Wisconsin Law Blog

Here we have two cases of Wisconsin men involved in incidents where they each punched someone, killing the men they assaulted. Fists can be deadly weapons even for those who aren’t professional boxers.

A Milwaukee man was convicted Monday for killing another man that he punched in the head outside a bar. The victim, a father of five daughters, fell and struck his head on the ground, later dying.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/85012457.html

Daniel Curry, 22, was found guilty of felony murder charges by a jury in the death of Michael Ward, 40. The crime took place in July at the Ugly Mug Pub & Grill.

Two other defendants still face charges stemming from the incident, namely Robert Kochanski, 23, of Menomonee Falls and Paul Kaiser, 24, of Milwaukee.

Ward was an innocent bystander to a fight when he was struck by Curry. At the bar’s closing time, Kochanski was leaving the establishment when he, without provocation, allegedly hit a man in the head twice.

Then Kochanski and his group allegedly started harassing Ward, his wife, and two of their friends were also leaving the Ugly Mug.

One of Ward’s friends, David Mathe, walked over to Kochanski’s group and told it to stop making remarks. As Mathe left, Kochanski allegedly punched him in the head twice and knocked him unconscious.

Kochanski and Curry’s group then allegedly beat a man who was trying to call 911 for help. About this time, Curry hit Ward in the head. Ward fell and hit his head on the street. He died the next day at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.

Both Kochanski and Kaiser are scheduled to plead guilty to second-degree reckless injury charges in the case.

In a second case that’s similar to Ward’s death, on Monday a Racine man got seven years in prison for punching a teacher in the head who – like Ward — also fell and hit his head and died.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/84998787.html

Martin Walker, 21, was sentenced for felony murder in the death of Colin Byars, 24, a year ago.

Authorities said that Walker punched Byars, a middle school teacher, in the face. Byars fell and hi this head.