Bond reduced for Fond Du Lac man charged after human skulls, remains found in basement

CBS 58

FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Benjamin Larson on Monday, Sept. 28, pleaded not guilty in a case that's gotten a lot of attention after several skulls and human remains were found in his Fond du Lac County home.

Authorities discovered at least six human skulls inside Larson's home. This was uncovered after a stalking case was brought forward in Dane County, where a woman says 47-year-old Larson stalked her for a decade; they dated briefly for a few months in 2013. 

Court records show he wrote in a journal he was "furious" she now has a husband and child, and "ached" for their skulls. 

Testing is still being done to identify the remains, some are believed to be Native American. 

Benjamin Larson's home in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin CBS 58

"Trying to identify who they might belong to is still - the efforts undergoing. With forensic testing necessary that could take some time," said Eric Toney, Fond du Lac County district attorney. 

"It could take months for forensics to identify who a potential victim could be, so it is unfair to keep Mr. Larson for that amount of time while the investigation is ongoing," said Sara Christensen, Larson's defense attorney. 

Larson's defense asked for his bond to be reduced from $250,000 which Fond du Lac County Judge Douglas Edelstein conceded. 

Benjamin Larson's home in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin CBS 58

"I'm not going to be satisfied with mere speculation. I need to look at specific evidence, I need to look at articulatable facts, and not just holding against Mr. Larson because of the macabre subject matter. So, it raises a lot of reasonable inferences, but those inferences can only last so long," said Judge Edelstein. "Courts should not be making emotional decisions, courts should not be speculating. And so the speculation here is that Mr. Larson presents as an exceptionally dangerous person or having the potential for that. But that speculation is just that."

Larson's bond was reduced to $150,000. There was some back and forth regarding Larson's defense, as he wants a point-appointed attorney given the estimated expense of experts. However, Judge Edelstein is asking Larson to reconsider having the county pay for his attorney, given the judge believes he has the means to pay for it. 

If released, Larson would have GPS monitoring. 

Larson is due back in court on Nov. 5 for a status hearing. As for a stalking charge from Dane County, he pleaded not guilty earlier this month, and not court date has been set there yet. 

Benjamin Larson CBS 58

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