Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for 2001 shooting death of his grandmother in Marathon County
WAUSAU − A 36-year-old man was sentenced to seven years in prison Wednesday for revocation of his probation for shooting his grandmother in Marathon County when he was 14.
Brian L. Bessette, whose most recent address was Eland, was convicted Dec. 30, 2002, of first-degree reckless homicide for the Dec. 26, 2001, shooting death of his grandmother, Laura Bessette, 56, in her town of Norrie home.
Marathon County Circuit Judge Michael Moran gave Bessette credit for 856 days he already served and ordered him to spend 13 years on extended supervision following his prison sentence.
Moran said Wednesday's sentence was one of the most difficult he ever had to decide.
"This is almost 21 ⅟₂ years removed from the crime itself," Moran said. "We generally don't do that."
According to Wausau Daily Herald articles from 2002, Brian Bessette was 14 when he fired a muzzle-loading rifle at his grandmother through a narrow opening between two shelves at her home. He hit her once in the back while she was washing dishes in the kitchen and killed her almost instantly. Police arrested him days later, and he spent three months in Mendota Mental Health Facility in Madison after a psychologist found that he was not yet competent to assist in his own defense. After being treated, he was found competent to stand trial. His grandfather then posted a $45,000 bail to get Brian Bessette out of jail.
On Dec. 30, 2002, Brian Bessette pleaded no contest to first-degree reckless homicide. He went to Lincoln Hills School for Boys in Irma where he was expected to live for a year. Retired Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard ordered Bessette to serve 20 years of probation and complete a five-year serious juvenile offender program.
Marathon County District Attorney Theresa Wetzsteon said in court Wednesday this was an unusual case because the court could see the character of Brian Bessette. Prior to shooting his grandmother, he was charged with the sexual assault of a girl. The case was dismissed because Bessette was found not competent to stand trial; five days after he finished counseling, he shot his grandmother, Wetzsteon said.
During the 20 years he was on probation, Bessette forged checks, tried to arrange a meeting with another underage girl and absconded from his supervision for two years, Wetzsteon said. His wife stepped up and supported him. She paid back the money from the forged checks.
Officials still don't have a clear picture of why the shooting happened, Wetzsteon said. They don't know if Bessette shot his grandmother out of anger or why he did it. What they do know is his grandmother took him in and let him live with her after he couldn't live at home any more, Wetzsteon said.
The only reason Bessette was in court Wednesday is because he got caught in a police sting, said his attorney Vanessa Avila. He made contact on the internet with who he thought was a 15-year-old girl. The "girl" was an undercover officer. He wasn't charged with a crime, but his probation was revoked. Avila said Bessette didn't plan to go through with meeting the "girl."
Bessette has only been convicted of a misdemeanor sexual assault case from 2002 and a misdemeanor disorderly conduct case from 2022, Avila said. Both cases started out as felonies but were plea bargained to misdemeanors.
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When Howard sentenced Bessette, he said Bessette could petition for release from extended supervision after 16 years, Avila said.
Bessette's wife is still willing to support him, Avila said. She's currently in Texas because she has cancer, but she's willing to come back to Wisconsin to help Bessette.
Moran said he doesn't know why Howard sentenced Bessette the way he did back in 2002. The sentence recommendation was a joint one from the defense attorney and district attorney, but it was a different district attorney. Moran also said he doesn't know for sure why prosecutors chose not to charge Bessette after some of his reported behavior.
Moran said he has to sentence based on the original charge. He questioned whether he should consider himself sentencing the 14-year-old boy who originally committed the crime or the 36-year-old man who sat in front of him.
Moran said he believes his sentence is fair and that Bessette needs a lot of counseling.
Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
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This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Man sentenced to 7 years for 2002 shooting death of his grandmother
