The man accused of strangling a five-year-old western Wisconsin boy is trying a mental defect defense. Charles Beenken entered a not guilty by mental defect plea in Burnett County court yesterday.
Police say Beenken choked the little boy after beating him back in December of last year. Prosecutors dropped attempted murder charges, but are pushing ahead with drug, bail jumping, and strangulation charges. Beenken is being held on 100-thousand-dollars cash bond.