Motive still unclear in fatal Plover bat attack

STEVENS POINT – More than an hour of testimony Monday from two police officers, the county coroner and a forensic pathologist did nothing to answer the most compelling question in the case of a Plover man who attacked his stepfather in May:

What might have provoked the man to beat a 77-year-old man to death with a baseball bat?

Andrew Pray, 32, of Plover faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the May 26 attack. The victim, 77-year-old Chris Bonnstetter, died June 3 from injuries sustained in the attack after spending more than a week on life support.

According to Monday testimony by two Plover police officers, witnesses said Bonnstetter and his wife were resting in the living room of the home in which they and their son lived at 2831 Cedar Drive in Plover. According to Bonnsetter's wife, Jennifer Pray, Andrew Pray came up the basement stairs and hit Bonnstetter three to four times with a baseball bat while Bonnstetter lay on the floor.

The woman told police that she did not see the impacts, but only heard the sound of them, Plover Police Officer Brent Thauer said.

Jennifer Pray pulled Andrew Pray away from Bonnsetter, then went to a neighbor's to call 911, according to testimony. Plover Police Officer Michael Tracy testified Monday that Andrew Pray only said "no comment" when Tracy found him standing in front of the garage at the scene. Tracy arrested Andrew Pray and transported him to the Portage County Jail, Tracy said.

Police remain unsure of what might have caused Andrew Pray to attack Bonnstetter. Jennifer Pray told police there had been no altercation or conversation prior to the attack, police said.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital Forensic Pathologist Robert Corliss testified that Bonnstetter was hit at least three times, based on evidence from the autopsy he performed on June 4. Those strikes included two to Bonnstetter's back and one in the back of the head. The head injury caused Bonnstetter's death, Corliss said.

Portage County Circuit Judge Thomas Eagon said Monday there was enough evidence in the case to order Andrew Pray to stand trial. Attorneys will meet in a pretrial conference July 18.