Owen Backus sentenced to 24 years in prison for Green Bay homicide

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A Green Bay man convicted of second-degree intentional homicide in March was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Monday.

Owen Backus was originally charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide in the death of Michael Hubbard, who Backus claimed attacked him inside his own home. The jury convicted him on March 14 of second-degree intentional homicide, a lesser charge.

During a court hearing on Monday, the judge sentenced Backus to 24 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision.

Authorities said Backus changed his story a number of times during the investigation but each time said he killed Hubbard in self-defense.

The criminal complaint says Backus initially claimed Hubbard broke into his house and attacked him and he knocked Hubbard unconscious with a beer pitcher and tied him up.

Backus then said he was in the shower when Hubbard broke in and attacked him with a wrench. Again, Backus said he didn’t want to hurt Hubbard but his attacker was “relentless.”

The complaint goes on to say his story changed again in phone calls recorded at jail, with Backus saying he came home and found Hubbard in his home rearranging things so he could paint. Backus said he didn’t approve, but he went to take a shower and Hubbard attacked him. The jail calls made it clear Hubbard and Backus knew each other. Backus still said it was self-defense.

Police found Hubbard face down with two cords wrapped tightly around his neck and a T-shirt wrapped around his face. Backus insists Hubbard was alive and had a pulse when he left.

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