Richard Engberg remains jailed while his defense seeks another evaluation of his ability to understand and participate in the criminal case.

STURGEON BAY, Wis. — A competency dispute has delayed the case against an 83-year-old Door County man accused of recklessly abusing a 79-year-old woman who died after emergency crews found her severely neglected outside the home the couple shared. Richard C. Engberg’s defense is seeking another psychiatric evaluation before the court decides whether he is competent to proceed.

The new examination became the central issue at an Oct. 29 hearing that had been scheduled to address Engberg’s competency. His attorney challenged the findings of a court-ordered evaluation, while Door County District Attorney Colleen Nordin told the court she accepted the report’s conclusions. Judge David Weber allowed the defense time to obtain another examiner and set a Dec. 17 status conference. The competency question concerns whether Engberg can understand the proceedings and assist with his defense; it does not determine whether he committed the crime charged against him.

Engberg is charged with recklessly subjecting an individual at risk to abuse causing death, a Class C felony under Wisconsin law. The charge stems from the Sept. 10 death of a woman whose name has not been released in the criminal complaint. Prosecutors allege that her deteriorating condition amounted to extreme neglect before Engberg finally sought emergency help. A Class C felony in Wisconsin can carry a sentence of up to 40 years and a fine of as much as $100,000 upon conviction, although any sentence would depend on the outcome of the case and later decisions by the court.

The investigation began with Engberg’s own request for help. According to the complaint and local reports, he called 911 on the night of Sept. 7 from the Ellison Bay-area home where he and the woman lived. Paramedics found her on the ground near the front porch, lying on her side beneath a comforter. She was barely responsive and suffering from numerous open wounds. Reports based on the complaint said insects were present in some of the wounds and that moving her caused severe pain. Emergency personnel treated her at the scene before arranging transportation to a Green Bay hospital.

The woman was first taken from the home by ambulance, then transported to the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport and flown by Eagle III to HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. She died Sept. 10, three days after Engberg called for medical assistance. Authorities have not publicly identified her in the charging document. The complaint describes her as Engberg’s girlfriend or domestic partner, while Engberg told investigators that they had lived together as friends for roughly nine years. The public reports do not establish a separate motive for the alleged neglect, and prosecutors have not alleged that Engberg intentionally set out to cause her death.

Engberg gave investigators a lengthy account of the woman’s declining health before the emergency call. He said she had started behaving unusually while driving and was having memory problems about three weeks before paramedics arrived. He later described an episode that appeared to him to be a severe seizure, during which he said she twitched and spoke strangely. He told authorities that bruising and blistering followed and that she increasingly resisted being touched or moved because it caused pain. The complaint says the woman eventually remained near the porch because, according to Engberg, she preferred the fresh air and said she was more comfortable there.

What happened after she began staying outside is at the center of the criminal allegation. Engberg told investigators that the woman had been lying near the porch for more than a week and possibly as long as two weeks. He said he brought her food and water, wiped her body to keep her clean and sometimes used a garden hose set to a light spray to rinse or moisten her. He said she initially accepted limited foods, including yogurt and ice cream, but later began refusing food and water. His account, as summarized in the complaint, portrays those steps as attempts at care. Prosecutors, however, allege that the prolonged failure to obtain medical treatment amounted to reckless abuse.

Engberg also told investigators that the woman had said she did not want to go to a hospital and that the two had planned to wait to see whether her condition improved. According to the complaint, he said he ultimately called for help after she stopped responding to him and her condition reached a point he believed required emergency care. He also reported speaking with his brother before making the call and said his brother advised him to contact emergency services immediately. Those statements are part of Engberg’s account to authorities and have not been presented or tested as evidence at a trial.

Responding paramedics raised concerns not only about the woman’s condition but also about Engberg’s ability to provide care. According to reports summarizing the complaint, emergency workers described him as forthcoming when answering questions but questioned whether he was capable of taking care of himself, much less another person. A sheriff’s investigator later reported concern about whether Engberg understood his Miranda rights when officers attempted to question him. Those observations became especially significant after Engberg appeared in court because his defense requested a formal evaluation of his mental competency.

Engberg was arrested Sept. 9, two days after the emergency call, and the felony charge was filed as the woman’s death was reported Sept. 10. At his initial court appearance on Sept. 21, defense counsel asked Weber to order a psychiatric evaluation. The judge granted that request. Engberg was held on $100,000 cash bail while the competency process moved forward. Court competency focuses on a defendant’s present ability to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings and work with counsel, rather than on the person’s mental condition at the time of the alleged offense.

The scheduled Oct. 29 hearing did not resolve that issue. Attorney Carrie LaPlant, appearing for assigned public defender Shannon Viel, told the court that Viel had reviewed the court-ordered examination and was challenging its findings. Nordin said the prosecution accepted the evaluation. The defense asked for about 45 days to locate a doctor to conduct an independent assessment. Nordin did not object, and Weber granted the request. The court scheduled the Dec. 17 conference so the parties can report on the additional examination and determine when a competency hearing should proceed.

The case has also drawn attention in the small Ellison Bay community. Residents who spoke with WLUK without appearing on camera said they were shocked by the woman’s death and described her and Engberg as people who had been active in the community for years. They said they had not been aware of major health problems involving the woman or problems between the two. Those observations do not resolve the allegations in the complaint, but they underscore how little neighbors apparently knew about the medical deterioration authorities say had been unfolding at the residence.

Engberg remains accused, not convicted, and the underlying abuse charge has not yet been resolved. The immediate question before the Door County Circuit Court is whether he is competent to continue through the criminal process. His defense has until the next stage of proceedings to pursue its second psychiatric assessment. Engberg remains in custody, and the court has set the next status conference for Dec. 17, when the competency dispute and the timing of any further hearing are expected to be addressed.

Author note: Last updated Nov. 7, 2026.