Who is Nathan Heitzmann? Man facing homicide charges over death of girl, 4, accused of stealing her memorial cross
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WISCONSIN: Nathan Heitzmann, a Wisconsin man has been charged with misdemeanor theft for allegedly stealing a cross from the memorial of a young girl he murdered.
He was previously charged with two counts of felony homicide for murdering the four-year-old child with his vehicle, reports Law and Crime.
Nathan Heitzmann fatally hit the child with his vehicle while using a controlled substance
The 24-year-old man was charged with one count each of homicide-by-vehicle while using a controlled substance knowingly operating a vehicle with a suspended license and causing death of a child in May.
The homicide charges alone carry a maximum sentence of 31 years along with a mandatory part of any potential sentence to be served on "probation or extended supervision." He has also been suspended from driving for six months in the Badger State.
The convicted murderer has also been facing a bail-jumping felony charge, according to court records.
If convicted as charged, Heitzmann also faces an additional six years and nine months in prison.
Who was Cordelia Kuether?
Cordelia Kuether, four, was killed on April 12 in a two-car collision as she stopped to pet a dog at the intersection of North 21st Street and Saemann Avenue in Sheboygan.
Kuether's great-aunt asked for drivers to be more aware on the road. "Our families wishes and simply asks that people be more aware and focused while driving," she wrote in a GoFundMe post that has since ended.
"Pay attention to your speeds, pay attention to other cars, pay attention to stop signs and stop at them, pay attention to others on or around the roads, don’t look at your phones while operating your vehicles, don’t drive while intoxicated or under the influence of anything," she said.
"It only takes one missed step in driver awareness for tragedy to result," she added.
Nathan Heitzmann quickly admitted to killing the young girl
The convicted killer quickly took responsibility for the accident that killed the young girl and injured two other children, according to the criminal complaint obtained by ABC affiliate WISN.
"This is my fault," Heitzmann reportedly said, adding "I looked, I stopped at the stop sign OK, looked back and forth, saw them playing on the corner when I looked to the right, I did only look once, I’m not gonna lie, and it was kind of quick, and I did not see any car, but I am assuming they were behind my A-pillar, that was just perfect out of my view, it’s my fault."
