Two men charged with stringing an 18 year-old man up like a deer while he was savagely mauled by a dog will go to trial in Fond du Lac County Court.
Judge Richard Nuss bound 58 year-old Richard Lisko of Campbellsport and 43 year-old Joel Kennedy Sr. of New Berlin over for trial during a preliminary hearing on Friday. The men are accused of trussing up Kennedy’s son at Lisko’s farm while an 80 pound pit bull attacked the youth on August 31st. Lisko accused the teen of stealing 110 morphine pills from him. The teen was attacked twice in Lisko’s home and six more times while he was bound. Sheriff’s Deputy Pete Vergos testified that Kennedy knew what was going on when the dog attacked his son, and allowed it to happen.
“I definitely believe he knew that his son was being attacked by a dog,” said Vergos. “His son advised me that he was present during the attacks.” Judge Nuss said Kennedy’s role in the dog attack was deplorable. “I don’t know how a dad can call himself father under those some circumstances,” said Nuss. “It’s deplorable. And to suggest that doesn’t rise to the level of party to a crime? Sorry. Try to tell twelve people in a box that. You aren’t going to convince me of that.”
Judge Nuss also quashed an effort to call the victim of the attack as a witness for the defense. “I will not let this turn into a sideshow,” the judge said. “You aren’t going to have two seconds of his time, all right? I’m going to quash the subpoena for that individual, he’s not going to testify. If you don’t like it, appeal it.” Nuss denied motions to reduce Lisko’s $100,000 and Kennedy’s $50,000 cash bonds.
Bob Nelson, KFIZ
