A Racine County man will spend 40 years in prison for putting his girlfriend’s son in scalding hot water, leading to the child’s death in 2013.
It’s the maximum penalty allowed in the case of 28-year-old Marcus Johnson, who was also given 10 years of extended supervision by Judge Michael Piontek. Johnson was originally charged with first degree intentional homicide in the death of 3-year-old Hunter Wise, but pleaded guilty in August to a lesser charge of reckless homicide.
Racine police reports indicated the child had endured numerous injuries, including burns to his buttocks, which occurred when he was dipped in the bathtub of hot water, allegedly as punishment for soiling his pants.
Tom Karkow, WRJN