The U.S. Marshals Service is asking the public for help finding Lavell Nance, a Manitowoc man wanted on child abuse charges after he stopped showing up to court. Nance is accused of abusing children in a home where a three-year-old died in 2022, and officials say he is believed to be hiding somewhere in southeast Wisconsin.
According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, the case traces back to a Manitowoc home where police began investigating after a child was found unresponsive in 2022. The child was taken to a hospital with a medical condition and later died, a U.S. Marshal told the outlet. That death opened a broader criminal investigation at the same address, during which a criminal complaint says police found large amounts of MDMA and uncovered evidence of physical abuse against other children living there.
Court and police records reviewed separately show the same timeline from a different angle. Manitowoc Police arrested Nance and Catherine Carter on drug charges, including MDMA possession, in November 2022, after a search of Carter's home stemming from the October 6, 2022 death of a three-year-old boy, according to WHBY. Public memorial records identify that child as Christian Michael Walker, born September 15, 2019, to Carter and Nance, with funeral services held October 19, 2022, at Renew Church in Two Rivers before burial in Green Bay, per Legacy.com obituary listings.
Abuse Charges Separated From the Toddler's Death
The cause of Christian Walker's October 2022 death remained under investigation as court proceedings moved forward on separate child abuse and neglect charges against adults in the household. Those charges involved other children and were unrelated to his death.
Nance and a woman were charged with child abuse unrelated to the toddler's death, FOX6 reports, and the U.S. Marshal interviewed by the station described Nance's behavior toward the children as ongoing and fairly violent, saying his actions exceeded the standard for disciplining a child. Nance eventually stopped attending court, prompting a judge to issue an arrest warrant for him.
If captured and convicted, Nance faces consequences shaped by Wisconsin's child abuse statute. Under Wisconsin Statute § 948.03, intentionally causing bodily harm to a child is a Class H felony, while intentionally causing great bodily harm is a Class C felony carrying up to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
A Record of Prior Convictions and Distinctive Features
Nance already has convictions for armed robbery, battery by a prisoner, and drug offenses, per FOX6's report. He reportedly goes by the nickname Lil One, stands 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds. He has a noticeable scar across his neck and a tattoo on his right arm depicting a scroll bearing children's names, the station notes.
Earlier Hoodline reporting said a jury was seated in the trial of Timothy Hauschultz, charged in connection with the 2018 backyard death of his seven-year-old great-nephew after years of delays and rejected plea agreements.
Federal Task Force Leads the Search
The hunt for Nance falls under the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, which operates across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, pairing federal deputies with local police to track down violent felony fugitives and absconders. The task force's reach has produced large-scale results before: in July 2024, the Eastern District of Wisconsin Fugitive Task Force concluded Operation Big Top, arresting 260 violent crime suspects and absconders across urban areas in southeast Wisconsin, the same region where Nance is believed to be hiding.
Law enforcement in the Manitowoc area also has access to automated surveillance tools that could aid the search. Manitowoc and Two Rivers maintain a network of 30 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras along key transit corridors, which officers use to track fugitives, missing children, and suspects traveling between Manitowoc and Milwaukee, a tool detailed in prior Hoodline coverage of the camera network.
The U.S. Marshal who spoke with FOX6 said the public, and especially any children who may still be in Nance's presence, remain the primary concern driving the search. The marshal also urged Nance directly to take responsibility and present his side of the story. Anyone with information about Nance's location is asked to call the U.S. Marshals tip line at 414-297-3707; callers can remain anonymous.
