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Royce LaRock, 32, agreed to plead no contest Aug. 6 to a count of aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon for a stabbing that took place in 2023 in Shawano, canceling a planned trial for the week of Aug. 12.
The Shawano man originally faced one count each of attempted first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon, one count of aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing an officer.
LaRock had originally been scheduled to stand trial Feb. 26 in Shawano County Courthouse Branch II. However, that jury trial was adjourned on a joint motion between the district attorney’s office and the defense, because additional discovery presented forced defense attorney Carly Krueger to ask for more time to review the evidence.
According to court records, a demand for a speedy trial was submitted May 17.
A pre-trial conference held Aug. 6 revealed the victim no longer wanted to pursue the case, so the district attorney’s office pushed for a plea deal. LaRock’s no contest plea is not admitting guilt but conceding that the state has enough evidence to almost guarantee a conviction. A pre-sentencing investigation was ordered as a sentencing hearing was scheduled for 8:15 a.m. Oct. 14 in Branch II.
According to the criminal complaint, Shawano police officers were dispatched April 25, 2023, to Acorn Street for a reported stabbing. When officers arrived, a victim was allegedly laying at a neighbor’s front step with a stab wound to the stomach area, with intestinal protrusion from a stab wound. The victim said LaRock was the person who had stabbed him, according to the complaint.
Law enforcement located LaRock about 30 minutes later on Richmond Street, where he told officers that he did not recall fighting with the victim but admitted to drinking alcohol beforehand, according to the complaint. The knife of the alleged crime was found in the front yard of the residence.
When searching the scene, law enforcement reported blood in the kitchen, on the inside of a screen door, on the driveway and also saw a trail of blood leading to the neighbor’s residence.
When interviewing LaRock, he had cuts and scrapes on his body that were consistent with running through the woods and being scraped by branches and bushes. According to the complaint, LaRock told law enforcement that nothing had happened and that he was dropping the victim off at the residence and left. LaRock told law enforcement that he had anger issues but stated that he did not have a fight with the victim.
If he had been convicted at trial, LaRock faced up to 60 years in prison for attempted first-degree intentional homicide, $50,000 in fines and 15 years for aggravated battery, $10,000 and nine months for resisting or obstructing an officer and $1,000 and 90 days for disorderly conduct. Details of the prescribed sentence from the plea deal are unknown.
LaRock is currently being held in the Shawano County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
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