Author Archives: Joan Treppa

A Meaningful and Long Overdue Exchange…

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I spotted him standing in line a few yards from where I sat. “Now’s your chance,” I thought to myself. Mimicking those same thoughts were ones spoken aloud by my husband, Mike. “You better go now or you’ll lose your chance to talk to him,” he urged. That was all the motivation I needed.

I stood next to him and blurted out, “Howdy!”

He turned. I smiled.

He then greeted me with similar enthusiasm and a smile that warmed my heart.

I showed him my name tag, compliments of the Great North Innocence Project (GN-IP). This evening was their annual gala which had finally brought the two of us together.

“Does this name look familiar?” I inquired. He responded with a curious “No.” It was not too surprising, given that what I was about to share with him happened ten years ago in 2015. This exchange we were now sharing was long overdue.

I explained how I had recently come across correspondence he and I had while he was still incarcerated. “I was sifting through names of all the people who’ve reached out to me over the years through my website, A Matter of Facts, and I came across your name,” I explained.

Recollection was still absent from his face.

I continued. “I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw your name, especially after hearing about you in the news following your exoneration. And then…I freaked and wondered if I had bothered to respond back to you. So…I went digging through my emails and sure enough, I found the correspondence between us. I have to be honest. Back then I received a lot of messages from people looking for help and sadly, I was overwhelmed. As much as I tried, I could not respond to everyone. Your message was so kind and respectful so it was a huge relief to know that I hadn’t ignored you.”

Marvin Haynes* stood there reconciling the details of this long lost connection. “I do remember writing to you!” Familiarity flooded his memory. “Can you send those emails to me? I’d like to see them,” he said.

“Yes, of course,” I reassured him.

“Please, I’d like you to meet some of my friends and family. They’re just over there at that nearby table.” I said. “Plus I have something I’d like to give to you.”

“Sure,” said Marvin. I introduced my husband, Mike, my sister, Clare, a friend, Mark Charron, and finally, Keith Kutska, all of whom were delighted to meet my new friend.

I then pulled my last copy of Reclaiming Lives out of the cloth bag that was hanging on the backrest of a nearby chair. Marvin glanced at it. “You wrote this? I want to write my own book, too,” he said excitedly. “Well, maybe I can help you with that, give you a few pointers,” I offered. That would be great!” Marvin’s excitement grew. I explained that my contact information was inside the book and we agreed that we’d be in touch.

I asked Marvin if he’d pose with me for a photo. He agreed and Mike took the first picture. “Oh, I should be holding your book up for the next one,” Marvin declared.

An entire month passed before I finally got around to gathering the contents of those emails onto a word document which I sent to Marvin in a private message. I reiterated who I was and included the photo Mike had taken of us (with him holding my book) at the Benefit.

To my surprise, almost immediately, Marvin tagged me in the following post on social media:

*Marvin’s story.

Donate to Marvin’s GOFUNDME Campaign

If you have thoughts/feedback about my content please feel free to share them on this site. Thank you. Take care…

Warm Breezes, Common Threads, Rippling Effects…

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A beautiful summer-like evening welcomed this year’s Great North Innocence Project (GN-IP) Gala. The event themed, Ripple Effects, was held at the Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis on September 24, 2025. Joining us this year were my sister, Clare and fellow innocence advocate, Mark Charron. Also joining us for the first time was one of our six guys, Keith Kutska. Former attorneys, Steve Kaplan and John Lundquist, both of whom worked on Keith’s post-conviction appeal, were in attendance and had come over to greet us shortly after we arrived. They whisked Keith away to introduce him to other notable people throughout the evening.

We all were excited for a rare opportunity to meet the evening’s keynote speaker/exoneree, Jarett Adams.

