In Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a judge has dismissed a plea agreement for Timothy Hauschultz, a 54-year-old man accused of orchestrating a severe punishment that led to the death of his 7-year-old great-nephew, Ethan Hauschultz. The incident occurred on April 18, 2018, and resulted in multiple charges against Hauschultz, including felony murder, child abuse, and battery, as per the criminal complaint filed in 2019.
Hauschultz was scheduled to go on trial for his alleged crimes starting on Tuesday. However, during a court hearing, attorneys presented a plea deal to Judge Jerilyn Deitz, proposing that Hauschultz would plead guilty to two counts of felony child abuse. In return, the prosecutors would drop the remaining charges against him. Despite the negotiation, Judge Deitz expressed her disapproval of the reduced charges and opted to give both sides an additional 30 minutes to reach a new agreement.
Upon returning to the courtroom, Hauschultz's legal team attempted to persuade Judge Deitz to accept the original deal, arguing that the decision on which charges to file rests with the prosecutors. Nevertheless, the judge remained steadfast in her refusal and mandated the trial to commence as initially scheduled.
The details surrounding Ethan's tragic death highlight the severity of the punishment he endured, which was orchestrated by Timothy Hauschultz as a reaction to the boy's failure to memorize 13 Bible verses adequately. Hauschultz had ordered the child to carry a 45-pound log around the backyard for two hours daily for a week. Furthermore, he instructed his then-14-year-old son, Damian Hauschultz, to oversee Ethan's compliance with this punishment.
As Ethan struggled to carry the log, Damian allegedly inflicted further brutality, striking the boy approximately 100 times. The abuse escalated as he reportedly stood on Ethan's head while the boy was face-down in a puddle and wrapped him in 80 pounds of snow, leaving him exposed for 20 to 30 minutes without a coat. Ultimately, Ethan succumbed to hypothermia, suffering extensive physical injuries as a result of the abuse.
At the time of Ethan's death, Timothy Hauschultz and his wife, Tina McKeever-Hauschultz, were assigned as the child's legal guardians but were not home when the incident occurred. Following the tragic event, Damian Hauschultz accepted a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide, resulting in a 20-year prison sentence handed down in 2021. Meanwhile, Tina McKeever-Hauschultz entered a no-contest plea regarding charges associated with failing to prevent mental harm to a child and child abuse, receiving a five-year prison sentence that same year.
The case underscores the disturbing circumstances surrounding Ethan Hauschultz's death and raises critical questions regarding oversight and the protection of vulnerable children from abusive guardians.
