Killer Clown Charged With Infant Daughter's Homicide 30 Years After Fatal Abuse

A southeast Wisconsin father and former clown has been arrested this week over the murder of his newborn daughter some 30 years ago after she was rushed to a hospital with fatal "shaken baby syndrome" in 1991.

Authorities have slapped Ronald Schroeder, 52, known for his work as “Silly the Clown," with first-degree reckless homicide charges and two counts of physical abuse of a child for the death of his seven-week-old baby Catherine Schroeder in August 1991, the Daily Beast reported.

Catherine was reportedly rushed to a hospital after suffering fractured ribs, contusions to her brain, and detached retinas with “blood behind the eyes.”

Just hours before doctors confirmed the infant's death, Schroeder was onstage performing as “Silly the Clown” at a local restaurant to entertain a room full of elementary school children.

Behind the curtains and the clown makeup, however, the man has been accused of repeatedly being abusive by the family of Catherine’s mother, Christine. Schroeder has vehemently denied all allegations of hurting the newborn baby.

Schroeder reportedly continued to perform as "Silly" for young children for several years following his infant daughter's death as prosecutors failed to gather enough evidence to keep him in jail at the time.

Investigators reopened the case in 1998 but again met a dead end with the lack of much-needed evidence. It now remains unknown what new information against the father has been made available that led to prosecutors finally charging Schroeder this week.

A review of the original autopsy was conducted in June 2021. Milwaukee County chief medical examiner Dr. Brian Peterson concluded that the manner of death was a homicide, confirming Catherine died from blunt force trauma to the head as stated in the criminal complaint against Schroeder, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Milwaukee County court records indicate an arrest warrant has been issued for Schroeder on Wednesday. An initial court appearance via video link was held on Thursday.

A judge has reportedly junked his defense's contentions to dismiss the case due to the statute of limitations, setting Schroeder's bail bond at $350,000.

Schroeder has also been charged in Waukesha County on Wednesday with three counts of child abuse, after being suspected of abusing two other children in 1997 and 2005, WISN noted.

In 2008, Schroeder was convicted of sexual assault after he attacked a girlfriend while she was unconscious and took photos of the appalling offense. He was released from prison five years later in 2013 as a convicted sex offender.

Following the sentence served, the court ordered that the man must be tracked with a GPS monitor at all times and barred from entering bars or being around children without supervision.