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| Quagon takes plea in Baby Bill trial |
admin writes, "By Joe Morey
Originally charged with first-degree homicide, Lonny Quagon pled guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree reckless homicide, following three days of jury trial in Sawyer County Circuit Court.
Quagon, 32, pled guilty, Oct. 8, to the charge of causing the death of his girlfriends one-year old son, William Fowler, Jr., better known to loved ones as “Baby Bill,” on May 7, 2007, at the residence they shared with his father in Signor."
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The original charge of first-degree homicide would have carried a maximum penalty of 60 years in a state prison, but the lesser charge carries a maximum of 25 years.
Under a plea agreement for the lesser charge, both Quagon’s attorney and the prosecuting attorney, Thomas Van Roy, are asking that Quagon receive 8 years in the state prison followed by 10 years of supervision, for a total sentence of 18 years, with credit for time served.
Sawyer County Circuit Judge Norman Yackel ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be performed by the Department of Corrections. He also set a sentencing date for 1:00 pm, Friday, November 21.
The jury trial began on Monday, Oct. 6, and was expected to last through Friday, but ended on Wednesday after 2 ½ days of emotional testimony.
During the opening statement from Thomas Van Roy, he said that Quagon became the primary caregiver of the child beginning in March of 2007 while Desiree Conger, Baby Bill’s mother, worked and attended school. In late March and early April, bruises began appearing on the child and Desiree asked Lonny about that and he provided an explanation that she accepted.
On May 7, at 7:45 am, Lonny found the baby dead on a couch in the living room, and alerted the mother. Because there was no phone in the residence, Van Roy said they drove to relatives in Reserve to call for an ambulance. Among those responding was Sheriff’s investigator Gary Gillis, who observed numerous bruises on the baby’s body.
Gillis’ report indicated that he interviewed Desiree in May of 2007, and that she had said that she awoke during the night of May 5 and observed Lonny tossing the baby onto the couch. Lonny had denied being rough with the child and he told her he, “just set the baby down.”
Desiree told Gillis that she observed a change in him when he awoke on May 6. He was unusually quiet and slept a lot. “He would just stare off when awakened and did not want to move,” she said. Desiree suggested they take the baby to the hospital but Lonny said he would be okay and that he did not want the baby to be seen.
Monday’s testimony included Dr. Michael McGee, a medical examiner based out of St. Paul, who performed the autopsy on the child's body. He testified that, based on the results, the child died, "at the hands of someone else."
When the child was examined last year, McGee said that he found two separate skull fractures, massive internal bleeding in the arms and chest area, over 20 bruises, and a disjointed elbow.
"How can I explain all of these injuries? This is a child abuse case, a classic battered child case," McGee testified.
But the defense argued the child's internal chest hemorrhage, one of the more serious injuries, was the result of an act trying to save the life of an already unresponsive baby. The defense attorney testified, it was the tragic outcome of CPR performed incorrectly.
Four women, one of whom wore a tee shirt that read, “Justice for Baby Bill,” sat behind Van Roy and wept during the testimony of McGee.
Baby Bill’s mother, Desiree Conger, age 20, testified on Tuesday, Oct. 7, that up until March of 2007, Bill was a happy, healthy child. According to her, the turning point came after her then-boyfriend Lonny Quagon, took over as the child's primary caregiver.
Conger said she saw physical changes in the child, including bruises and cuts. She said he started crawling on his forearms, rather than his hands, a result of a fracture, she later learned. She also testified that Bill had two "seizures type episodes" in the week before he died.
Conger also said she noticed a mental shift in Bill. She said her son became quiet and withdrawn, especially in the days right before he died.
"You could just see it in his face, and tell that he was different. He looked like he was lost. He was just staring off at the wall," Conger said.
On the morning he was found unresponsive, EMTs tried to revive him, but it was already too late.
"I just wanted them to bring Bill back," Conger said.
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Posted on Oct 24, 2008 15:43pm.
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