Corey Stingley death: Men plead guilty to murder, avoid prison time
MILWAUKEE - Two men pleaded guilty to felony murder in the 2012 death of Corey Stingley. They will avoid prison time through an agreement made with prosecutors and Stingley's family, part of a years-long effort to get justice for the teen.
Guilty pleas
In court:
Earlier this week, prosecutors charged 67-year-old Robert Beringer of Menomonee Falls and 39-year-old Jesse Cole of Waukesha with felony murder. The charges came more than a decade after Stingley's death.
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Beringer and Cole pleaded guilty Thursday. Judge Laura Crivello withheld a judgment of conviction for six months as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. If the two men don't commit any new crimes, the judge will likely dismiss the case with prejudice.
"I think it is a fair and equitable resolution in this case," Crivello said.
(L-R): Attorney Anthony Cotton, Robert Beringer, Jesse Cole, Attorney Jonathan LaVoy in court on Jan. 15, 2026.
Restorative justice
What they're saying:
Craig Stingley, Corey's father, has sought criminal charges against the men involved in his son's death for years.
"I believe this process that we've gone through has provided that – that reclamation, restoration, respect that he deserves. The accountability that we were seeking," he said.
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Over the years, different district attorneys have declined to file charges. A judge appointed Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne as a special prosecutor in 2022.
Ozanne said Thursday that if a third man involved, Mario Laumann, were still alive, this would be a "different situation." The special prosecutor said Laumann was the "most culpable" in Stingley's death.
2012 Corey Stingley death: Murder charges now filed against 2 men
Two men are charged with felony murder in the 2012 death of Corey Stingley. Stingley died after being restrained following a shoplifting incident at a West Allis convenience store in December 2012.
After talks with the Stingley family, Ozanne said it became clear that a "traditional" criminal justice route would not accomplish what the family wanted. The family, Bering and Cole met over several meetings through a Marquette University Law School restorative justice program led by former Milwaukee County Chief Judge Mary Triggiano.
"We found some things in that restorative justice process. It wasn't something I initially thought was going to work, but I learned some things about myself that I believe will shine a light for somebody else," said Stingley.
Death investigation
The backstory:
In December 2012, police showed up to a West Allis convenience store. Stingley was inside pulseless, unconscious and being held down by three men: Beringer, Cole and Laumann, who died in 2022.
Surveillance video showed Stingley putting liquor bottles into his backpack. At the counter, the clerk confronted Stingley, who then tried to run off. That's when the three men inside the store took Stingley down and restrained him until police arrived. During this time, the teen stopped breathing.
The criminal complaint against Beringer and Cole said West Allis EMS believed it was approximately eight minutes before Stingley regained a pulse. However, he was not breathing on his own and was taken to a hospital. He died from his injuries two weeks later.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Stingley died from anoxic brain injury – a lack of oxygen to the brain due to asphyxia and physical restraint. The office noted Stingley's airway was obstructed with "reasonable force."
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior coverage of the case.