Tag Archives: Green Bay police department

New Edition…New Perspectives…New Look…

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Hello fellow supporters of Six Innocent Men –

For the majority of the winter, I’ve intensely focused on a 3rd edition of my book, Reclaiming Lives. I’m especially proud of this version and am excited to share the following information.

With merely weeks to go before publication, (approximately 4-6 weeks) this leg of the journey is getting real! Preorders are now available!!

Here’s a recap of the many steps that have been taken to ensure that this edition is top-notch.

New content crucial to this story which I believe will give readers much to think about regarding the merits of this case has been added.

The guys themselves once again contributed content which adds yet another layer to this story that will provide invaluable insight to all who read this book.

I am for the first time revealing the exciting new cover image!

Image of the Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay, WI

This version will have an entirely new look, complete with color photos. It will also have a Table of Contents and a listing of key characters to lessen the confusion about who is who.

The 4 beta-readers did an amazing job of scrutinizing and providing feedback for the manuscript. What they found truly makes this edition shine! The professional editor (through my publisher), upon completing their final round of edits for the manuscript, had this to say:

“A fascinating story and really well told. I like the narration style and content and the writing was quite good throughout.”  

I specifically asked my good friend Vicki to be a beta-reader because she reads a lot and has a good feel for what makes a good book stand out. She shared that my book is every bit as worthy of being on best seller lists. However, the fact that I’m not a well-known author per se makes it difficult to get there. So…I truly need your help.

A great way to start is by sharing the link below with friends, family, colleagues, anyone you can think of who might be interested. I’d also appreciate it if some of you took the initiative to reach out to media outlets, news organizations, libraries, book stores, etc… The more exposure this book gets the better chance it has of receiving recognition.

Let’s hit the ground running and get this important story out there and into as many hands as possible. These six men and their families deserve that much.

Preorder through this link:

https://www.kirkhousepublishers.com/product-page/reclaiming-lives-third-edition-by-joan-treppa

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Joan

An Evening at the Weidner…

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This posting, which is long overdue, has the link to an important panel discussion that took place on March 26, 2024. The event was held at The Weidner; a performing arts center on the University of Wisconsin’s Green Bay (UWGB) campus. It was attended by nearly 200 people.

A special thank you to Nolan Bennett, Professor of Democracy&Justice Studies and Political Science at UWGB who so graciously dedicated the Spring semester to educating his students on the Monfils case. Throughout the semester, Bennett coordinated a screening of the Beyond Human Nature documentary and diligently orchestrated many visits with those of us heavily involved in the case to share our knowledge and advocacy with his students.

Joan and Keith’s visit to Nolan Bennett’s class on February 29, 2024.

Keith Kutska and I spoke to one of Bennett’s classes on Thursday, February 29, 2024. It was Keith’s first public appearance since his release on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Like his codefendants prior to their public appearances, Keith was nervous about how the students would react to him. Based on my past experiences with students, I reassured him that this visit would likely be positive.

In fact, Keith was delighted by how welcoming, engaging, and inquisitive the students were. And when asked a thought-provoking 2-part question, Keith answered as honestly and sincerely as he could. The student wanted to know if, in hindsight, Keith would have acted differently in confronting Monfils, and if he regretted his actions on that day. “Yes, I regret what happened after I confronted Tom. If I knew how badly things were going to get I would have done it in private.”

Keith was gracious and thoughtful in his interactions with the students. Afterwards some of them came up to him to shake his hand and thank him for sharing his experience. I could see how deeply his presence had impacted them.

The panel discussion at the Weidner was the finale for the semester. Following opening remarks by Dean Ryan Martin and Professor Bennett, I recited a thorough summary of the case to the audience. Bennett then conducted a two-hour Q&A with seven of us; codefendants in the case: Michael Piaskowski, Michael Hirn, and Michael Johnson, retired Attorney Steve Kaplan, Cal Monfils (brother of Tom Monfils), author Denis Gullickson, and myself. The feedback we all received following the discussion was gratifying. In our ongoing mission to educate the public on the merits of this case, we had once again succeeded in sharing crucial facts that had been blatantly ignored for decades; facts that could have determined a much different outcome in this case.

(L to R) Joan Treppa, Michael Johnson, Michael Piaskowski, Steve Kaplan, Denis Gullickson, Cal Monfils, Michael Hirn. At the podium, Professor Nolan Bennett.

And now…here is the discussion in its entirety. Please note that the actual discussion begins at the eleven minute mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ikedSyLGI 

Two Veterans…One Personal Mission…

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On this Veterans Day we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I’d like to also pay tribute to two Veterans in particular that not only served dutifully in the Army but who have dedicated their lives to serving in other important ways as well.

It’s been my absolute privilege to have known these two distinguished gentlemen; Exoneree Michael “Pie” Piaskowski and Retired Crime Scene Expert Johnny Johnson.

Allow me to explain how they met:

“Johnny introduced himself when they walked in. His attention soon zeroed in on the hat Mike Pie was wearing, which revealed he had served in the US Army. Johnny was an army veteran too, which gave them plenty to talk about. They soon realized that they had served in a similar area in Vietnam. “Assisting veterans is what I do,” Johnny said that day. For a brief time, Johnny had assisted my neighbor, Ken, with veteran’s concerns. It is why I ran into him at my mailbox, and it was why I had the opportunity to ask for his help. There was no mistaking the bond already forming between Johnny and Mike Pie or the opportunity that this instance presented—Johnny’s ability to aid this veteran in his personal mission.”  – Excerpt from Reclaiming Lives

After realizing their similar connection they became close friends and together, fought another important uphill battle or personal mission if you will, closer to home. What occurred as a result of this partnership and their collaborations with many others is nothing short of AMAZING.

Read the full story in my book, Reclaiming Lives:

Kirk House Publishers

Amazon 

Or simply purchase through PayPal on this website (at the top right corner of this page).

THANK YOU!

Mike Pie and Johnny Johnson; two regular guys taking a breather in the midst of an important mission. Photo taken at the 2016 Hotrod Breakout fundraiser/car show in Minnesota.