OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The judge and the mother of Daniel Wilson, who was being sentenced in an Oshkosh homicide, traded words Friday during his sentencing when the judge said Wilson wasn’t the victim in the case.
Wilson, now 20, previously pleaded no contest to first-degree reckless homicide for the July 2, 2024, shooting of Atem Mathiang. Judge Scott Woldt sentenced him to 30 years in prison, and placed Wilson on extended supervision for 10 years. Restitution of $27,820.53 was also ordered.
Before the sentence was issued, Mathiang’s mother addressed the court, describing the pain of losing her son.
“I will never forgive you,” she said.
Wilson denied responsibility for the shooting.
“I’m sorry to his family but I did not kill your son. And, I’m the only person out of three people that was there that is in jail, when the other two people there and they refused to help your son. They stayed there and they saw him out there. I just wanted to say, ‘I’m sorry’,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s mother said others should have been charged in the case, as well.
Judge Woldt criticized Wilson for not taking responsibility for his actions.
“There’s one person that pulled the trigger six times, and that was you,” the judge said.
Later in his sentencing address, the judge cited Wilson’s lack of taking responsibility for his actions as a factor in the 30-year sentence.
“My fear is going to be that he (Wilson) is going to play the victim. Obviously, his mom comes today and talks about how he’s a victim in this. He’s not the victim,” the judge said.
“He is, sir,” his mother said from the gallery.
“No, he’s not,” the judge said.
“Yes, he is,” she replied.
Witnesses told police that Mathiang, a 19-year-old Michigan man, approached Wilson and others about buying drugs, but they weren’t interested. Words were exchanged before Wilson allegedly shot the Mathiang, according to the criminal complaint. The shooting happened in the 1000 block of Wisconsin Street in Oshkosh.
“Daniel told (a witness) that the guy who asked him to buy weed reached into his own waistband and Daniel said that he thought the guy had a gun even though Daniel never saw the gun. Daniel told (the witness) that he shot that guy in the stomach,” the complaint states.
The victim suffered five gunshot wounds: three to the chest, one to the neck, and one to the hand, the complaint states.
At the time of his death, Mathiang was facing charges in Michigan for a fatal traffic crash.
