A 7-Year-Old Boy Died After Being Buried in Snow as Punishment — Now His Great-Uncle Is on Trial

A heartbreaking Wisconsin case has returned to court, where a young man’s testimony has shed new light on the final hours of 7-year-old Ethan Hauschultz. The child died in April 2018 after being buried under snow during a punishment at his family’s home. Now, his great-uncle, Timothy Hauschultz, is standing trial over allegations that he directed the discipline that ultimately turned fatal.

Damian Hauschultz, now 22, testified on October 14 that he was 14 when the incident happened. He had been left in charge of Ethan, Ethan’s twin brother and their younger sister while Timothy and his wife went out to run errands. According to testimony, the children had been ordered to carry heavy pieces of wood around the backyard as punishment for failing to memorize Bible verses. Ethan, who weighed about 62 pounds, was assigned a log weighing approximately 44 pounds.

As the task continued, Ethan and his twin brother began struggling. Damian told the court that he tried to make them keep moving by pushing, slapping, kicking and striking them with a branch. Ethan eventually put the log down and lay on the ground, appearing unable or unwilling to continue. Damian said he called his stepfather to report that Ethan was not moving as expected, but the situation took a far more disturbing turn after he returned outside.

Damian testified that he began covering Ethan with handfuls of snow, believing the child might get up and move if he was buried. He then used a shovel to cover him more completely, from head to toe. Recalling the scene, Damian told the court, “I believe I left a little spot for his head or something.” In earlier interviews with investigators, he had described the snow covering as a “snow coffin.”

Ethan remained beneath the snow for about 20 minutes. Damian said he eventually realized the boy should have emerged by then and tried to uncover him. He testified that Ethan felt stiff and appeared seriously wrong. Alarmed, he called his mother and stepfather again, urging them to return home immediately. When they arrived, they reportedly tried to warm the child with a bath and warm clothing before taking him to a hospital. Ethan could not be saved. Medical examiners later determined that he died from hypothermia.

The central question at Timothy Hauschultz’s trial is how much responsibility he bears for the punishment and the events that led to Ethan’s death. Prosecutors allege that Timothy directed the discipline, even though he may not have been present when the fatal abuse occurred. The defense has argued that Timothy told Damian to stop pressing Ethan during an earlier phone call and that the teenager ignored that instruction, continuing on his own.

Damian is already serving a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree reckless homicide in Ethan’s death. His testimony now places him at the center of the prosecution’s account of what happened that day, while jurors must weigh his statements against other evidence and the defense’s arguments. The case revisits a devastating loss that began with a punishment and ended with the death of a child who was only seven years old.

Source: Court TV