Court Sentences Man Charged With Stabbing His Father

SAWYER COUNTY -- A man charged with stabbing his father has been sentenced in Sawyer County.

Gary Butler, of Hayward, WI has been sentenced regarding his criminal charges stemming from the incident during which his father was stabbed.

Butler was charged with Class B Felony Attempted 1st Degree Intentional Homicide and Class E Felony Aggravated Battery-Intend Great Bodily Harm following the incident in March 2018 during which Butler’s father was stabbed.

DrydenWire.com reported at that time that Butler got into an argument with his father and told law enforcement that he had stabbed his father.

According to online circuit court records, Butler was sentenced at a hearing on February 12, 2019 during which the Court heard a statement from Butler’s father, who asked the Court to order probation for Butler.

At a plea hearing in November, 2018, the charge of Class B Felony Attempted 1st Degree Intentional Homicide was dismissed and Butler entered a plea of Guilty to his charge of Class E Felony Aggravated Battery-Intend Great Bodily Harm.

The Court ordered a 10 year stayed sentence with 8 years of imposed probation for Butler with 1 year of conditional jail time.  If Butler’s probation should get revoked, he could be facing 5 years of initial confinement to be followed by 5 years of extended supervision.

Butler was also ordered to under an Alcohol and Other Drug Assessment and any counseling that the Department of Corrections may impose.

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Hayward Man Facing Charges of Attempted Homicide

DrydenWire.com l Thursday, April 5, 2018

SAWYER COUNTY -- A criminal complaint has been filed in Sawyer County Circuit Court against a 20-year old Hayward, WI man who is facing charges of Attempted Homicide of his father.

Gary Wayne Butler, III is charged with Class B Felony Attempted 1st Degree Intentional Homicide and Class E Felony Aggravated Battery-Intend Great Bodily Harm.

On March 28, 2018, DrydenWire.com reported via a press release from the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office that Butler, III had been arrested following a stabbing incident.

According to the criminal complaint, when Sawyer County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at the residence on County Highway E, they could hear yelling from the garage. Butler, III was coming out of the garage. He was placed under arrest at that time.

The victim was located in a vehicle traveling north on County Highway E and the criminal complaint goes on to state that he had a severe stab wound to the stomach area and to his hand. An ambulance was called for the victim. The current condition of the victim is not known to DrydenWire.com at this time.

Butler, III allegedly told deputies that he had thrown the knife in the backyard near the fence. The knife was found, with blood on it. Deputies also observed blood on a white SUV at the residence. Witnesses at the scene advised deputies that an argument had taken place between Butler, III and his father while Butler, III was seated in the SUV.

The criminal complaint goes on to state that deputies allegedly heard Butler, III say that “I wanted to kill him and I should have slashed instead of stabbed”, and “he deserved everything he got”.

Butler, III was transported to the hospital for medical clearance before being transported to the Sawyer County Jail. On April 3, 2018, the Court placed him on a $500,000 case bail bond, amended from a $25,000 cash bail bond.

The maximum penalty for a conviction of Class B Felony Attempted 1st Degree Intentional Homicide is confinement in state prison for 60 years.

Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Son Charged with Attempted Homicide After Allegedly Stabbing Father

Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | Press Release

SAWYER COUNTY -- On 03/28/18 at 1:40 a.m. the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a stabbing that occurred at a residence located on County Highway E in the Town of Sand Lake in Sawyer County.  Sawyer County Deputies responded to the scene assisted, by Sawyer County Ambulance EMTs/Paramedic and the LCO Fire Department.

After arriving on the scene, Deputies took a 20-year-old male suspect into custody outside of the residence.  The 38-year-old male victim was treated by EMS personnel and subsequently transported to the Hayward Area Memorial Hospital with stab wounds to his upper chest area and to his right hand. The male victim was later transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, MN.  The male victim’s current medical condition is unknown at this time. The 38-year-old male victim has been identified as Gary R. Butler Jr.

The 20-year-old male suspect has been identified as Gary W. Butler III, reported to be the son of the male victim.  Gary W. Butler III has been charged in Sawyer County Circuit Court with attempted homicide and remains in custody on $25,000 cash bond. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

This incident remains under investigation.  There is no further information available at this time.

Sheriff Douglas Mrotek