Ponsford Man Sentenced for Assaulting Child

In a separate case, a Ponsford man has been sentenced for hitting an 11-year-old family member after the child and his aunt went out to gather porcupine quills.
William Lawrence Butcher II, 38, pleaded guilty to gross misdemeanor domestic assault after a Becker County deputy responded to a May 18, 2024, incident where Butcher allegedly struck the child and threatened to burn down the house. Firefighters arrived to find a garbage fire dangerously close to the home, which had to be extinguished.
The boy reported blurry vision and fell to his knees after the assault, and witnesses told officers they heard Butcher screaming about setting the house on fire. Butcher fled the scene but was later arrested on a probation violation warrant.
On Jan. 27, Judge Michelle W. Lawson sentenced Butcher to 364 days in jail, with 309 days stayed for two years. He must also complete a domestic violence program, comply with probation requirements, and have no contact with the victim.