Judge Hears Dispute in Ingold Homicide Case as DA Withdraws Sanctions

The Shawano–Menominee County District Attorney’s office sought sanctions against two of Michael Ingold’s attorneys during a Feb. 27 hearing in Branch II at the Shawano County Courthouse, then withdrew the motion after determining the contested document was already in the DA’s possession. Ingold is charged with first-degree homicide in the July 2022 death of Sheila Laudon.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Nelson told Judge William Kussel Jr. she was concerned about a three-page “subsequent report” that Ingold allegedly passed to a third party at a Jan. 13 hearing and later received back. Nelson said, “It appears that there is some sort of written report that the defendant has provided to outside entities,” and added, “We don’t have any such report. It has not been provided to us in discovery.”

Nelson also said a review of phone calls to Ingold at the Shawano County Jail showed one caller was asked if he’d seen the portion of the document addressing the victim’s heart, liver and lungs. The DA’s office used that review as part of its concern that discovery materials had been withheld, but officials “quickly withdrew the motion” when they discovered the document in question was already with prosecutors.

In court, Nelson characterized a statement by an individual named Moustakis as “mistaken” and denied that she didn’t want Schmidt to testify on what he’d already spoken about at a Daubert hearing. The reporting does not identify Moustakis’s or Schmidt’s roles, and the names of the two attorneys who were the target of the sanction motion are not specified in the record released at the hearing.

Judge William Kussel Jr. presided over the Feb. 27 hearing; photographs from the courtroom show Kussel reviewing papers and Michael Ingold speaking with defense attorney Kelli Sue Thompson. Photos are credited to Lee Pulaski | NEW Media; contact lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com for image inquiries.

No sanctions were reported as imposed after the withdrawal, and the DA’s office has not publicly clarified whether the document it located is identical to the three-page report Nelson described from Jan. 13. The homicide prosecution remains active in Shawano–Menominee Circuit Court, and court filings will be the next public record to clarify discovery status and any further hearings.