By Shereen Siewert

A father and son are both in custody in connection with the death of a 20-year-old man whose body was discovered in December in Spencer, about 35 miles southwest of Wausau.

Spencer Police and the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department were called at about 2:15 p.m. Dec. 29 to the south end of Abe Lincoln Avenue, just south of Swamp Road, to a report of a man who was found dead by a fur trapper. The property is in the McMillan Marsh Wildlife area located in Marathon County and the body was discovered by a fur trapper. 

There, police found the body of Christian C. Schauer, of Marshfield, who died from injuries sustained at a different location, investigators said. Foul play was evident, and police asked for help in locating Schauer’s missing vehicle, a black 2005 Chevrolet Impala.

On February 5, acting on a citizen tip, investigators located Schauer’s vehicle on  a property near Stratford in the Town of Eau Pleine. 19-year-old Jared R. Carl lives at  the property and was arrested that day for possession of stolen property related to the  homicide along with drug and weapons charges. On February 9, Jared’s father, 50-year-old Shawn R. Carl, was arrested on charges of First Degree Intentional Homicide for the  death of Christian Schauer and for possession of a fully automatic rifle. 

  • Shawn Carl booking photo, courtesy of the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department
  • Jared Carl booking photo, courtesy of the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department

Both men remain in custody. Shawn Carl will have an initial appearance at 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 11. 

Police have not specified a motive for the crime and have not said how Schauer died.

Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks said no additional information will be released at this time, citing a continued investigation.