Category Archives: Monfils Case

A ‘Natural’ Fit… Pt. 1

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After publishing yet another (third) edition of my book in June of 2025, I was on the lookout for new and creative ways to attract new readership. I eventually came up with an idea I felt might be interesting for both book and music lovers alike. There’s such a thing as music and poetry. Why not music and prose?

A blend of music paired with a recital of excerpts from my book sounded appealing to me. What a powerful statement that would make! I even knew on a personal level, some Wisconsin musicians who could help me pull this off. I decided to reach out to them to see if they’d be interested.

Photo courtesy of Natural Satellite

Over the years I’ve gotten to know Karli and Jason Reisdorf; a married couple and musical duo, better known as Natural Satellite. Recent winners of the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) awards, Karli plays cello, mostly through the use of her fingers. Jason plays saxophone. Karli also sings and I must say that her voice paired with Jason’s saxophone creates a sound like no other!

Their music would definitely pair well with the direction I was aiming for regarding specific book passages; to highlight the voices of the men and their families. Karli and Jason had already read my book. They were well aware of my mission. This collaboration seemed like a natural fit.

I made an inquiry through their website. Within a week I had my answer. They were quite excited about the prospect of being a part of what would be a new adventure for us both.

After working out the details, this flyer was created to promote our event:

Our son, Jared, traveled from S. Lake Tahoe, CA to support “Mom.” My good friend, Vicki, and her husband Brian, two people who have supported my mission from the beginning, also drove from the Minneapolis area to witness a meaningful event on May 2nd, 2026. Titled: Tragedy in Titletown: An Afternoon of Music and Prose, this event took place at the Appleton Public Library in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. Karli and Jason provided mostly background music that elevated my words towards a deeply emotional journey; a journey that seemed to captivate a small but rather engaged audience.

Mike – Joan Treppa with son, Jared Manninen (on R)

Following a Q&A session with the audience Karli and Jason played two of their amazingly powerful songs: Counting Sheep and Fly Away, the latter of which they kindly dedicated to me.

Photo courtesy of Jared Manninen

To say this event was moving is an understatement. To say it was successful, well, that can be measured in many ways. In this instance it did not mean standing room only crowds. Like some of my events in the past, this one had more to do with quality over quantity.

To further this point I’ll tell you about one couple who attended. During the Q&A session following the program Karen and Jim spoke up. Karen shared that she had read my book and that she also read it to Jim. At that time, Jim was skeptical about the innocence of the men and the idea that the outcome was suicide. Karen told this audience that my book had caused a shift in Jim’s assessment.

I spoke with both of them afterwards. They had learned of our event through JOSHUA; an organization in Green Bay that one of the six men, Michael Hirn, is affiliated with. Karen expressed their disappointment in the low attendance that day and offered her assistance should we decide to schedule another event in Appleton in the future. Karen reassured us that there is plenty of interest in this area for this type of event.

I welcomed Karen’s offer and gave her my contact information. I then shared the news with Karli and Jason who were on board with collaborating on additional events.

And there’s more… Part 2 will cover the following:

An exciting aspect of this event will include some more recent news about a new documentary in the works about this case! I’ll explain who our special guests were and the interview that happened following this event…

Also, there are positive developments in regards to Karen.

Please stay tuned…

#girlonamission

A Birthday Remembered…A Friend Never Forgotten….

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12-22-2023: Photo taken six months after Keith Kutska was released on parole

Keith had shared his excitement about flying to Arizona to see his friend, Jeff. It would be his first time ever in an airplane. But what we didn’t know was that it would also be his last.

Today, March 9, 2026, marks Keith’s seventy-fifth birthday. But he is not with us to celebrate. Keith was taken from this earth much too soon and quite unexpectedly. He had arrived safely in Arizona and was picked up by Jeff. They were in Jeff’s car when Keith suddenly suffered a medical emergency. Jeff acted quickly and Keith was taken to the hospital post-haste. But a week later, he was gone.

The following obituary was posted by Legacy on March 3rd, 2026:

Keith Matthew Kutska 

“No, his mind is not for rent To any god or government”

Keith Matthew Kutska, 74, passed away on February 24, 2026, while traveling in Arizona. He was born in Green Bay, WI on March 9, 1951, to the late Norman and Nathalie (Judkins) Kutska. He graduated from East High School. Keith loved spending time with his family and friends, especially ‘tipping back a few’ with them. He enjoyed fishing, music, grilling out, exploring history, and his family would definitely consider him an amateur astronomist.

Keith is survived by his his wife, Ardie; son, Clayton (Brenda) Kutska; grandchildren, Kelsey Kutska, Katie (Nate) Krupp, and Mathew Kutska; great grandchild, Elijah Krupp; siblings, Doug Kutska, Brad Kutska, Paul Kutska, Lori (David) Noren, Tracey Bartell, and Cheryl Wall (Kutska) and many nieces and nephews. He is further survived by his step mother, Jean Kutska and sister-in-law, Lori (Roger) Balweirczak.

He is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Mark Kutska and Chris Kutska; father and mother-in-law, Frank and Elaine Balweirczak; nephew, Jed Balweirczak; and good friends, Larry and Pete.

