The trial of a Willernie man charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his fiancee’s toddler has been postponed a second time.
The trial of Jonathon Wierstad, 28, who is being held in the Washington County Jail, will begin Aug. 6 in Washington County district court. Bail has been set at $2 million with conditions.
Wierstad’s trial was set for February, but was continued to May 7 at the request of Wierstad’s attorneys. The defense requested another continuance last month because they are waiting for an expert opinion and additional discovery, said Assistant Washington County Attorney Siv Yurichuk.
“The court made it clear that this would be the last continuance and that they needed to be ready to go to trial in August,” she said.
Wierstad called 911 in May 2017 to report that his fiancee’s toddler had fallen down a small set of carpeted stairs at their house in Willernie and was having trouble breathing.
He was arrested later that night and charged with first-degree assault with great bodily harm after doctors at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul said the 16-month-old’s injuries were not consistent with a fall down stairs.
After the toddler died June 3, Wierstad was charged with murder.
The murder charge came five months after Wierstad pleaded no contest to substantial battery to a child in St. Croix County, Wis., in 2014. He is serving felony probation in connection with that case.