Image courtesy of the GN-IP

Among the exonerees we met that evening for the first time was Edgar Barrientos-Quintana who was wrongfully convicted in 2009 and exonerated in 2024. I mention him in my third edition of Reclaiming Lives while citing an article written by the current Hennepin County Prosecutor, Mary Moriarty. In the article, Why I prioritized establishing a conviction integrity unit in Hennepin County, Moriarty writes, “Barrientos-Quintana’s case presents numerous issues that often show up in cases of wrongful conviction. Those include flawed eyewitness identification procedures, coercive interviews of youth witnesses, failure to disclose exculpatory evidence and failure to recognize obvious evidence of innocence once the investigation locked into a narrative of guilt.”

I shared with Edgar the mention of him in my book and gifted him a copy. I also made it a point to meet supportive family members of his who had accompanied him that evening. They all are exceptional people full of warmth.

We chatted with our friend and MN exoneree, Michael Hansen, who was dining with his wife, Shaylee, at a picnic table nearby. As I gave him a copy of my third edition I asked, “You know that there’s a picture of you in my book from when you participated in one of our car shows, right? “There is?” Mike inquired excitedly. “Yes! I also have a summary of your case and describe how we first met! Look! I said. I turned to the photo section. “Wow, that’s cool! I do remember that.” Mike recalled.

Mike Hansen speaking at a 2015 ‘Hotrod Breakout’ car show/fundraiser

As we enjoyed buffet style offerings of delectable food items at our picnic table, I kept an eye out for a specific GN-IP client who was exonerated in 2023, Marvin Haynes. Haynes had attended the 2024 Benefit for Innocence. However, that was prior to my realizing a prior connection between us. I wanted to refresh his memory of that connection and to introduce myself this time around. (This specific instance warrants a separate blog posting so, stay tuned for that.)

Joan and Marvin Haynes

Following dinner was a presentation with awards being given out and various speakers. It was then when we learned unexpectedly that two Wisconsin exonerees were in attendance. Two brothers, David and Bobby Bintz, had been represented by the GN-IP, with pro bono support from Chestnut Cambronne, and the Wisconsin Innocence Project (WIP). The brothers were exonerated in 2024 and were among the many exonerees being recognized during this event.

We made it a priority to meet the Bintz brothers, mainly because of the common thread that linked their case with the Monfils case. The same prosecutor, John Zakowski, who by the way, continues to be a Circuit Court Judge despite the growing list of overturned convictions on his record as prosecutor, is that link. We spent quite a bit of time visiting with David and Bobby, two great guys who were more than willing to pose for numerous photos.

Bobby Bintz, Clare Martinson, Joan, and David Bintz

David, Keith, Bobby  

The Bintz brothers are currently involved in a $2 million dollar lawsuit (for each) which would provide compensation for their wrongful convictions. Both entering their seventies, they have no sustaining income or other financial prospects. The standard $5,000/year with a cap of $25,000 in Wisconsin is inadequate given their situation. In fact, Jarrett Adams recently spoke directly to the Wisconsin Claims Board on their behalf about what they deserve: “…real compensation—not capped payouts and red tape.”

Clare and Bobby

Mike and David

Adams’ keynote address was inspiring, full of hopeful sentiment, and insight. His humble disposition was representative of the many exonerees I’ve met in the past. His frankness in combatting wrongful convictions and ability to now make a difference through his law firm Jarrett Adams Law sent an undeniable surge of energy throughout the entire room.

Inspiring speech given by Keynote speaker, Jarrett Adams

A philosophical analysis of wrongful convictions…

In anticipation of meeting Adams, I had prepared a gift bag which included a copy of my third edition and a copy of The Monfils Conspiracy. Following the program I approached him during a rare interval between visits with other attendees. He was so welcoming. “This is for you.” I handed the bag to him. He looked inside, excitement growing on his face. He was grateful for my gift, AND super excited to dig into both books. His assistant also examined the books with great interest.

Joan with  Jarrett Adams

“I’ll be right back. I want to put these where I won’t forget them,” Adams said as he rushed to a nearby table. He was back in a flash. We all proceeded to visit with him at length. He and Keith bonded immediately so we gave them space to converse. I spoke with Adams again later on. “How can I reach you? he had asked. “My email address is inside my book, I explained. “Great, he said. Expect to hear from me.”

