A Wisconsin man has been charged with reckless homicide in the murder of his 9-year-old stepson.
Steven Merkel, 52, appeared in court on Tuesday, when he was given a $250,000 bond, WDJT reported.
The Town of Geneva police received a report of a shooting on Monday morning. They discovered a boy who had been shot and promptly transported him to a hospital, where he unfortunately passed away.
In court on Tuesday, Walworth County District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld noted Merkel’s lengthy criminal history.
“Convictions for telephone harassment, assault, battery, those go back into the 90s but he does have an ongoing record,” said Wiedenfeld.
While WDJT did not disclose the boy’s identity or his connection to Merkel, WISN revealed that the child was named Michael Meagher. The police visited the residence around 2 a.m. on Monday.
Wiedenfeld mentioned that he plans to press official charges against Merkel during the upcoming court session on Thursday. Further details regarding the incident will be provided during that time.
A GoFundMe for Michael’s family describes him as a “bright funny boy” and said he had two sisters.
