Daunte Riley (Photo courtesy Winnebago County Sheriff's Office)
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Daunte Riley was convicted Wednesday for the stabbing murder of Walter Brooks at an Oshkosh park on July 5.
Riley, 20, pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide. Sentencing is set for May 7, court records show.
With the reduction of the charge from intentional to reckless homicide, the punishment changes from a mandatory life prison to a maximum of 60 years in the prison system.
Prosecutors will recommend 25 years in prison, with 10-to-15 years of extended supervision. The defense can argue for whatever sentence it sees fit, court documents show.
According to the criminal complaint, there was an altercation between two groups at a pavilion. At one point, a man sprayed bear mace into the crowd.
Later, two cars carrying Riley and Brooks met up. The versions of what police were told vary, but some include that Brooks had a gun at one point. However, no physical evidence of a gun was found at the scene and witness video of the confrontation showed no sign of anyone having a gun.
According to one witness:
As they were leaving, (Brooks) had stepped in front of the vehicle stopping it from leaving. (The witness) said that (Brooks) was mentioning fighting with another individual inside the vehicle. (The witness) said Daunte stepped out of the vehicle to fight (Brooks). (The witness) said he saw Daunte with the knife in his hand and that Daunte punched/stabbed (Brooks). (The witness) said that Daunte got back in the vehicle and (the witness) saw the bloody knife. As they were driving away, (the witness) said that he saw (Brooks) crash his vehicle,” the complaint states.
In their review of witness video, investigators said:
The only obvious physical contact seen in this video between Daunte and (Brooks) occurs when Daunte jabs at (Brooks) when (Brooks) first approaches. There is a short period of time, a few seconds, where neither (Brooks) nor Daunte are seen on the video as they approached the rear of the vehicle as (a witness) turned to exit the vehicle before focusing the video back towards the rear of the vehicle. However, at the point where the video pans back towards the rear of the vehicle, (Brooks) is already a ways away from the vehicle and appears to be trying to run away while Daunte continues to chase him, with (a witness) encouraging Daunte to do so. At no point did Detective Brickham observe any firearms nor hear anything that sounds like gunshots,” the complaint states.
The complaint does not include any comments from Riley.
Brooks died of a single stab wound to the heart, according to the autopsy.
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