UPDATED: Monday, December 3, 2012 --- 2:05 p.m.

From the Dane County Sheriff's Office:

December 3, 2012 – On the morning of Saturday, December 1st, Ryan M. Smith died at UW Hospital. According to an autopsy performed by the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office, Ryan’s death was the result of blunt trauma.

Koalton P. Peterson is currently being held in the Dane County Jail on the new charge of First Degree Reckless Homicide.

Information obtained by Dane County Sheriff’s detectives shows that prior to the incident, the two men had been exchanging text messages over the sale of marijuana from Peterson to Ryan. Those text messages became argumentative, when Peterson told Ryan that he would not provide him with the drugs that night.

Shortly after midnight on November 27th, Ryan Smith and a female friend arrived at 407 Oak Valley Road in Mt. Horeb, where Peterson was staying with a friend. Peterson met Ryan outside the residence armed with a baseball bat, which he used to beat Ryan. Initially the female had remained in the vehicle, but when she heard noises she got out and confronted Peterson. She called 911, and Peterson fled through the back of the house.

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UPDATED Sunday, December 2, 2012 --- 3:52 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A Fitchburg man has died after being beaten with a baseball bat in Mount Horeb.

The Dane County Sheriff's Office says 20-year-old Ryan M. Smith died Saturday morning at UW Hospital. Smith suffered skull fractures and lung injuries in the beating early last Tuesday. Authorities have said drugs may have played a role in the violence.

Authorities are holding an 18-year-old man on suspicion of attempted first-degree intentional homicide. His bail was set Friday at $1 million, but Assistant District Attorney Rachel Sattler delayed formally charging him Friday, saying the charge likely would be upgraded to homicide.

The suspect has claimed self-defense, and has another hearing set for this coming Tuesday.

Copyright 2012: Associated Press

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UPDATED: Saturday, December 1, 2012 --- 3:25 p.m.

UW Hospital confirms that the victim, 20-year-old Ryan Smith from Fitchburg died at the hospital.

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UPDATED Friday, November 30, 2012--5:30p.m.

MADISON--On Tuesday, a 20-year-old man was found lying in the road in Mt. Horeb. The man had serious injuries and was Med Flighted to UW Hospital, where we're told he remains in critical condition.

His name is Ryan M. Smith, and he's from the Fitchburg area.
His Uncle says Smith was not breathing when authorities found him--nor did he have a pulse. He says one police officer spent half an hour administering CPR. He says Smith is currently in critical condition.

Eighteen-year-old Koalton Peterson is the man accused of the assault. Again, we're told a baseball bat was involved in the incident.

Peterson's been in Dane County Jail since Tuesday and faces tentative charges of Attempted First Degree Intentional Homicide.

Today, Peterson's bail was set at one million dollars and he was ordered to have no contact with Smith or his family.
No criminal complaint has yet been filed. We're told that is because the charges might change from attempted homicide to actual homicide.

A medical fund has been set-up for Ryan M. Smith at Summit Credit Union in Fitchburg. They're located on South Fish Hatchery Road. You can contact them about donating to the fund.

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UPDATE: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 --- 10:00 a.m.

From the Dane County Sheriff's Office:

At approximately 12:21 am, Mt. Horeb police were called to Oak Valley Road in the Village of Mt. Horeb for a battery involving a baseball bat.

Police located the victim, Ryan M. Smith, age 20 of Fitchburg, lying in the roadway. He was transported to UW Hospital by Med Flight with serious injuries.

The suspect, Koalton P. Peterson (above), age 18 of Mt. Horeb, had fled the scene, but was located a short time later by police and taken into custody. He will be booked into the Dane County Jail on a tentative charge of Attempted 1st Degree Intentional Homicide.

Dane County Sheriff’s detectives, along with the Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, responded to the scene and will continue to work with Mt. Horeb PD to investigate the circumstances leading up to the assault.

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Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2012 -- 4:35 a.m.

Police are investigating a violent assault with a baseball bat in Mt. Horeb. Police were called to a home on the 400 Block of Oak Valley Road just before 12:30 a.m.

They found a man unconscious with wounds to the head. He was flown to an area hospital by Medflight. His condition has not been released.

The Dane County Sheriff's Department says no one has been arrested but there is not a manhunt underway at this time.