Dikeman trial in La Crosse County infant death still several months into the future

It could take another year before a homicide trial for a child’s death happens in La Crosse County court.

The trial of Josie Dikeman of Onalaska is now scheduled for next August, but pre-trial preparations could push that date back a few months. Dikeman is charged with alleged physical abuse which led to the death of a 6-year-old boy, Alexavier Pedrin, in early 2023.

Dikeman’s defense attorneys are seeking a change of venue because of publicity about the case, along with questioning the legality of one criminal charge. Judge Elliott Levine plans to hold a hearing in January on whether to move the murder trial. In court on Tuesday, Levine suggested that an impartial jury can be found within the county, because other highly-publicized court cases have been tried in La Crosse over the last few years with local juries.

During hearings in the Dikeman case, spectators have frequently come to court wearing shirts that bear a photo of Alexavier.