-1234.

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This story is part of a semester-long investigative reporting project into missing people’s cases in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. It was created by an advanced reporting class in the Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies program at UW-Milwaukee. Other stories from the project are available here.