A tragic and shocking crime has shaken the quiet town of Nekoosa, Wisconsin. A 26-year-old man, Jason W. Tourtillott, has been arrested for allegedly killing his own father, Thomas S. Tourtillott, 58, after an argument about cleanliness.
It all unfolded on July 22, 2021, when police received a 911 call about an unresponsive man at a home on Crestview Lane in Nekoosa, about 120 miles west of Green Bay. When officers arrived, Jason met them at the door and led them to his father, who was lying on the floor of a middle room in the house.
As they walked through the kitchen, Jason pointed to a red stain on the wall and casually explained, “That’s chili, I’m sorry.”
Emergency responders tried to revive Thomas, but it was too late. He had no pulse, and his body showed clear signs of trauma. There were cuts above both his eyes, bruises forming on his face, and a small, bleeding wound behind his right ear. Blood pooled beneath him and stained the surrounding area.
Despite attempts to save him, Thomas never regained a heartbeat. He was officially pronounced dead when the deputy coroner arrived.
Jason’s story, however, didn’t quite add up. During two separate interviews with police, he gave conflicting statements about what happened. He couldn’t keep his story straight about why his father wasn’t wearing a shirt, at first saying he didn’t know, then admitting he might have removed it but couldn’t remember where he put it.
He also told officers he had been asleep from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. that day but hesitated when asked about activity on his phone around 5 p.m. Jason repeatedly brought up his father’s drinking, saying it wasn’t unusual for him to pass out in random places.
When police noticed blood on Jason’s body, he admitted he had washed it off in the bathroom at the Nekoosa Police Department. He also had scratches on his arms and legs, which he blamed on the family cat.
The story took another twist when Jason’s sister spoke with investigators. She revealed that her brother did, in fact, drink alcohol, even though he told police otherwise. She also said he had a short temper when drinking.
That day, Jason had been babysitting her son. She visited the house twice, and during her second visit around 6:30 p.m., she noticed something was off. Both her brother and father were shirtless, and Jason seemed upset. She recalled him angrily referring to their father as a “stupid f—er” and complaining that he had spilled chili or couldn’t walk properly.
Her son, Jason’s nephew, also had something to say. He told police he heard his uncle and grandfather yelling at each other before a fight broke out. Though he was upstairs and couldn’t see them, he overheard Jason accusing Thomas of having an accident on the couch. Thomas responded, “I don’t know, it was an accident,” but Jason didn’t believe him.
Moments later, the boy heard his grandfather cry out in pain, followed by Jason’s voice demanding, “Why did you do that?” Then came a loud slapping noise.
Authorities later listened to the 911 call Jason had made and noticed something strange. Despite claiming he had performed CPR for 30 minutes, he didn’t sound out of breath or exhausted at all.
Investigators concluded that Thomas had suffered multiple blows to his head. They believe his son was responsible for the brutal attack.
Now, Jason Tourtillott sits behind bars in the Wood County Jail, facing a first-degree intentional homicide charge. His bail has been set at $1 million in cash.
