Tag Archives: Reclaiming Lives

Music and Prose: A Second Event…

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Greetings! A press release I put together in anticipation of our upcoming October event:

For Immediate Release:

COLLABORATION BETWEEN TRUE CRIME AUTHOR, JOAN TREPPA, AND AWARD        WINNING MUSICAL DUO, NATURAL SATELLITE, SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON                  WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS IN UNIQUE PERFORMANCE

Appleton, WI – September 16, 2026 – A compelling blend of thoughtful passages from the book, Reclaiming Lives: Pursuing Justice for Six Innocent Men by Joan Treppa and the soulful music of local artists, Karli and Jason Reisdorf of Natural Satellite, will be the theme for a unique and groundbreaking performance. Sponsored by the non-profit organization ESTHER, this performance will be held on Thursday, October 15th 6:00 – 8:00 PM at the Fox Valley Technical College.

The book revisits the tragic 1992 death of Tom Monfils, a paper mill worker in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The high-profile trial that followed ended with six men—the “Monfils Six”—being convicted of murder. But the case was fraught with inconsistencies and unanswered questions. Years later, a determined Minnesota woman with no legal background took notice—and refused to look away.

Reclaiming Lives is more than a true crime narrative; it’s a call to action. Through detailed storytelling and personal insight, Treppa illustrates the staggering challenges of overturning wrongful convictions, even in the face of compelling new evidence. Her writing exposes systemic flaws and offers readers a deeply human story of perseverance, hope, and transformation as she highlights the many people affected in the “Monfils Six” case.

More recently, Joan began collaborating with Natural Satellite. “I’ve watched them perform onstage many times and felt that their music was a perfect fit for an event I hope will leave our audiences feeling encouraged. Our first performance also in Appleton in May of this year gained the attention of ESTHER. We thank them for their support in creating this second event.”   

According to the Natural Satellite website, “The Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) award winning duo combines finger-style cello, warm saxophone improvisation, and rich vocal harmonies. Jason’s saxophone weaves in and out of verses harmonizing beautifully with Karli’s angelic voice. Their lyrics center on themes of self-love, reflection, and personal growth—offering listeners both comfort and inspiration.”  

Joan wants everyone to understand what she now understands. “Wrongful convictions happen in every state in this country. These injustices destroy many innocent lives. The overall message to our audiences is to become involved in something, to act on behalf of others when given the chance.”

Reclaiming Lives, 3rd Edition: Pursuing Justice for Six Innocent Men is available through:         Kirk House Publishers                                                                                                                            1250 E 115 Street Burnsville, MN 55337                                                                                                Ph: 612-781-2815                                                                                      ann@kirkhousepublishers.com | www.kirkhousepublishers.com

Natural Satellite:  https://www.naturalsatellitemusic.com/intro                                                                       

My son, Jared Manninen, created this flyer with the details:

I have invited three special guests to also participate in this event.

And for those unable to attend, this one will be video-taped by the same film crew that video-taped our first event which I hope to share at some point. Incidentally, this is the same crew working in conjunction with Chair on Stair Films, a production company putting together a new documentary* that is in the final stages of completion.

Please feel free to share widely. And as always, if you have questions/concerns or just want to share your thoughts, I welcome any and all comments. Thank you.

*Yours truly will be featured in this documentary!!

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 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

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