Trial Delayed for Wausau Woman Accused of the Death of Her Recently Adopted Daughter

Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 -- 2:00 PM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) A jury trial for the Wausau-area woman accused of homicide after the death of her recently adopted daughter has been delayed by seven months.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, Sumitra Stolp was scheduled for trial in March, but court records show that has been moved to mid-October. The delay will allow court officials to evaluate the credibility and relevance of expert witness testimony.

Both sides have until mid-July to complete their list of expert witnesses. The court will evaluate them and decide which ones should be included by late August. The 38-year-old is accused of reckless homicide and two counts of child neglect after she and her ex-husband, Jonathan Stolp, rushed their recently adopted daughter to a Wausau-area hospital in the summer of 2021.

Doctors said the girl showed signs of abuse including broken bones in her foot and a skull fracture. She also had dangerously high levels of alcohol and Tylenol in her system when she was hospitalized. The child had to be put in a medically-induced coma and died about a week later.

Both Jonathan and Sumitra told different stories regarding the girl’s injuries. Neither story aligned with the severity of the injuries that doctors were treating. Jonathan Stolp was also charged with child neglect in connection with the case and was sentenced in March 2023 as part of a plea deal.

He is serving a ten-month jail sentence with work-release privileges in Chippewa County, where he currently resides. He was also given three years of probation that was withheld under several conditions including treatment or counseling and a mental health assessment.

He will also complete a parenting course. A motion hearing will be held on August 22nd. Sumitra faces nearly 70 years in prison if found guilty on all felony counts.

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