7-Year-Old Boy Dies From Severe Punishment For Not Knowing Bible Verses

MANITOWOC, WI — Police report that a seven-year-old boy died in April as a result of being beaten, forced to carry a 44-pound log outdoors for two hours, and buried in the snow as punishment for failing to know Bible verses.

The boy’s two adult guardians and their teenage son now face multiple charges related to his death.

According to legal documents, Timothy Hauschultz, 48; and Tina McKeever-Hauschultz, 35; were the court-appointed guardians of Ethan Hauschultz, the seven-year-old victim. The couple also acted as guardians of Ethan’s two other siblings, including his twin brother.

After being arrested last Friday, Timothy Hauschultz has been charged with felony murder and five other counts of abuse. Tina McKeever-Hauschultz is charged with failing to prevent bodily harm and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

Damian Hauschultz, the couple’s 15-year-old son, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide and six other charges. Although Damian is a minor, he may be tried as an adult on some of the felony counts.

It is unknown how or if the accused were related to the dead child.

On April 20, 2018, Ethan Hauschultz was taken to an area hospital. He was unresponsive and had a dangerously low body temperature. Ethan was also allegedly covered with severe bruises and other injuries.

Doctors performed CPR and other life-saving measures, but Ethan died several hours after his arrival.

Following a postmortem exam, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner concluded that Ethan died of hypothermia. The report also noted that Ethan suffered blunt-force injuries to his head, chest, and abdomen, and he sustained a rib fracture. Police say the damage resulted from strenuous physical torment outdoors and prolonged environmental exposure, including being buried in the snow.

The Manitowac County Sheriff’s Office alleges that, as a penalty for not properly knowing 13 scripture passages, Timothy Hauschultz ordered Ethan to carry a 44-pound log (about two-third’s of the child weight) for two hours in a snowy area while not wearing boots or a coat. Fifteen-year-old Damian was reportedly ordered to supervise the punishment.

The criminal complaint claims that as Ethan struggled with his task, Damian allegedly hit, kicked, poked, and otherwise struck the seven-year-old about 100 times, occasionally using a belt or a stick.

In addition, Damian also allegedly rolled the log across Ethan’s chest, put Ethan face-down in a puddle and stood on him, and then buried the boy in a snow bank for more than 20 minutes.

The complaint specifically quotes Damian as saying he covered Ethan “in his own little coffin of snow.” Damian also reportedly said he struck Ethan’s twin, who was being similarly punished.

All three suspects are expected to appear in court in on Monday.

Read more: Newsweek, WDJT, WLUK