Antigo teen drinks himself to death
Antigo, WI (AP) - 10/27/90

Liquor stolen from burglarized taverns was served at a party in a cemetery where a high school sophomore drank himself to death, Langlade County investigators said.

Deputy sheriffs found the body of Daniel Dehart, 16, early Friday following an all-night drinking party in a wooded cemetery near Antigo.

Karl Dolezal, 19, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, District Attorney Ralph Uttke said.

"When you're 19 and you see someone who's 16 drinking, you're supposed to stop them," Uttke said.

He said Dolezal also faced charges of bail jumping, injury by providing alcohol to a minor, and criminal damage to property. Eight or nine headstones at the cemetery were broken, Uttke said.

Policeman William Brandt said partygoers included three of the six people suspected of breaking into a Veterans of Foreign Wars bar from which liquor was stolen Wednesday.

Tests showed Dehart's blood alcohol content was .54, five times above the .10 level that is considered unlawful for driving in WI, authorities said.

John T. Crawford, a coroner since 1970, said he had never seen a blood alcohol count that high.

Near the boy's body, Uttke said, "there was an empty bottle of whiskey, either a fifth or a quart, and it was empty."

Witnesses reported watching the boy drink a bottle of whiskey, Sheriff David C. Steger said.

"We can't really determine exactly how much alcohol he consumed," Steger said.

A preliminary investigation indicated the youth died from alcohol poisoning or asphyxiation resulting from alcohol-induced vomiting.

Someone apparently attempted to revive Dehart, then went to a nearby house to call an ambulance.

Bail was set at $5,000 for Dolezal.

Crawford said he hoped the incident alerts other people to the hazards of liquor.

"I hope they get something out of this message with this boy but they probably won't," he said. "It's kind of sad to see a life wasted; not only that, but to do it out of a bottle."

Jiles Cole, principal of Antigo Junior HS, recalled Dehart as a friendly youth who "got along with everyone."

"For some reason they don't think anything really bad can happen to them," Cole said.

Steger said the investigation included reviewing recent tavern burglaries.

"We've had three taverns that were broken into" in the last week, he said. "We feel they're all related."

"Some of the empty bottles found at the party spot matched the description of some of the items taken from the taverns," the sheriff said.