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Man to be tried in dad’s death

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Jacob D. Newer

ELKHORN — The 27-year-old Lake Geneva man accused of beating his father, who later died, has been bound over for trial.

Jacob D. Newer, 27, N2020 County H, Lake Geneva, faces charges of felony battery with intent to cause bodily harm and disorderly conduct stemming from a fight he had with his 57-year-old father, David J. Newer, in February.

District Attorney Phil Koss earlier told The Janesville Gazette that his office was considering a reckless homicide charge against Jacob Newer pending autopsy results.

But that probably won’t happen now, he said.

Waukesha County Medical Examiner Lynda Biedrzycki testified at a preliminary hearing Wednesday that she couldn’t determine the cause of David Newer’s severe head injuries.

“Whether it was a fall of some kind, whether it was the result of being hit or pushed, she doesn’t know,” Koss said.

Detective Robert Craig of the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department testified Wednesday that Jacob and David were in a “tussle,” but the details are sketchy because both were drunk.

David died Feb. 28 from injuries authorities believe were inflicted by Jacob during a fight the two had at the Inn-B-Tween Motel, N1691 County H, between Pell Lake and Lake Geneva, according to the criminal complaint.

David was beaten sometime during the early morning of Feb. 26. Jacob and his uncle Frank Newer, David’s brother, took David to Aurora Lakeland Medical Center about 14 hours after the fight.

David sustained life-threatening injuries from bleeding on the brain and was unconscious. He was flown to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, where he died two days later.

Jacob Newer is expected to enter a plea at a hearing June 9.