FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney on Monday called the allegations in a human remains investigation involving a Fond du Lac man “beyond disturbing” and criticized the bail set in the case as “shockingly low.”
Toney released a statement following charges filed against Benjamin C. Larson, 47, in Dane County Circuit Court. Larson was charged Aug. 18 with one count of stalking after a Madison-area woman reported what investigators described as a 13-year campaign of harassment.
You can read the full statement below:
"The allegations in the Dane County criminal complaint against Benjamin Larson are beyond disturbing," Toney stated Monday. "The shockingly low cash bail ordered by the Dane County Judge is disturbing based on the allegations, which no woman should ever have to experience. I have been working with investigators since the early stages of this investigation in Fond du Lac County. It remains an active investigation and no charges have been referred to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office. Like all defendants, he is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty."
Investigators found human skulls, skeletal remains and serial killer memorabilia while executing a search warrant Aug. 14 at Larson’s rural Fond du Lac County home.
Authorities also found items allegedly from Ed Gein's grave, a jar bearing a sign claiming to contain a piece of John Wayne Gacy's brain, and bottles labeled with poison names including arsenic and cyanide, according to a complaint.
Handwritten journals recovered from the home describe Larson allegedly driving to the victim's Madison home dressed in all black, sitting outside with the engine off while holding a machete, and feeling "like a shark, investigating its unknowing prey."
Detectives are working with a forensic anthropologist to determine whether the remains are authentic and whether they are modern or ancient. An initial physical examination determined many of the remains are likely ancient Native American in origin, though several require specialized laboratory testing to confirm, the sheriff's office said last week.
