The Plaintiff’s, Charlie Neitzel and the families of Bradley Schultz, Lianne Thomas, Lindsey Stahl, and Katrina McCorkle in the case against the City of Crandon and Forest County, Forest County Case No. 08 CV 100, will file an appeal of Circuit Court Judge Mangerson’s decision to dismiss their case. As a result of this decision, the families of the slain innocent young adults and one seriously injured sole survivor have been denied their day in court. This decision allows the City of Crandon and Forest County to dodge any liability for hiring a mentally unstable officer. Plaintiff’s counsel, LawtonCates will file an appeal of this decision. Plaintiffs will seek their day in court and a return to the law the holds government liable for the wrongful acts of their employees.
The law requires that an officer be “free from any physical, emotional or mental condition which might adversely affect performance of duties as a law enforcement. . .officer.” Dr. Greist, a prominent psychiatrist, after reviewing the case and Tyler Peterson’s medical record, concludes that Tyler was not free from a mental condition at the time he was hired. Plaintiffs contend that this mental defect was a direct cause of the slaughter. Plaintiffs argue that the defendants had a duty to protect civilians from this mentally disturbed law enforcement officer. Several witnesses testified that Tyler was known for violating the law (investigated for statutory rape, underage drinking, violation of several DNR regulations, etc.), was engaging in stalking the target of his rage (his former girlfriend, Jordanne Murray), had abused her, and once hired as a police officer, developed a sense of being above the law and invincible: all signs of a mental disorder otherwise know as narcissism. Witnesses testified that the City of Crandon was made aware of his the domestic abuse which occurred only weeks before the slaughter and the stalking that occurred the weeks and days before he killed Jordanne Murray, Bradley Schultz, Lindsey Stahl, Lianne Thomas, Katrina McCorkle, and Ed Smith with the sole survivor, Charlie Neitzel, surviving only as a result of his playing dead. The murder weapon used in the incident was issued by the Forest County Sheriff’s Department as they assigned Tyler to the SERT team only months before he used the weapon in this violent rage. Despite this evidence, the court allowed the defendants to hide behind a technical legal defense.
