JAMES CLEMENT

CRYSTAL FALLS — A 72-year-old Crystal Falls man faces a possible prison term in March after a jury Sunday found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter but not second-degree murder in the September 2021 death of the man he’d been taking care of in the home they shared.

After 3 1/2 hours of jury deliberations, James Oliver Clement also was convicted of lying to a peace officer-violent crime investigation in the death of Ralph Schuirmann, 92.

Iron County Trial Court Judge Donald Powell denied Clement’s bail request after the conviction and had him taken into custody pending sentencing at 10:30 a.m. March 3, when he could receive up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter charge.

Testimony in the seven-day trial in Iron County 41st Circuit Court indicated Schuirmann, who lived with Clement for six years after previously staying in a nursing home, died Sept. 26, 2021, of a brain bleed from blunt force trauma.

Iron County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Mansell testified he was called to the Aspirus Iron River Hospital for an unnatural death. The amount of bruising on Schuirmann’s body led Mansell to launch a homicide investigation.

Hours of Mansell’s bodycam video was played for the jury, in which Clement could be heard explaining it was difficult to move Schuirmann and he bruised easily. Clement also said in the video that Schuirmann may have hit his head on the car when Clement was trying to get him into the vehicle to bring him to the hospital.

In another video, Clement stated a lamp may have played a part in Schuirmann’s injuries.

Final defense witnesses were called Saturday.

Brandon Maki, an EMS worker called to Clement’s house the night Schuirmann died, told the jury Schuirmann was outside of the house in his wheelchair and unresponsive when they arrived. Other than bandaging a skin tear, Maki did not suspect trauma and the call did not stand out to him.

Clement’s sister, Laura Wagner, testified that for Clement — also known as “Mr. Entertainment” for performing at area nursing homes and similar venues — having Schuirmann come live with him was an adjustment but he dedicated himself to Schuirmann’s care.

Wagner described her brother as someone who would do anything for anybody and as a result gets taken advantage of. Wagner said Clement tends to answer questions in a roundabout way.

Wagner stated both she and Clement had experience working in nursing homes and knew how to move a patient.

Dr. Donald Jacobs of Iron Mountain testified he had seen both Schuirmann and Clement as patients. Jacobs stated he was very concerned with Schuirmann’s health and well-being, that Clement had good technique handling Schuirmann, that Schuirmann appeared to be well taken care of and he never saw them argue.

Like other witnesses, Jacobs said talking to Clement could be challenging, as he was hard to interpret.

Sociologist Dr. Richard Ofshe, an expert witness on the subject of interrogations, testified on the inherent problems with the manner in which Clement was questioned and said Clement never changed his account of events and worked with authorities toward the same goal — helping determine what had happened.

In closing arguments Sunday, Iron County Prosecuting Attorney Chad DeRouin pointed out Ofshe never said Mansell did anything wrong during his questioning of Clement.

DeRouin also told the jury other doctors had testified there had been abuse, Clement had admitted to striking Schuirmann and he was the only one with access to Schuirmann in the hours leading up to his death.

Clement’s attorney, Daryl Waters, stated Clement enjoyed taking care of Schuirmann and the bruises on Schuirmann were the result of Clement trying to save him. Police were never clear on what Clement supposedly did and Clement always tried to help authorities in figuring out what happened.