Tag Archives: Green Bay police department

Heated Words…Heavy Hearts…

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Met Keith for the first time during a visit on 4-12-2016

A recent posting of an article regarding an upcoming parole hearing for Keith Kutska—the last of the six men convicted in the Tom Monfils case—appeared on the Green Bay Crime Reports Facebook page.

The article’s headline: Parole hearing set for man convicted in 1992 Tom Monfils murder

I like to monitor these comments to get a sense of the current atmosphere regarding this case, so I was pleased when a friend, Tricia, alerted me to the Facebook posting.

Front page article on October 29, 1995:

The following comments are taken verbatim. All are entrenched in the past. Note that some contain strong language:

“How in the world do you parole a murderer with a clean conscience? Life should mean life, it shouldn’t mean until I change my mind.”

“Best place for this evil monster is PRISON, or whatever happen to Tom, same for this evil monster.”

“Green Bay if you let this guy go your putting a murder on the streets. Let’s see how long it is before he kills again. Y’all are stupid asf for letting him have parole.”

“Only way he should be leaving prison is in a body bag. No parole for any reason.”

“SCUM BAG”

The comments become increasingly vicious:

“Let him rot!!! They killed that poor man over bs… fuck all them!!!!”

“So did Tom get a refund when he was killed I don’t think so that fucker should rot in prison.”

“This f*cker deserves to rot. And the whole lot of em. All guilty.”

As an author, I always expect this response:

“Books don’t matter. That is someone trying to make some money. All that MATTERS is the jury’s outcome in court. It is how the law works. Don’t like it, use the legal system to change the law. A “book” means nothing except to the writers.”

Brown County Courtroom during evidentiary hearing in 2015

In this final comment, a plea to look at real evidence is applicable to both sides of the issue and all any of us who support the men have ever asked for:

“Guilty. Let him rot. the others shouldn’t have gotten out either but this guy was the big bully. And anyone who wants to defend them needs to look at real evidence, not anecdotal, or… but you can’t be sure, or… but they were decent guys. The alternative is that Monfils committed the worst suicide ever and I cannot buy that scenario given the evidence. The bragging, the fear, the good ol boys club nonsense, no…just no.”

Tricia shared her thoughts with me over the obvious misinformation and hateful rhetoric still rampant in this case.

“It’s so frustrating. I want to explain to people but they’re all so set on what they believe.”

The initial reaction from Keith’s niece, Jenn, whose heart breaks every time she dares to read comments like these, is to protect and defend the family she knows and loves. She also respectfully points out that we must keep an open mind and understand that we all have a right to our own opinion. However, the difficulty of having a respectful discussion arises when opinion is just that, and not grounded in truth.

Thus begets the frustration in regard to the Monfils case. Given the tone of the above comments, I must admit that my first inclination as soon as I read them was to fire back. To defend. To set people straight with the facts and to push back!

I did not engage in the conversation. I did, however, engage in a second posting the following day. A new article was posted on the same site regarding the postponement of Keith’s hearing due to a COVID outbreak within the prison.

That article headline: Kutska’s parole hearing delayed in Monfils case

The engagement went well. New friendships were forged. New perspectives were shared.

4-21-2018 presentation at the Neville Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin during the UntitledTown Book Festival

Life teaches us that we must respect others’ opinions regardless of whether or not they align with ours. We must choose our words wisely and avoid speaking out of anger. Once words are spoken, they are with us…forever. They can never be withdrawn. Not really. Sure, we can back track, clarify, or apologize until we are blue in the face. But those initial words will never leave the hearts of those for which they were intended.

In the end, words, truth, all feelings have meaning. Divisive actions and intentions have consequences. Time and again we learn that heated, unfounded words only leave in their wake, lasting wounds and heavy hearts…

And my response to Tricia on how we can choose to view the vicious nature of comments? “They can talk all they want on those sites. We win in the end!!!”

A Public Appearance and Fervent Appeal…

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Nervous excitement consumed me as we arrived at the Brown County Library in Downtown Green Bay on Saturday, January 11, 2020. My husband, Mike, and sister, Clare, were there to lend support and to help prepare for one of my most important and uniquely historic book events.

We were greeted by my niece, Jordan, who was waiting in the lobby and wearing her ever cheerful smile. Jordan is my technical guru and photographer at book events. Her assistance on that day was especially appreciated.   

Jordan and me at a previous book event

In the meeting room located on the lower level of the library, Mike and Clare busied themselves with setting up posters and a table for book sales. Jordan and I did a test run on the Power Point program. Luckily, there weren’t any apparent glitches that might spoil the presentation or lessen the focus on my notable special guest…

Promotional flyer created by the Brown County Library staff

This was the first time since my book; Reclaiming Lives: Pursuing Justice For Six Innocent Men was published in 2017, that one of the newly released men would be joining me for a book event. I was thrilled when Michael Hirn, the youngest of the six, and the one who was released just over a year ago on December 18, 2019, agreed to participate.

(Photo courtesy of WBAY Ch. 2 from December 18, 2018)

“I’m getting excited for this event,” Hirn had told me a few days earlier.

I admired his courage. This being his first public appearance since his release, we had discussed his wariness of being the center of attention, and his susceptibility to negative scrutiny.

“My audiences have always been respectful,” I reassured him. “I believe this audience will be receptive to you, and to what you have to say. In fact, those who feel otherwise typically stay away and prefer to hide behind their aliases to ridicule everything they know nothing about!”

