A Father’s Quest for Justice Finds Resolution After 13 Years

ProPublicaCenter-LeftEN 10 min read 100% complete by Megan O’MatzJanuary 13, 2026 at 06:30 PM

AI Summary

long article 10 min

For 13 years, Craig Stingley pursued legal action after his 16-year-old son, Corey, died following an altercation at a Milwaukee-area convenience store on December 14, 2012. Corey died of asphyxiation after three men restrained him for shoplifting $12 worth of beverages. Despite the medical examiner ruling the death a homicide, prosecutors initially declined to press charges. Stingley's persistence and a 2023 ProPublica investigation led to the case being reexamined. This week, Robert W. Beringer and Jesse R. Cole, two of the men involved, were charged with felony murder. A deferred prosecution agreement may lead to the charges being dismissed if they plead guilty or no contest, contribute to charity, and perform community service.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tony Cotton ×240% Wisconsin 40% ProPublica 40% Dane County 40% Milwaukee County Circuit Court 50% Milwaukee 60% Jesse R. Cole ×270% Robert W. Beringer ×270% Corey Stingley ×370% Craig Stingley ×590%

Keywords

father's quest for justice 90% felony murder 80% accountability 70% wrongful death 60% restorative justice 60% legal campaign 50% deferred prosecution agreement 50% witness statements 40% police reports 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.30

Source Transparency

Source

ProPublica

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Milwaukee

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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father's quest for justice felony murder accountability wrongful death restorative justice legal campaign deferred prosecution agreement witness statements police reports

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