Joan with Jarrett Adams and Keith 

Keith especially enjoyed connecting with Adams and many other exonerees. Having an opportunity to also meet GN-IP Executive Director, Sara Jones, GN-IP Legal Director, Jim Mayer, and so many others felt like a big deal to him. He later shared how relevant he had felt all evening and expressed the warmth that radiated from everyone he had met. “It felt like a safe place with no one judging me,” he had said afterward.

Joan, Keith, Sara Jones

Bobby,  Jim Mayer, Keith

As I continue to support and advocate for Keith and his codefendants through book events and other events similar to this, I am filled with the satisfaction of having told them repeatedly through letters while incarcerated, about the vast amount of support they have on the outside. Now…they get to experience that support in real time…

A quick note: I recently won a book award for this third edition. How fitting for a story full of champions!

My publisher embossed the decal onto the front cover image which will be present on future printed copies.

FYI: Jarrett Adams has also written a memoir called Redeeming Justice.

If you have thoughts/feedback about my content please feel free to share them on this site. Thank you. Take care…

Connecting With Quality Friends at Eden Vista…  

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Good friend and fellow advocate for six innocent men, Shirley DeLorme now resides at a senior living community in Green Bay called, The Village at Eden Vista. Through her efforts, I was scheduled to give a book talk to its residents on Thursday, July 31, 2025.

When doing these events, I always keep in mind that sometimes it is more about the quality of my audience than the quantity. That was certainly the case with this event which summoned a modest group of 15-20 attendees made up of both residents and staff. It was held in the basement theater space and was a mixed group of those who were aware of the Monfils case and those who were not.

Photo courtesy of The Village of Eden Vista

Our exoneree, Michael “Pie” Piaskowski, joined me for this event. And this time, I provided a slide show to accompany my usual presentation of introducing myself, summarizing the case, announcing him as my guest, and finally, fielding questions from the audience.

Locatelli family circa 1964 (Joan Treppa’s immediate family)

Shirley was the first to arrive downstairs. Aside from her welcomed presence, one other woman stood out quite prominently. Judy is a retired attorney who grew up in Green Bay. She had practiced elsewhere and was not in the area when the Monfils case saturated news headlines. In fact, she had only recently returned to her hometown of Green Bay.

I asked what her level of understanding of the case was. “I was kept abreast by colleagues in this area during that time,” she explained. “I wanted to attend today to hear more details and to learn what has happened since. If you have extra books with you, I’d like to buy one.” I signed her copy and showed her the four additional signatures near mine. “I was able to get some of the six guys to sign the books as an added bonus for these events,” I said to her. She was thrilled.

Following the presentation, Judy’s background became apparent when she asked a number of very technical questions regarding appeals, procedure, etc., which Mike Pie handled with ease. She was also interested in knowing whether or not the other five men were still in prison. Shirley asked a number of questions as well, as a way to help the rest of the audience gain an appreciation of the flaws in this case.

During questions, I shared Shirley’s role of hosting the Family and Friends (FAF) meetings at her home. I shared photos taken of her with various family members of the six men. The photos also included John Gaie and Denis Gullickson, authors of the book, The Monfils Conspiracy.

Back row L to R: Denis Gullickson, Lee Basten, Mike Pie, Clayton Kutska Front row: Shirley DeLorme, Gina Martin, Claire Micoliczyk

John Gaie, Shirley DeLorme, Mike Hirn

After every one else had left, both Shirley and Judy hung out with us to chat further. Much more was discussed about the case. Judy also shared an impressive list of prominent people she considered as close friends. Those in the political arena such as Wisconsin Senator, Tammy Baldwin and Virginia Senator, Tim Kaine are among her closest. Judy promised to share my book with Senator Baldwin.

Both women walked with us to the front entrance and lingered for a bit longer. As we exited the building I said to Mike Pie, my husband, Mike, and Clare, “There’s always at least one interesting connection made at these events. You just never know what that connection will be and where it might take us.”