OCONTO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Prosecutors have made a plea offer to a man accused of killing his mother and her husband, but David Steinmetz’s attorney wants more time to review it.
Steinmetz, 29, faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the October 2022 deaths of Lori Steinmetz, 55, and Paul Brennan, 75.
Although Tuesday’s hearing was listed as a plea hearing, Steinmetz’s attorney was granted additional time to review the offer. A Dec. 12 plea hearing was scheduled. If no plea deal is reached, a trial would be scheduled.
According to court documents, Oconto County District Attorney Hannah Schuchart’s offer is for Steinmetz to plead to both counts of intentional homicide, while count of being a possession in a firearm would be dismissed.
A conviction of intentional homicide carries a mandatory life prison term, but the judge has the option to set a date when the defendant can first ask for release through extended supervision.
Schuchart’s offer would be that state would argue for life sentences with no extended supervision eligibility, but the defense would be free to argue for such a date to be set, the letter states.
According to the criminal complaint, the episode began when Steinmetz had vehicle problems in the southern part of the state. His mom and Brennan rented a vehicle and went to get him. After returning the vehicle, they eventually went back to the Little Suamico residence on Oct. 1, 2022.
Steinmetz, who told police he had been using meth on a daily basis, stated that “he was up for like a five day stretch.”
“David stated he ended up coming back to the house. David stated that a voice kept telling him that he had to take a life. David stated the voice told him that he needed to take a life or his life would be taken. David also stated he had feelings that if he didn’t take his mom’s life someone is going to take out more of his family. David stated it was like take out one life to save fifteen other lives,” the complaint states.
“David stated he just sat there and was thinking and thinking. David stated the thoughts kept coming back to him and stated he had to take someone out in his family or the rest of his family would be taken out. David stated he just panicked and didn’t know what to do. David stated he thought he was at the very end. David stated he got out of his car and he just opened up fire on both his mom and (Brennan),” the complaint says. “David stated he didn’t know what he was doing and that he wasn’t in his normal state of mind and that he wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Neither did anything to provoke Steinmetz, he said.
The two victims each suffered multiple gunshot wounds, the complaint states.
Police had been to the home previously, with an investigator describing Steinmetz’s relationship with Brennan as “contemptuous,” and Steinmetz had threatened his mother’s life in the past, according to the complaint.
