SAWYER COUNTY (DrydenWire) - Felony charges, including homicide, physical abuse, and chronic neglect, were filed in 2022 in Sawyer County Circuit Court against a Hayward, WI, couple, Samantha Smith and Domenic Falkner, following law enforcement’s investigation into the death of a 4-year-old child in Sawyer County. The Court ordered high cash bonds for the two, $2,000,000 cash for Falkner and $1,000,000 cash for Smith.
The case against Falkner settled in September 2025 with pleas of no contest to charges of child neglect and abuse and dismissal of the homicide charge against him. He will be sentenced at a later date.
An eight-day jury trial was scheduled in December 2025 regarding Smith’s charges; however, she appeared for a hearing on November 21, 2025, and Judge Stella accepted a settlement in her case as well.
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Last Update: Nov 25, 2025 10:21 am CST
