A 48-year-old Wisconsin man who killed four siblings in his fifth drunk driving conviction told a court he wishes he had died in the crash and prays for the victims every day. However, jail calls between the repeat offender and his wife indicate that his apology may have been empty.
Waupaca County Judge Raymond Huber sentenced Scott Farmer to 37 and a half years in prison, with 342 days credit, according to court records.
On Dec. 16, 2023, the defendant killed the driver of the other vehicle, Daniel Gonzalez, 25, in a head-on collision on Highway 10 in Weyauwega, as well as his brother Fabian Gonzalez, 23, and their sisters, Lilian Gonzalez, 14, and Daniela Gonzalez, 9.
Farmer was driving westbound in the eastbound lane. An EMT discovered a large bottle of vodka in the truck.
During the sentencing, prosecutors discussed Farmer and his wife’s phone calls from jail. Farmer accused the victims’ stepfather of running a sex trafficking ring out of his church, according to a courtroom report by Green Bay NBC affiliate WGBA.
His wife reportedly stated that “God was working through Scott” on the day of the accident. During the calls, the farmer and his wife allegedly stated that immigration checks should be performed at the courtroom door because many of the victim’s family members are from Ecuador.
Huber reportedly described the comments as “outrageous” and “offensive to the court.”
Paulina Schilling, the victims’ mother, described her anguish after the crash.
“A few days went by and I had to go see them at the funeral parlor, which was the most heartbreaking day of my life,” she reportedly said through a translator. “No one can imagine how I felt seeing all of them lifeless on a cot.”
As previously reported , Farmer pleaded no contest in August to four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and one count of driving while intoxicated for the fifth time.
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As part of the plea agreement, one additional criminal charge and four pending traffic citations were dismissed. Farmer was initially charged in December 2023 with four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.
One count of operating a vehicle with a revoked license, one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated for the fifth time, possessing open intoxicants in a vehicle, reckless driving, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, and speeding on an expressway.
A Facebook page contains numerous tributes to the slain. A GoFundMe page has been established to help their family.
When asked what happened after the crash, Farmer told cops, “I just spun out” and “I didn’t hit anybody.” He then became belligerent toward firefighters and attempted to fight hospital staff.
Farmer eventually admitted that he had “a lot” to drink.
According to the criminal complaint, deputies who investigated the crash reported that Farmer reeked of alcohol.
“I could smell a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from inside of the vehicle,” according to a deputy. “I noticed Scott had bloodshot, glassy (or watery) eyes. His eyelids were drooping.
He spoke very slowly, thickly, and slurred. His speech was incoherent at times, and his sentences trailed off, making it impossible for me to understand. His facial movements were slow and delayed, especially his eye movements.
He also refused to sit still when asked. He tried to crawl over to the passenger side of the car at one point. All of these observations point to impairment, specifically impairment caused by alcohol consumption.
A blood test revealed that Farmer had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of.346 at the time his blood was drawn. The legal limit for regular drivers in Wisconsin is.08, but the defendant’s BAC was even lower due to his criminal history.
Due to prior drunk-driving convictions, his legal limit was.02.
The defendant’s documented drinking and driving incidents date back several decades. He was convicted of these offenses on October 6, 1999, September 18, 2001, November 29, 2006, and December 18, 2019.
