MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – A man facing multiple charges related to the 2018 death of seven-year-old Ethan Hauschultz is seeking to bring in an outside jury for his trial due to pre-trial publicity.
Court records show that 54-year-old Timothy Hauschultz appeared in court Friday with his attorney to file the motion. The defense argued that intense media coverage would make it difficult to seat an impartial jury from Manitowoc County.
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Earlier this year, Hauschultz was set to plead guilty to two counts of party to a crime—child abuse, intentionally causing harm. Under the proposed plea deal, several charges, including felony murder, contributing to delinquency resulting in death, contributing to delinquency (felony), and additional child abuse and battery charges would have been dismissed but read into the record.
However, the victim’s family opposed the plea agreement, and the judge ruled it was not in the public’s best interest. Despite defense efforts to negotiate a compromise, the deal was ultimately rejected.
Hauschultz still faces multiple felony charges, including:
- Felony Murder
- Intent. Contribute/Delinquency (Death)
- PTC Child Abuse-Intentionally Cause Harm
- PTAC, as a Party to a Crime
- Intent. Contribute/Delinquency (Felony)
- PTC Child Abuse-Intentionally Cause Harm
- Party to a Crime
- PTC Child Abuse-Intentionally Cause Harm
- PTAC, as a Party to a Crime
- PTC Battery
- Party to a Crime
- PTC Battery
- PTAC, as a Party to a Crime
The charges stem from an incident in which Ethan was reportedly forced to carry a heavy log as punishment. Police say while doing so, he was kicked, hit, and knocked to the ground by Timothy’s then-15-year-old son, Damian Hauschultz. Damian allegedly rolled the log on top of Ethan and buried him in the snow, leading to the child’s death.
At the time, Timothy Hauschultz was Ethan’s legal guardian.
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Damian Hauschultz was sentenced in 2021 to 20 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision for his role in the death. Tina McKeever-Hauschultz, who was also involved, served five years in prison and was released to extended supervision in January 2024.
Timothy Hauschultz will be back in court on May 28 for a scheduling conference. His pre-trial conference is on September 4 before his eight-day jury trial starting on October 1.
