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David A. Heisz of Gays Mills, Wis., told authorities he has little memory of what happened that morning after the altercation started, saying, “maybe I lost it,” according to the criminal complaint.
Heisz, 26, could face up to 60 years in prison if convicted of first degree reckless homicide in the death of Kelly Kuykendall, 50, a Beloit resident who owned a cabin in the Readstown area.
Vernon County District Attorney Timothy Gaskell, who filed the charges, said at a bail hearing Feb. 11 that since Heisz has two previous felony convictions, another 15 years could be added to his sentence.
Cousin Mikeal E. Heisz, 28, also of Gays Mills, was charged as well today with battery and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.
The incident began early Feb. 7 when Mikeal Heisz and Kuykendall got into a brief argument at Pat’s Corner Bar in Readstown, after Kuykendall made a negative comment about the Heisz family, according to the criminal complaint.
Both Heisz cousins were enraged by what Kuykendall said, according to the complaint.
“Mike then confronted Kelly physically by either pushing him or punching him, at which point Kelly fell backwards on the bar floor,” according to the complaint.
David Heisz then pulled his cousin off Kuykendall, grabbed Kuykendall off the floor and “backpedaled Kelly 23 feet to the front door,” according to the complaint.
Once outside, a witness reported seeing David Heisz “forcefully push Kelly backwards off the landing area” in front of the bar, and Kuykendall “violently struck his head against the sidewalk” in the fall.
“Witnesses then reported that Dave was subsequently seen straddling Kelly and either punching him in the head or slamming Kelly’s head in the sidewalk,” according to the complaint. “Dave was then pulled off Kelly, at which point both Dave and Mike Heisz fled the area in their vehicle …”
Kuykendall was pronounced dead at Vernon Memorial Healthcare. An autopsy found he had a skull fracture above the right ear, a subdural hematoma to the left side of the brain, multiple rib fractures, a subscapular hematoma of the liver, swollen eyes and multiple scalp bruises.
David Heisz told investigators he doesn’t remember much of what happened after he dragged Kuykendall to the bar’s front door. Once outside, he said, “I might have punched him,” but he could not recall, according to the complaint.
He probably had 30 shots of liquor while celebrating his birthday Feb. 6 and into the next morning, Heisz said. “The shots were on top of the (beer and liquor) that he was also consuming,” according to the complaint.
When shown a photograph of Kuykendall’s face after his death, David Heisz said Kuykendall did not deserve what happened.
“Maybe I lost it, I don’t know,” David Heisz is quoted as saying in the complaint.
David Heisz and Mikeal Heisz are free on bond. Both are scheduled to make an initial appearance at 1 p.m. Monday in Vernon County Circuit Court.
Matt Johnson is managing editor of the Vernon County Broadcaster in Viroqua.
