Green Bay man charged with harboring a felon in relation to reckless homicide charge against his son
48-year-old David Vanderleest was in court on accusations that he lied to officials with the Green Bay Police Department to protect his son, concerning two-year-old Leo Escalante's death.
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The following charges have officially been filed against David:
Harboring or Aiding a Felon
Class G Felony – Possible punishment includes up to $25,000 in fines and/or 10 years in prison
Obstructing an Officer
Class A Misdemeanor – Possible punishment includes up to $10,000 in fines and/or up to nine months in prison
In Davids' criminal complaint, acquired by Local 5, police say he was interviewed by local officers when he claimed to be the only one at home when Escalante had to be airlifted to a hospital, where he died from injuries on June 23.
The interview reportedly continued, and David began complaining about the 'system' and admitted to lying to the police 'to protect his son.'
According to the complaint, David said to charge him with contempt, and that he didn't 'give a (expletive)' as he continued to complain, claiming that local courts are violating people's right to a speedy trial.
David also mentioned in an interview that James had a lot of emotional problems, and that James had finally eaten for the first time in several days. The two were arrested at a cabin in Florence County after a search warrant.
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David is set for an additional hearing on July 22 at 2 p.m.
Local 5 will provide updates as needed.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Typically, when defendants enter a guilty plea, they sign an advisement explaining their rights. 'It's an exchange, it's like a contract. You're saying to the state and to the court, 'Hey, you've made this plea offer to me. I want to accept this plea, and in consideration and trade, I am agreeing that I am not going to appeal my case to the next highest court,'' Eldridge said. 'These are very common,' he added, 'there's no problem with that.' Still, it's possible this isn't the end of Kohberger's dealings with the court, Eldridge said. After the appeals window closes and his conviction becomes final, Kohberger – like any defendant – can file post-conviction motions. These can include arguing an attorney was ineffective or the plea wasn't voluntary. These are not appeals, Eldridge said, so they would not violate or interfere with a defendant's plea agreement. And importantly, 'some of these other motions don't come with repercussions,' he said. 'When people are serving lengthy sentences, they spend their time trying to find a way to write themselves out of jail, so most people will avail themselves of any legal recourse that is available to them,' Eldridge said. Such efforts could include motions, he added, 'equivalent of buying a lottery ticket.' CNN's Tori B. Powell, Danya Gainor, Aditi Sangal and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.
