A Ripon man is facing over 190 years behind bars after being charged with multiple felonies stemming from a brutal axe attack and sexual assault in Fond du Lac last month, according to authorities.
Hayden Daffinson, 34, appeared in court this week where a judge set his cash bond at $5 million. Prosecutors have charged Daffinson with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault, mayhem, reckless injury, aggravated battery, intimidation of a victim, and false imprisonment — all enhanced due to the use of a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assessments.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a home on East Merrill Avenue on June 22, where a woman reported being attacked with an axe. Investigators say Daffinson, the victim’s ex-boyfriend, bought the axe roughly an hour before the assault while en route to her residence to retrieve his belongings.
Officers arrived to find the home covered in blood, with the victim suffering multiple severe lacerations. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she underwent hours of surgery for life-threatening injuries. Doctors say additional surgeries, including a possible finger amputation, may be necessary.
The woman initially hesitated to identify her attacker out of fear but later told police that Daffinson struck her repeatedly after she ended their relationship. The complaint also states that after the axe attack, Daffinson sexually assaulted her, allegedly saying, “I’m just going to kill you because I’m going to prison anyway.”
A witness’s doorbell camera captured video and audio of the incident, including the victim pleading with Daffinson to leave.
License plate readers and cell phone data indicated that Daffinson fled to Illinois. Later that day, police located him in Germantown, where he led officers on a high-speed chase reaching over 110 miles per hour before being taken into custody. Blood was found on him at the time, which he claimed was from fighting with his girlfriend.
Daffinson remains in custody and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on July 31 at 1:30 p.m. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
