ST. CROIX COUNTY, Wis. - A Wisconsin father has been charged with murdering his son, a recent Tartan High School graduate.
Kayle Alan Fleischauer, 42, of New Richmond, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon in relation to the April 14 incident.
According to the criminal complaint, St. Croix County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to a New Richmond home shortly after 4 a.m. on a report of a shooting. They arrived to find 19-year-old Chase Fleischauer, of Oakdale, Minnesota, dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators say Kayle's daughter was in the home at the time of the incident. She told them she and Chase were staying with their father for the night to help plan the funeral of their grandfather, who recently passed. She mentioned Kayle was having trouble with the loss of his father. She said the three of them had dinner and drinks that night. She added she went to bed around 10 p.m., while Kayle and Chase stayed up.
According to the complaint, Kayle's daughter awoke to a loud noise coming from the living room/kitchen area. She ran upstairs to find her brother on the floor, bleeding from his head. Her dad was in a nearby hallway, not offering help. Chase died at the scene.
Investigators discovered Chase and Kayle were arguing earlier in the night. Chase's sister said her dad was picking on him for not protecting her. They also had a conversation about guns and she remembers her dad mentioning he had a gun, a Taurus semi-automatic, atop the fridge.
When deputies questioned Kayle, he was uncooperative. According to the complaint, Kayle's eyes were bloodshot, and he had slurred speech and difficulty keeping his balance.
"I'm going to tell you how it is ... I didn't kill my Chase," he told them, according to the complaint. He later taunted the investigators and exposed his genitals.
Investigators added it appeared Kayle had more blood on his right hand than his left. An autopsy found the fatal gunshot came from a distance of approximately 16 inches. Chase also had injuries consistent with an altercation.
When considering the possibility of suicide, Chase's sister said Chase would never harm himself, was very happy and was attending school. Chase was a member of the Central Lakes College football team last year.
Kayle Fleischauer was previously convicted of third-degree assault stemming from a 1994 incident. Kayle remains in the St. Croix County Jail awaiting a court appearance.
