They were involved in the brutal murder of a man who was beaten to death. But now all 3 convicts will soon be free, thanks to light sentences from Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. One already is.
“Once I start, I can’t stop.”
That’s what police say Jacob A. Johnson told them about the horrific beating death of 24-year-old Dalton Ziegler in the Town of Dane.
When Johnson came before Dane County Judge Susan Crawford in 2019, though, she gave him a sentence that was so light that he will soon be free. According to prison records, he has a mandatory release/extended supervision Date of Aug. 3, 2026.
One of the other suspects, Drew Luber, is already out. Luber was released on extended supervision on Feb. 28, 2024, according to Wisconsin prison records. He was first incarcerated on 8/23/2019 through the Department of Corrections.
Crawford granted his petition for a sentence adjustment on Feb. 19, 2024, court records say. Today he is on supervision in the community and lives in Lodi, prison records say. He was in custody of the Dane County Jail starting on Nov. 1, 2018.
The third suspect, McKayla Tracy, has a mandatory release/extended supervision date of Oct. 23, 2025, according to state prison records.
The murder snuffed out the life of a young truck driver described in his obituary as “someone we could always count on and would give anyone the shirt off his back.”
Dalton Ziegler’s face “was battered, bloodied, and starting to swell when deputies arrived on scene,” Fox47 reported.
According to Channel 3000, police said that Johnson was the “one who beat Ziegler, leaving him battered, bloody, and left to die until police found him the next morning.” The beating took 20 minutes, as Luber held the victim down, Fox47 reported. According to WKOW-TV, Tracy wanted Johnson and Luber to beat up Ziegler because she thought he was cheating on her.
Altogether, Crawford had a chance to mete out three sentences in Ziegler’s brutal murder. She gave two 7-year prison sentences and one for 6 years.
Ziegler’s girlfriend McKayla Tracy will walk free soon, as well. She and Johnson both got the 7-year prison sentences from Crawford. All were convicted of felony murder.
Crawford is now running for a seat on the state Supreme Court against former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel, who is a Waukesha County Judge. Wisconsin Right Now has taken the lead in scrutinizing her sentencing record as a judge. We previously reported on the weak sentences she gave two child molesters, a shooter, men convicted of child pornography, and a domestic abuser. We have also examined Crawford’s claims about Schimel’s handling of rape kits as AG.
Dalton’s mom said at Tracy’s sentencing that she wished Tracy would “never see the light of day,” according to Channel 3000.
“Watch this video that you just saw of my big, huggable, loving son Dalton, that because of you, and you alone, are the cause of my son’s death, even though you won’t take any of the blame,” Karen Ziegler said, Channel 3000 reported.
We could not reach the mom for comment. The victim’s sister declined to comment when reached by phone.
Jacob A. Johnson is also seeking a sentence adjustment. The request is pending. He is still incarcerated.
The maximum sentence for the felony murder convictions was 15 years in prison.
According to his obituary, Dalton D. Ziegler, age 24, “was taken from his loved ones unexpectedly on Tuesday October 30th, 2018…Dalton graduated from Waunakee High School in 2012.”
“Although Dalton had many career paths after high school he was most recently employed by Bullet Transit Company doing what he loved most, driving truck. Everyone who knew Dalton knows that his trucks were his pride and joy. Dalton owned both his grandfather’s truck and later his father’s. Dalton loved helping friends and family tend their crops and farm animals, as well as enjoying the outdoors in the form of snowmobiling and four wheeling,” the obit says.