Special thank you to Jeff “Julio” for being there for the family and a great friend to Keith along with Randy “Wimpy”, and Bob.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Ramble On

2-21-2015: First prison visit with Keith Kutska at Jackson Correctional in WI

   

7/2015: Evidentiary hearing in Green Bay

My first communication with Keith was in 2010. His many letters to me were kind, considerate, and respectful. My husband, Mike, and I had visited him twice during his incarceration. We had observed him in the Brown County Courtroom during the (unsuccessful) evidentiary hearing on his behalf in 2015. Even though the courts failed to recognize his innocence, Keith’s character never wavered. His optimism that he would eventually be released had never diminished. After he was released from prison, we planned visits. He and I collaborated on various book events. In fact, Keith participated in the book launch of my third edition in MN. He attended a benefit for Innocence, also in MN and accompanied me for a class visit at the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay. Keith often shared afterwards that he had felt the love and appreciation from those who attended these events.

7-21-2025: MN Book Launch

9-24-2025: MN Benefit for Innocence Joan, Keith, and Exec. Dir. of GN-IP, Sara Jones   

9-24-2025: MN Benefit for Innocence Keith with WI exonerees David and Bobby Bintz

2-29-2024: Nolan Bennett’s class at UWGB

The opening words for the following event will be those of Keith’s; words that will be especially meaningful during this difficult time. I will do my absolute best to recite them with the integrity and justice they deserve.

Keith had become a trusted friend to many over the years. Those who met him appreciated his kind disposition, his thoughtfulness, his humor and assertive nature, and even his unapologetic and outspoken opinions of our criminal justice system.

Keith enjoyed the past two-and-a-half years of freedom to the fullest. He celebrated the best that life had to offer. Today, we, the living, celebrate the birthday of a dear friend who will never be forgotten…

Hey Y’all! Tip(sy)ing the Scales of Justice Toward Truth…

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Our venue on July 21st was the recently opened Hey Y’all Typsy Taco Bar (now permanently closed). It occupied the vacated space of the restaurant better known as Betty Danger’s. This new space was charming and inviting. And it had the iconic Ferris wheel still on site, still accessible to diners.

 

But that was not the ride attendees experienced for my second book launch in NE Minneapolis. It was more of a roller coaster of deep emotion including laughter, anger, gist, and full-on support for a dedicated initiative on behalf of six innocent men.

Approximately 30 people attended to support this endeavor, to meet my special guest, Keith Kutska, and to hear him speak about his experience of being targeted, charged, and convicted for a crime he did not commit.

FYI: Because Keith was released on parole, he was required to ask for permission from his Parole Officer (PO) in order to travel over the border from Wisconsin into Minnesota. He showed me his “Travel Permit,” a piece of paper he needed to have with him at all times while he was away. Keith joked about it when he arrived but I don’t think any of us truly appreciate the feelings associated with having restrictions such as these placed on us as adults.

In my introduction, I shared Keith’s readiness to take back his life and accomplish meaningful things. High on his wish list was an eagerness to collaborate with me on book events. I also shared this heart-wrenching quote from Keith which I included in my book:

“Prior to his release and in our final moments during my first prison visit with him, he became thoughtful. ‘I have to tell you something,’ he had said as he looked me squarely in the eyes. ‘In the span of time between the failed attempt at a new trial for Reynold Moore and the start of the legal proceedings by the MN law firm, your letters kept me alive.’”

(Top L) Amy Jauman, (Top R) Debbie Russell, both part of the Women of Words (WOW) writing Group.

In attendance were longtime and more recent friends. Former attorney, Steve Kaplan, who represented Keith in a post-conviction evidentiary hearing in 2015, was there to lend his unwavering support. My program mimicked the previous book launch in Wisconsin with an explanation of my involvement in this endeavor, a summary of the case, followed by questions from the audience.

   

Keith was nervous at first. Even though I reassured him that this would be a positive experience, he, like the other men, was unsure of how well he would be received. He eventually felt more at ease and became animated and somewhat thoughtful. And after twenty-eight years of wrongful incarceration, he was unapologetic about his unfettered opinion of the criminal justice system.

Following the program, feedback varied:

One person shared their agitation over the negatively broad picture Keith had painted of the entire system. This person stressed that it’s not like that. I thought back to my partnership with Johnny Johnson, the retired crime scene expert who became livid with how unethical and corrupt the lead detective had been while investigating this case initially. I remembered Johnny’s vow to make sure he didn’t get away with it. Both Johnny and this person had worked in the legal field. Both similarly asserted that they had worked hard and had dedicated their careers to doing things the correct way.

Which brings me to an important point I make in my book: “I do want to emphasize that even after all I’ve learned about this case and about wrongful convictions in general, I firmly believe that our legal system gets it right the majority of the time. We just need to be cognizant of those instances when it doesn’t.”

Other comments included:                                                                                                                    “You did a wonderful job of putting him [Keith] at ease,” and

“You guys did a great job tonight! It was very interesting hearing Keith’s perspective on things.”

This past week I participated in a recorded conversation that I will be sharing as soon as it’s available. In it I was asked if I feel there has been a shift in public opinion regarding this case. I believe there has. I believe that no matter the roughness of the ride, we will continue to raise the bar toward truth and justice…

Note: Some photos were taken and sent to me by some of the attendees.