Wisconsin man forces a boy to carry a 44-pound log for hours. Then he returns to find the child buried in snow

A jury in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, reached a verdict this week regarding the death of a 7-year-old child. Timothy Hauschultz, who is 56, was found guilty of four out of six charges, including child neglect resulting in death and party to a crime of physical abuse of a child. Following the decision on October 21, 2026, the judge denied a request for the defendant to remain free on bond.

As reported by Court TV, he was handcuffed and taken into custody immediately. Judge Carey Read noted, “We’ve gone from a posture of allegations to a posture of convictions,” when rejecting the defense attorney’s request to keep Hauschultz out of jail until his sentencing.

The events that led to this conviction go back to 2018. At that time, Timothy Hauschultz and his wife had custody of three children, including twin boys who were 7 years old. The household also included the couple’s own two children, the eldest being a 14-year-old boy named Damian. Prosecutors stated that the defendant frequently subjected the children to harsh discipline, which included forcing them to carry heavy logs around the backyard for hours.

Instead of correcting the children’s wrongdoings, the supposed discipline got out of hand

On April 20, 2018, the situation turned fatal while Timothy Hauschultz and his wife were away running errands. They had left Damian in charge of ensuring the twins finished their assigned punishment. One of the twins, Ethan, weighed 62 pounds and was forced to carry a 44-pound log. During this ordeal, the boy collapsed. Damian called his father to report that Ethan was refusing to continue the walk. Following that call, Damian beat the child and buried him in several inches of snow.

When the adults returned home, they found Ethan cold and stiff. The family tried to warm him inside the house, but he was eventually taken to a hospital. Medical staff recorded his core body temperature at 74 degrees, and his death was ruled a result of hypothermia.

Years passed, and Damian is now defending himself.

During the trial, Damian Hauschultz, who is now 22, testified about his role in the incident. He had previously pleaded guilty to reckless homicide. While he admitted that his father ordered the log-carrying punishment, he stated that he was not told to hit the child or bury him in the snow. The defense attorney, Donna Kuchler, focused on this testimony during her closing argument.

She argued that the responsibility for the death rested with Damian rather than her client. Kuchler told the jury, “[Ethan] didn’t die because he was required to carry wood. It was Damian’s violence toward Ethan that caused his death. And there’s nothing in this record whatsoever that Tim instructed Damian to impose physical discipline on Ethan.”

Despite these arguments, the jury convicted Timothy Hauschultz on the majority of his charges. Judge Read ordered a presentence investigation to take place before the next court date. The sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for January 15, 2027.

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