WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ) – A suspect charged with making a homemade cannon that exploded and killed a man, has been sentenced to probation.
43-year old Kenneth Niemer pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of endangering safety use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.
A felony negligent homicide charge was dismissed and the sentence did not include any jail time.
Niemer was one of three men arrested after they lit a can of WD-40 inside a steel pipe “cannon,” that exploded and killed another man at a town of DuPont home back in May, according to the complaint.
“Niemer indicated he had brought a pipe, that he had manipulated with a plug welded onto the bottom, over to the party. He described the device as a “cannon”. He indicated “we dumped shotgun powder in the tube. We lit it once and it just flared up. We did it again but this time we used some paper toweling and put it in the pipe with a stick. We all stood by the fence. (The victim) was standing by the side of the camper. When it went off, he landed on the ground,” the complaint states.
First aid efforts were unsuccessful. Casperson died of a “penetrating fragment wound of abdomen” with a steel fragment removed during the autopsy, the complaint says.
Scott Mattes and Robert Mattes are also charged for the May 26 blast at a home in town of DuPont which killed Paul Casperson. Both of the Mattes are expected in court Friday for plea hearings.
