Reality TV Cowboy Sentenced to a Decade in Prison for Brutal Attack

Ethan Treadwell, a 43-year-old former contestant on the reality television series "Ultimate Cowboy Showdown," has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison, with an additional 15 years suspended, for a violent assault on 74-year-old William "Junior" Hicks. The attack occurred in January 2024 when Hicks confronted Treadwell on his cattle farm in Hobart, Oklahoma, regarding unpaid lease money.

Treadwell, who prosecutors stated was heavily intoxicated at the time, allegedly punched and kicked Hicks more than 10 times after the elderly man approached him. The assault resulted in severe injuries for Hicks, including traumatic brain injuries, the loss of 15 teeth, a fractured skull, and an orbital blowout fracture of his right eye. Hicks required airlifting to a hospital, where he underwent facial reconstruction surgery and was placed on a ventilator.

Hicks later experienced a stroke while recovering from a second surgery to address pain from a metal plate in his eye socket, leaving him confined to a wheelchair. The prosecution presented evidence indicating Hicks was holding a phone during the confrontation, contradicting Treadwell's claim that he acted in self-defense after Hicks approached him with pliers.

Treadwell initially faced charges of aggravated assault and battery but pleaded down to lesser charges of maiming. He was ordered to serve at least half of his 10-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The sentencing occurred on June 3. In addition to the prison sentence, Treadwell also faced financial repercussions, including a default judgment for over $104,000 in unpaid debts to the Farmers Cooperative Association, along with court costs and attorney fees.

Treadwell, who appeared in the first season of "Ultimate Cowboy Showdown" in 2019, has a history of marital dissolution. His divorce from his wife, Kendall Cross, was finalized in January 2024, shortly after the attack. His first marriage also ended in divorce. He and Hicks lived on the same road outside of Mountain Park, with Treadwell's farm situated on land owned by Hicks.