A 30-year-old man accused of killing his girlfriend's 1-year-old son last month on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation appeared in Sawyer County (Wis.) Court Monday.
Lonny Wayne Quagon is charged with first-degree reckless homicide and physical abuse of a child. He appeared via video conferencing for his initial appearance.
According to the criminal complaint, Quagon injured his girlfriend's child, William Hugh Fowler Jr., on more than one occasion. On May 5, the baby's mother saw Quagon toss the baby down onto the couch, the complaint said.
On May 7, the day the baby died, Quagon said he became angry with the child and, while the child was on its stomach, Quagon grabbed him by the arms and jerked him up, according to the complaint.
Quagon said he thought he had broken the child's arm, the complaint said.
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An autopsy revealed that the baby suffered two separate skull fractures, dislocations of both shoulders and both elbows, a broken back and massive internal bleeding.
A forensic pathologist determined the cause of death to be multiple traumatic injuries due to child abuse and ruled the death a homicide.
The baby's mother, Desiree Conger, works at the Lac Courte Oreilles tribal office. She declined to comment Monday.
Quagon remains in the Sawyer County Jail on $100,000 cash bond. His next court appearance, a scheduling conference, is set for Sept. 12.
