In a case that stretches back over three decades, Ronald Schroeder has been found guilty by a Milwaukee County jury for the death of his infant daughter Catherine in 1991. The verdict was reached after the jury deliberated following closing arguments yesterday, as reported by FOX6 News.
The prosecution argued that Schroeder, previously known under his alter ego 'Silly the Clown', was responsible for the abuse and death of his 7-week-old baby, a claim the jury evidently found convincing. Charged with first-degree reckless homicide and physical abuse of a child, the defendant faced eyewitness testimony from former partners who chronicled abusive behavior. According to JSONLINE, while resting their case, the state brought forth medical evidence redefining the cause of Catherine's death from shaken baby syndrome to blunt force trauma.
The defense team challenged the lack of new evidence in the case, emphasizing that past negative behaviors should not implicate Schroeder in a legal judgment of death caused thirty years ago. "There is nothing new that points to Schroeder killing his daughter," the defense argued, as described in FOX6 News. Moreover, Schroeder did not take the stand, citing pending charges in Waukesha as a contributing factor.
Drawing to a close, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Torbenson presented what they called a "signature of abuse," framing the narrative of a man who believed he wouldn't be held accountable for his actions. Despite the assertion from the defense that one's past does not prove current guilt, "He was. OK, that's not in dispute. That can't be used to convict him. You need the evidence," Charles Glynn, Schroeder's defense attorney stated according to a statement obtained by WISN, the jury's decision ultimately found the evidence sufficient for a guilty verdict.
The case resurfaced after initially getting cold, with investigators reopening the investigation in 2021, leading to charges. Jurors deliberated for roughly an hour and a half yesterday, as said by WISN, before requesting to see evidence again and reconvening the following day to arrive at their conclusion.
