Investigators said Dayne Paulson described striking and squeezing his infant son after the baby would not stop crying.
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — A Wisconsin father accused of severely injuring his 27-day-old son gave investigators a series of statements that helped turn a hospital abuse report into a felony case, police said in a criminal complaint.
The complaint against 23-year-old Dayne Paulson centers on what authorities say happened after doctors found severe injuries on the newborn and police began asking how they occurred. Paulson is charged with repeated physical abuse of a child causing great bodily harm. He remained in the Chippewa County Jail after a judge raised his cash bond to $200,000.
Police were called on April 25 after staff at Marshfield Hospital in Eau Claire reported a possible child abuse case. The newborn had been brought in with visible injuries, including a cut above one eye, bruising near the eye and an injury to the septum. Those injuries alone did not explain the baby’s condition, according to investigators. A more complete exam found deeper trauma, and the child was moved for intensive pediatric care.
At the second hospital, doctors found three skull fractures and fractures to the baby’s collarbone, leg, nose and a rib. They also found cerebral hemorrhages, retinal hemorrhages and brain lacerations. Medical staff told investigators the findings pointed strongly toward inflicted abusive head trauma. Police said the baby’s condition was serious enough that doctors could not yet say what the long-term effect would be, even though there were signs the infant could survive.
The complaint said Paulson first offered explanations that investigators viewed as unlikely. Police said he described the baby as “being dramatic” and said the newborn did not like having his diaper changed. The case shifted during later questioning, when Paulson allegedly spoke with social workers on April 27. During that interview, police said, he admitted harming the baby because the infant would not settle down and stop crying.
Investigators said Paulson’s alleged account included several forms of force. He allegedly admitted punching the baby in the eye and head-butting him more than once. He also allegedly said he squeezed the infant so hard that his own ribs hurt. The complaint does not say the newborn could speak or resist; it describes the child as less than one month old and dependent on adult care when the injuries were found.
Police then asked Paulson to demonstrate what he meant. According to the complaint, investigators gave him a Kleenex box and watched as he squeezed it. The box was crushed. That demonstration became one of the clearest physical details in the complaint because it gave police a way to describe the level of force Paulson allegedly said he used. Authorities did not say whether the box was kept as evidence or photographed for court.
The child’s medical records and Paulson’s statements appear to form the backbone of the early case. The complaint ties the admissions to the injuries described by doctors, including the skull fractures and bleeding around the brain and eyes. Police have not released a separate witness account that describes seeing the abuse occur. They also have not said whether there is video, audio from the interviews or other physical evidence beyond medical findings and the alleged demonstration.
Paulson appeared in court May 1, less than a week after the hospital call. His bond rose from $50,000 cash to $200,000 cash at that appearance. The higher bond kept him jailed unless the full amount was posted. Court reporting listed another appearance for May 26. The case remained in its early stage, and the charge was an allegation that prosecutors must prove in court.
The baby’s condition remained a major unresolved part of the case. A doctor said there were reassuring signs for survival, but the child faced a long road ahead. Because the boy was only 27 days old when he was treated, doctors said it was too soon to know whether the injuries would affect him for life. Reports also said medical experts warned of a risk of developmental delays tied to the head trauma.
Wisconsin’s child welfare disclosure system also reflected a Chippewa County critical incident dated April 25. The state posts such notices when a child death, serious injury or critical incident is linked to suspected maltreatment. Those notices do not decide guilt in a criminal case, but they can mark the start of a separate public review process. Any later child welfare report would focus on agency contact and safety systems, not on whether Paulson is criminally responsible.
Authorities have released few details about the baby’s home, the family’s prior contact with police or child welfare workers, or the exact period when the injuries were inflicted. The child has not been named publicly. No public statement has said whether the mother, who brought him to the hospital, is accused of wrongdoing. The criminal complaint described Paulson as the person who allegedly admitted causing the injuries.
The next step is scheduled in Chippewa County court on May 26. Until then, the case stands on the hospital report, the doctors’ findings and the statements police say Paulson made after the newborn was moved to intensive care.
Author note: Last updated May 24, 2026.