Klaseus pleads guilty in death of son

Sentencing has been set for Monday, Aug. 25, at the Sibley County Courthouse in Gaylord for Anthony Klaseus. The rural Belle Plaine man pleaded guilty Thursday, June 19, to second-degree manslaughter in the hunting death of his 8-year-old son Hunter Klaseus.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors in Sibley County dropped charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, trespassing and hunting turkeys without a license.

Hunter, who was a third-grader at Raven Stream Elementary in New Prague, was turkey hunting with his father in a field east of Belle Plaine April 19. Anthony Klaseus says he told his son to stay where he was while he approached some turkeys. While calling the turkeys, he heard some movement in the brush and fired. The gunshot struck his son, who had started to approach his father's position. Anthony Klaseus called 911 on his cell phone and carried him to the road, but Hunter was pronounced dead at the scene.