Judge rejects plea deal for Wisconsin man accused of murder in 7-year-old's abuse death

A courthouse is shown in an undated photo. (Pexels / Brett Sayles)

MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) — A judge has rejected a plea deal for a Wisconsin man accused of ordering a brutal punishment for his 7-year-old great nephew that led to the boy’s death.

Prosecutors charged Timothy Hauschultz, of Manitowoc, in 2019 with eight counts, including felony murder, child abuse and battery, in connection with Ethan Hauschutlz’s death on April 20, 2018.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors presented Judge Jerilyn Deitz with a deal Thursday that called for Hauschultz, 54, to plead guilty to two felony child abuse counts in exchange for prosecutors dropping the rest of the charges, according to online court records and a report from WLUK-TV.

Dietz balked at the reduction in charges and gave the two sides 30 minutes to come to a new agreement. When court resumed, Hauschultz’s attorneys again tried to persuade her to approve the original deal, saying it’s up to prosecutors to decide what charges to file. Dietz still refused to sign off and ordered Hauschultz’s trial to begin Tuesday.

According to a criminal complaint, Hauschultz ordered the boy to carry a 45-pound (20.4 kilogram) log around the family’s backyard for two hours a day for a week. He ordered his son, then-14-year-old Damian Hauschultz, to ensure Ethan completed the punishment.

When Ethan struggled to carry the log, Damian hit the boy about 100 times, according to the complaint. He also stood on the boy’s head while he was face-down in a puddle and packed him in 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of snow and left him in it for 20 to 30 minutes without a coat. Ethan died of hypothermia but also suffered extensive injuries.

Timothy Hauschultz and his wife, Tina McKeever-Hauschultz, were court-appointed guardians for Ethan but weren’t home when he died.

Damian Hauschultz pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2021. The 2nd District Court of Appeals rejected his appeal last year. He asked the state Supreme Court to review his case but the court denied the request in September.

McKeever-Hauschultz pleaded no contest to charges of failing to prevent mental harm to a child and child abuse that same year and was sentenced to five years in prison.

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This story has been updated to correct the date of Ethan Hauschutlz’s death.

The Associated Press