The son of a a Town of Byron man killed by a tractor could end up facing criminal charges in the death. Fond du Lac County District Attorney Dan Kaminsky says that’s after a jury at an inquest this week ruled their was probable cause that 26-year-old Michael Batterman committed second degree reckless homicide or homicide by negligent use of a motor vehicle.
Batterman ran over his 59-year-old father Lee Batterman last August, while driving a tractor on the family farm.
Kaminsky says the jury’s verdict is advisory and there are many other factors to consider in the case, including the emotional and financial suffering the son and Batterman’s family have gone through. However, he says the untimely death of Batterman is also a major concern.
Before the inquest was held this week, Kaminsky says he had his suspicions from the start. He says the description of Batterman’s death led him to believe it was something more than just a “pure accident. Michael Batterman has claimed his father failed to get out of the tractor’s way, and that he believed the man was playing a “game of chicken” with him.
Lee Batterman died as a result of complications from severe head injuries.