HUDSON, Wis. – On March 3, 2020, Kayle A. Fleischauer was found guilty by a jury of second-degree reckless homicide while armed for the killing of his adult son, Chase A. Fleischauer in the second trial of the matter. After the first conviction in 2019, the court found juror misconduct had occurred during the deliberations, declared a mistrial and the matter had to be retried. The trials were presided over by St. Croix County Judge Scott Needham. Today, Kayle was sentenced to 37 years imprisonment.

“Thank you to the investigators and prosecutors for their significant efforts to get justice in this case, as well as to the state crime labs, whose work was critical to this conviction,” said Attorney General Kaul. “Because of their work, a person who committed a horrific crime is being held accountable.”

During court today, the judge also convicted the defendant of the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm during a stipulated bench trial.

Second-degree reckless homicide while armed carries a penalty of up to 30 years of imprisonment or up to a $100,000 fine or both. Being a felon in possession a firearm carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment. The prosecutors requested a maximum possible sentence of 40 years imprisonment for all crimes.

At the sentencing hearing on June 5, 2020 at ., after extensive arguments by both sides and statements from Chase’s family members, Judge Needham sentenced Kayle Fleischauer to a $10,000 fine and 22 years in prison, followed by 15 years extend supervision (for a total imprisonment of 37 years).

The evidence presented at trial established that on April 14, 2018, Kayle Fleischauer killed Chase Fleischauer. Chase died of a gunshot wound to the head. The prosecution presented extensive evidence of the beating to which Chase was subjected by the defendant, his father, before Chase was shot, and of the defendant’s defiant and obstructive conduct towards the police investigating at his house immediately after the shooting, demonstrating that he was the murderer.

The conviction resulted from the investigation conducted by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office, New Richmond Police Department, Ramsey County Medical Examiner, and Wisconsin State Patrol. New Richmond Emergency Medical Services also assisted.

DNA, firearms, and fingerprints were analyzed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Forensic Sciences, with extensive assistance from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory Crime Scene Response Team.

The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant Attorney General Bob Kaiser of the DOJ Division of Legal Services Criminal Litigation Unit and St. Croix County Assistant District Attorney Erica Ellenwood. They were assisted by DOJ Paralegal Jackie Righter and St. Croix County Victim/Witness Advocate Pam Bellrichard.