Man charged with brutal attack on UW-Madison student is expected to change plea

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The man charged in the brutal attack on a UW-Madison student last year plans to change his plea to guilty, according to a letter filed by his attorney.

Brandon Thompson, 27, is scheduled for a new hearing Thursday, according to court records. Thompson is charged with first-degree sexual assault, first-degree reckless assault and strangulation and suffocation. He previously pleaded not guilty to these charges.

The letter from Thompson’s attorney said prosecutors had already been informed of his intention to change his plea.

The brutal and sexual assault on a woman occurred in the early morning of September 3, 2023, leaving her fighting for her life. In the criminal complaint filed against Thompson, a Madison Police Department sergeant who was one of the first officers on the scene of the downtown attack described the victim’s injuries as “one of the most horrific things I have ever seen.”

According to the complaint, Thompson denied remembering sexually abusing her. but admitted he could have done it. According to the prosecution, he continued: “The only thing I remember is that I hit.”

The complaint goes on to say that Thompson told investigators: “[s]He encountered a monster.”

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