BURNETT COUNTY – A 31-year-old Webster woman has been arrested and faces charges in the death of 27-year-old Preston “Kunu” Decorah, stemming from an incident Monday, March 30.

Tara Appleton is being charged for causing death by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and reckless homicide.

 

Initial autopsy results revealed Decorah died from head injuries consistent with a fall from a moving vehicle.

 

The sheriff’s department received a call at 9:15 a.m. Monday, March 30, saying Decorah was lying in a driveway in the Hertel area and the caller was unable to wake him.

 

Decorah was taken to Spooner Hospital and then airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he died from injuries.

 

“Information gathered through a joint investigation with St. Croix Tribal Police, Wisconsin State Patrol, Burnett County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Preston Decorah had fallen onto the roadway while riding on top of a moving vehicle. Mr. Decorah was left on the roadway for approximately an hour and then moved to the reporting party’s driveway where he was ultimately found, hours later, and transported to the hospital,” the sheriff’s statement said.

 

An obituary can be found on the Leader’s website at leaderregister.com.

 

The investigation of Decorah’s death is being conducted with assistance from the St. Croix Tribal Police Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.