Before I point out the many errors in one of the most egregious wrongful conviction cases ever; the 1992 paper mill death of Tom Monfils, I must say that I’m deeply saddened by the insulting nature of a case that would be laughable if not utterly tragic. A community torn apart by a ridiculous series of events that led to the convictions of six innocent men sends chills up and down my spine. Why?
The argument that these “union thugs” became party to a “conspiracy” or “code of silence” through harassment that got out of hand and turned into murder, seems plausible enough. But then you learn these men were from two different unions and some of them didn’t even know each other. You are then asked to accept that they collectively forged a rock solid pact between themselves to hide their horrific deed in order to protect their high-paying jobs.
How on earth can anyone believe that these actions could go anywhere but south, leading to certain imprisonment because of the simple improbability that all of them could remain silent for any length of time. Now imagine placing that amount of trust in one or more persons, considered only as acquaintances, and being able to work alongside them efficiently, disposing of a body no less, in record time. Finally, imagine this collaborative effort is accomplished without leaving behind a single trace of physical evidence or eyewitnesses.
I can no longer subject myself to older news stories about this case because of my knowledge of the questionable tactics used to terrify vulnerable victims and send six innocent men to prison! I recall an old video clip with an image of all six men being paraded out of the courtroom in handcuffs after being found guilty. I recall also having been told by a family member how she found herself amidst cheers in a public restaurant when that news was televised. But the most devastating thing of all is an understanding of the ONLY true conspiracy; the one forged by the very people sworn to uphold an oath to defend the absolute truth.
Below is a list of facts deemed accurate by our legal team. In my opinion, they do not begin to tell the complete story of the deceit, trickery, and downright unethical tactics used during the original two and a half year investigation. The dedication and countless hours being donated by those willing to uncover and expose these untruths is admirable. I stand in awe of a situation that represents the worst as well as the best of humanity…
The six men are innocent. They did not murder Tom Monfils.
A crucial mistake by the Green Bay Police Department set a series of events in motion which led to the disappearance of Tom Monfils.
Many known aspects of the case were never considered or explored. The current team of lawyers is looking at evidence that was never examined before, that will prove the men are innocent.
The trial transcripts have been thoroughly reviewed and the team is working with specific experts in various fields of forensic sciences. The evidence on which these men were convicted was insufficient, unreliable, and flat out false.
Multiple “jailhouse snitches” were put on the stand and their testimony was considered credible.
Potential witnesses who worked at the mill were threatened with losing their jobs, etc… if they did not agree to testify to specific information.
It took two and a half years to bring this case to trial due to the lack of evidence.
Two years after the body was found, a witness, (considered a suspect) suddenly fabricated a “repressed memory” of an incident he claims happened. Even though his testimony was deemed credible, there were no witnesses or murder weapons presented to support it.
That key witness has since recanted.
All six men were tried together in a single trial. Three of them are named Michael.
Shortly after he “solved” this case and the men were convicted, the lead detective was fired.
One of the men was exonerated after five and a half years of incarceration. He has always maintained innocence for himself as well as the other five. After news spread of his release a juror wrote to him stating the confusion they all felt as a jury and admitted it was easier to apply the guilty verdicts to all of them. It took a mere eight hours for the jury to convict all six men.
Having been in prison for close to twenty years, none of the remaining five men have ever admitted to committing murder and, to this day, they maintain their absolute innocence.
Additional information about the Monfils case.
