Naman Shrestha
Oxygen’s ‘Cold Justice: Newlywed Nightmare’ delves deep into the mysterious cold murder case of a married Navy veteran named David A. Vanderzee, who was killed inside his lakeside home in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. For more than two decades, the investigation led to nothing concrete until a testimony changed the course of the case and led to the arrest of the alleged killers. The documentary features all the intricate details of the investigation with the help of insightful interviews with the officials linked to the case.
David Vanderzee Was a Decorated Navy Veteran With Nearly 20 Years of Service
Allen and Geraldine Koukol Vanderzee welcomed David A Vanderzee on April 7, 1956, in Burlington, Illinois. He grew up in a warm and supportive household with his brother, Timothy, and sisters, Gay Griffin, Joanne, and Sue. The Vanderzee family shared a close-knit bond that only got deeper and stronger with time. David was a compassionate, bright, and hardworking individual who wanted to make the world a better place. Thus, it is no surprise that he became inclined towards serving the country at a young age. On January 3, 1974, just a few months shy of 18, David joined the Navy. He executed his duty in the engineering and mechanical department for nearly two decades, until he was finally discharged as a seasoned Machinist’s Mate First Class (MM1) on November 30, 1993.
For his dedication, expertise, and commitment during his tenure, the Navy honored David with the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Medal with a Star, the Navy “E” Ribbon, the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist award. On the professional front, he had also gained some experience working in the transportation and logistics sector, particularly for J.B. Hunt Trucking Co., Edwards Trucking Co., and Greg Pryor Trucking Co. David had always called Powers Lake in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, his home. It is likely also where he met, fell in love, and ultimately tied the knot with Roxanna Mutchler on July 26, 2003.
David Vanderzee Was Shot Multiple Times at His Residence
Alongside being a dedicated husband, David was a doting father to Katie, Philip, as well as his stepson, Raymond Morgan, and stepdaughters, Roxie Lomonaco and Ricki Sietz. He did his absolute best to support his family and be there for them. The outdoorsman found great joy in fishing, boating, and hunting. He also indulged in trap shooting from time to time. Aside from that, David was also involved with the Powers Lake Sportsmen’s Club as well as the Schultz-Hahn American Legion Post 293, Silver Lake. In addition, he took great pride in being a member of the All-Season Riders ATV Club, Elkhorn, and the Falcon Trailblazers Snowmobile Club, Paddock Lake. It seemed like everything was going well for the 47-year-old husband and father, who was leading a fulfilling life surrounded by a loving family.
However, things took a horrific turn on September 23, 2003. Per Roxanna, she returned home around 8 pm from a shopping trip to Gurnee, Illinois, and found her husband lying dead. With his face on the ground, David was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She asserted that she immediately called the authorities and rushed outside to her neighbors’ place until they arrived. Upon rushing to their residence near 391st Avenue and 90th Plaza in Genoa City in Kenosha County, the authorities determined he was hit multiple times by bullets that came from either .38 Special or .357 Magnum. Per reports, David was shot five times and died from the gunshot wounds he sustained to the back of his head.
David A. Vanderzee’s Killers Were Allegedly Someone Close to Him
In the initial phase of the investigation, the authorities interviewed David Vanderzee’s wife, Roxanna Vanderzee-Collins, who had allegedly gone shopping when he was killed. They suggested that she take a Certified Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA) examination in order to get herself eliminated as a potential suspect, but she declined. David’s friend, John Viskocil, was also interviewed, as he was one of the last people to see him alive on the fateful day. In an interview on October 9, 2003, he told the police that he was at David’s house for just a minute or so, around 2 pm on September 23. When asked about his alibi, he claimed that he had gone home and later went fishing around 6 pm.
As per John’s accounts, David was a controlling husband and possessed guns in the house. He also refused to take a CVSA examination. The detectives also interviewed John’s then-girlfriend, who claimed that he came home after 6 pm on the day of David’s murder, just a few minutes before the news of David’s death broke out. She also told the investigators that he broke up with her on the day of the funeral. As suspicions against John arose, they also searched his property on November 11, 2003, where Roxanna had been staying for a week or so. The police also found an antique gun, two .38 caliber revolvers, a box of .38 special caliber semi-wadcutters, a box of .38 special caliber bullets, and 32 long caliber bullets.
Two Accused Killers Are Currently Awaiting Their Trial
Upon digging deeper into Roxanne and John’s phone records, they learned that the two had been in touch between 7 am and 8 pm on the day of the incident. Nearly a decade later, John’s former girlfriend claimed that Roxanne and John seemingly had an ongoing affair at the time of David’s murder. The case remained cold for more than a decade, until she disclosed new information about John. In April 2025, when the detectives spoke to her again, she told them that she had seen the two suspects holding hands on the couch the day after the tragedy. When the investigators contacted John via phone, he said, “I have a lawyer if this pertains to that shooting case years ago.” He reportedly added, “Yeah, I guess it does, it looks bad, I know in a minute, ya know, I’m fishing. I had no real alibi other than I was out on the boat.” Considering all the circumstantial evidence against him and Roxanne, the police managed to obtain an arrest warrant for both of them.
Finally, on May 28, 2025, Roxanna and John were arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide as parties to a crime and the use of a dangerous weapon. While the former was held in custody in McHenry County Jail with a $75,000 cash bond, John was held in the Kenosha County Jail with a $500,000 cash bond. A couple of weeks later, on June 13, their defense attorneys filed a motion, appealing to the court to dismiss the charges against them. The attorneys stated, “It sets out lots of innuendo, but it does not set out facts and inferences that establish probable cause that they killed David Vanderzee.” Due to the appeal, the joint preliminary hearing for the accused was canceled. On the one hand, Roxanne posted her bail and got herself out of jail, but awaits her trial. On the other hand, John Viskocil seemingly remains behind bars, awaiting trial.
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