Scott Farmer appears in Waupaca County Court Dec. 26, 2023. (Image courtesy Waupaca County Courts/Zoom)
WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — It was 11 months ago that four Waupaca County siblings were killed in a wrong-way drunken driving crash, and later this week, the man convicted in their deaths will learn his fate.
In August, Scott Farmer pleaded no contest to four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle for the crash that took the lives of the Gonzalez siblings: Daniel, 25; Fabian, 23; Lilian, 14; and Daniela, 9.
A judge also found Farmer guilty of his fifth operating while intoxicated offense.
Ahead of Farmer’s sentencing hearing Friday morning, dozens of letters have been submitted to the court — some in support of Farmer and others on behalf of the Gonzalez family.
The Neenah man is facing decades in prison for the December 2023 quadruple-fatal crash on Highway 10. It’s a crime he took responsibility for almost immediately following his arrest.
During a court appearance in January, Farmer said, “I just wanted to tell them that I’m very sorry for what happened, for their losses, and that day, I wish I would have lost my life instead of them.”
At the time, his wife, Jamie Farmer along with other family members, wrote letters of support to the court, telling the judge Farmer was an alcoholic who needed help.
His wife said, “We are not asking you to not have him serve time. We are just asking for you to consider the amount of time you would be giving him.”
A check of public records in the Waupaca County Clerk of Court’s office showed more than a dozen letters were submitted to the judge on Farmer’s behalf since his arrest.
His father said, “I am proud to be able to call him my son” and added that Farmer is caring and thoughtful, but he has demons — referring to his alcoholism.
A co-worker, who said he’s not defending Farmer’s actions with regard to the crash, called him a ‘I’ll give you the shirt off my back type of guy.’
The same public records search showed nearly 80 letters submitted to the judge from family, friends, teachers and classmates of the Gonzalez siblings.
A woman from the funeral home that handled the siblings’ arrangements wrote about the community’s grief. Even total strangers expressed how the crash and death of the siblings impacted them and the community.
Ronald Pehlke wrote, “I hope and pray that you will bring to bear the full force of your bench when it comes to sentencing. Please send a clear message to all regarding this type of action.”
Lilian was a student at Weyauwega-Fremont High School when she died. Daniela attended the elementary school. District officials wrote letters to the court, talking about the overwhelming psychological impact of the crash.
A classmate of Lilian wrote, “I ask that the man responsible for this terrible tragedy in not only my life, but my community’s, pay the consequences for his actions. I ask for the maximum sentencing possible.”
One of Daniela’s teacher echoed those sentiments, asking the judge to “think of all of the little Daniela’s who might be protected because this individual would be deterred from making another bad choice.”
Sisters Farah Krueger and Shelby Strahl, who say they witnessed the aftermath of the crash and tried to comfort the Gonzalez siblings as they died on Highway 10, also submitted a letter.
Speaking directly to Farmer, they wrote, “My hope is that you get to live the rest of your days behind bars. Life with no parole. I hope you will dread everyday of your life as you think about the children you murdered.”
While some in the letters offered forgiveness, all expressed a desire for the maximum sentence. It’s a decision that will be left up to the judge Friday.
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