A half hour before we were to begin, our guest of honor walked off of the elevator. His presence soon filled the room. Accompanying him was his girlfriend, Gretchen, and some of her friends. Kirt, a friend of Hirn’s who has lent his support since they became friends, was also with them. Kirt had reached out to me as a way to reconnect with Hirn shortly after his release and it was great to finally meet him.

Andrea, the events coordinator for the library who had graciously assisted in scheduling this event, came down to check on our progress. She was delighted to meet Hirn and she expressed interest in learning more about this case. She said she’d be back down to introduce the two of us, and to listen in to at least part of the program.

Soon, people filtered in. Chairs filled. More were brought in. The room came alive with people conversing and sharing their connection to this high-profile case. Many gathered to hear the truths of this brave soul.

WBAY Ch. 2 (Green Bay) reporter and journalist, Dakota Sherek arrived. “Do you have a few minutes for an interview?” she asked. We left the room, now bustling with people. Afterward, she positioned her camera toward the back of the room to film part of the event.

Also in attendance was Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter, Paul Srubas, who has covered this case since the beginning in 1992.

Applause followed Andrea’s introduction. It was time to share aspects of a journey that had traveled from Wisconsin to Minnesota and landed in the hands of key legal professionals who, after studying all aspects of this case, became troubled and alarmed by what they felt was a deeply problematic case. They soon became actively involved in correcting an unjust outcome.

Retired crime scene expert, Johnny Johnson, and Mpls attorney, Steven Kaplan, uncovered new information supporting the idea that Monfils’ death  was a suicide

It is always my greatest hope that a mere glimpse into this complex case has the potential to sway opposing views of those who are convinced this was a murder, or who may still be on the fence. In my narrative, I emphasized the following details as the main elements of why this case has not slipped into oblivion for twenty-eight years:

No eye witnesses corroborated a beating had occurred and no blood was found in the area where it was said to have taken place. No murder weapons were ever found. (Photo Courtesy of The Monfils Conspiracy Published: 2009)

Tom Monfils body was found near these propeller blades inside the paper pulp vat. A more recent examination of the autopsy report revealed the dimensions of the injury on the back of his head match the dimensions of these blades exactly. However, the original coroner had determined all injuries had occurred prior to the victim entering the vat. (Photo courtesy of Mpls investigative team)

The rope and weight are the only tangible pieces of evidence. In 1992, the crime lab identified these knots as nautical in nature and recommended they be sent to the Coast Guard for examination. No record has been found of them being sent. In 2015, it was learned that Monfils’ brother, Cal, had told detectives in 1992 that they were possibly tied by his brother and that this info had been dismissed. Also in 2015, knot was identified by a rope expert as a two half-hitch nautical knot. (Photo courtesy of Mpls investigative team)

Former prosecutor’s stance on the evidence from the original trial. (Photo courtesy of Beyond Human Nature Documentary film due out in 2020) 

 WI exoneree’s stance on the crime. (Photo courtesy of Beyond Human Nature Documentary film) 

Also highlighted were more recent releases of three other men:

Dale Basten was released to a nursing home on September 5, 2017. Although he had major health issues, he was still required to wear an ankle monitor. He died nine months later on June 23, 2018

Clare Martinson with longtime friend Reynold Moore. Rey’s release date: July 2, 2019

Mike-Joan Treppa with Kim-Michael Johnson on July 3, 2019; the day Johnson was released.

The presentation ended with a 6-minute video taken the day of Hirn’s release; a touching portrayal of hope, years lost, and new beginnings on the tail of catastrophic tragedy and demoralizing loss. The piece was created by friend and colleague, Mark Saxenmeyer; CEO of Minnesota based The Reporters Inc, as part of his docuseries titled Guilty Until Proven Innocent.

The audience then offered another round of applause and turned their attention to the main character in the video. Hands shot up. Questions arose. Concerns were raised. Most importantly, hearts were deeply touched as evidenced by the outpouring of warmth, support, empathy, and compassion for an undeserving fate that befell this honorable individual. Undeniable to this crowd was Hirn’s deep personal conviction, self-imposed high standards, and absence of anger to never allow this nightmare to define who he is today, tomorrow, or ever.

One of Michael’s first statements to the crowd was a generous but fervent appeal:

“Everybody is entitled to their opinion, whether they’re on our side or not. But not if you’re uninformed.”

And another noteworthy comment in response to a question he is asked frequently in regard to the way in which Tom Monfils may have died:

“To anyone who asks who in their right mind would kill themselves like that?” Hirn answers, “Who in their right mind would kill themselves?”

Fifteen books went out the door that day. I had requested Hirn also sign them. He did so with enthusiasm as he socialized with excited purchasers. This was his moment to heal, to savor the normalcy that everyone in that room knew. It was his time to shine, and to devour a feeling of belonging within a community he’d been isolated and shunned from for twenty-three years.

The 90-minute allotment for this event slipped by unnoticed. Finally, after nearly three hours, we were reminded through the library’s telecom system that they would be closing in twenty minutes. We packed up our belongings with great satisfaction, and a sense that this event had advanced our purpose to educate and inform.

Events like this one continue to present and open new doors and new avenues of communication, which solidifies our belief that we are on the right path, but far from completing this noble and necessary mission…

WBAY article

Green Bay Press-Gazette article

A Conspiracy of What? And by Whom?

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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.