Cold case on infant mortality in Greenfield; ex-wife, mother of child testifies

GREENFIELD, Wis. – There was much emotional testimony on Thursday, October 17, from the mother of the seven-week-old girl who died in 1991.

Ronald Schroeder, who once performed as Silly the Clown, is accused of murdering his daughter.

On day three of the trial at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, she says Schroeder abused her for years.

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Video of his daughter shown in court

The court heard from Schroeder’s ex-wife, who is also the mother of their daughter Catherine.

While on the stand, she told the court how their hopeful relationship quickly turned into years of emotional and physical abuse.

FOX6 was asked not to mention or show her face.

She says her and Schroeder’s relationship started when she was 19, and she thought he was sweet and kind.

She told the jury that Schroeder eventually changed.

She says he began isolating her from her family, calling her names and even physically abusing her.

She told the court about an instance that stood out to her when they moved into their home in Greenfield.

“He was very angry with me, and he pushed me onto the couch and sat on me. I was quite pregnant at the time and I remember his mother shouting, ‘Ronnie, Ronnie, stop, you’re going to kill the baby.’ “, said the witness.

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During cross-examination, Schroeder’s defense called his behavior toward their daughter “loving” and said he was there for her every step of the way.

They said some of the baby’s bruising could have been accidental.

They also said that the only other person who was present with Catherine more than her father was her mother.

Testimony on day four is expected to continue tomorrow morning (Friday, October 18) at 9am. The trial is expected to take place next week.

Trial against Schroeder: October 17, 2024

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