A 26-year-old Wisconsin man, Jason W. Tourtillott, has been arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the death of his father, Thomas S. Tourtillott, 58. The Nekoosa Police Department made the announcement following a 911 call on July 22, 2021, about a man who was unresponsive and without a pulse at a residence on Crestview Lane in Nekoosa, a small town approximately 120 miles west of Green Bay.
Upon arrival, an officer was greeted by Jason Tourtillott, who led him to his father’s lifeless body on the floor of a room in the house. As they passed through the kitchen, Jason pointed out a red stain on the wall, claiming it was chili. Despite efforts by police and emergency medical technicians to revive the elder Tourtillott, he was pronounced dead at the scene by the deputy coroner. The victim had sustained injuries to his head, face, and neck, including lacerations above each eye and a small circular hole behind his right ear.
In subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Jason Tourtillott’s statements were inconsistent. He gave varying accounts about his father’s missing shirt, at times claiming ignorance about its removal, and at other times suggesting he might have been the one to remove it. He also claimed to have been asleep from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the incident, but hesitated when questioned about activity on his cellphone around 5 p.m.
Jason Tourtillott also brought up his father’s alleged excessive drinking habits during the interviews. He stated that he initially wasn’t concerned when he found his father on the floor, as the elder Tourtillott often “lays wherever he has been drinking.” He denied any physical altercation with his father, insisting that they shared a strong father-son bond.
However, the defendant’s sister contradicted his claim of sobriety, stating that her brother did drink and often became easily angered when doing so. She also recalled that her brother seemed “upset” on the day of their father’s death. The sister’s son, who was being babysat by Jason on the day of the incident, reported hearing the two men arguing and fighting.
A review of the 911 call made by Jason Tourtillott suggested that he was not out of breath or showing signs of physical exertion, despite his claim of performing CPR on his father for 30 minutes. Police believe that the elder Tourtillott’s death was caused by “numerous separate impacts” to his head. Jason Tourtillott is currently being held in the Wood County Jail on $1 million cash bail.