Tag Archives: social justice

Two Veterans…One Personal Mission…

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.

Year End Thoughts and an Update…

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As 2023 draws to a close, I’d like to share some thoughts on what this “journey for justice” on behalf of six innocent men has meant to me.

But first, an announcement. On August 30, Keith Kutska, was released on parole.

WBAY coverage of Keith Kutska’s release.

For the first time in decades-with the exception of Dale Basten-all of the men; exoneree, Michael Piaskowski, Keith Kutska, Michael Hirn, Reynold Moore, and Michael Johnson are home for the holidays with loved ones! Sadly, Dale passed away on June 23, 2018, nine months after his release from prison.

Dale Basten in 2016 at Stanley Correctional Institution

Since 2009 when I first learned of this grave injustice and pledged my support to help free these men, I had no knowledge of the eye-opening realities of our criminal justice system. While I still believe that the system gets it right the majority of the time, it is those instances; too many of them, that we as a society must scrutinize and remedy.

I do not claim to be an expert in this field and I certainly do not have any grand solutions to rid the system of wrongful convictions. I only know that what I’ve seen up close as a bystander in one of the most notorious cases in Wisconsin history is quite disturbing. And the results can only be measured in lives destroyed…lives lost…lives wasted…all for no good reason.

Keith Kutska with his lawyers during his evidentiary hearing in 2015

In the Monfils case there has been adequate opportunity for those with the ability to do so, to finally correct this injustice in light of the new evidence and information brought forth during the 2015 evidentiary hearing for Keith Kutska by a well-respected and unbiased law firm. Sadly, that has not happened. On the contrary, the pushback to maintain the status quo in this case has been unrelenting.

Former DA John Zakowski is currently a judge in the same district

Unfortunately, that defiance is not unique. But thanks to the Innocence Project organization and the more recent installations of CIUs (Criminal Integrity Units), there are credible and effective resources available to help push through such barriers.

Observing and watching in real time how the more recent legal process has progressed in Wisconsin has been more of an education than I could have ever imagined. Unfortunately, my takeaway has been a less than stellar opinion of the entire judicial process. I no longer readily accept at face value, the information provided in news clips regarding other arrests, investigations, etc. I just always have this nagging fear of possible “gaps” in those stories.

I’ve gotten to know the six men in the Monfils case and many others since who have experienced the nightmare of being falsely accused. Above all, I’ve witnessed remarkable courage, unwavering determination, and unparalleled strength of character. Ironically, the very folks who’ve overcome absolute hopelessness, devastating disappointments, and brutal animosity are some of the nicest people on the planet. It has been a privilege for me to have met enough of them to know that there is so much to be learned from all of them.

While the goal of full exonerations for all of these Wisconsin men has yet to be realized, I am proud of my role as a social justice advocate. I am proud of this legacy for myself and my family. I am proud of my accomplishments as a writer who has found her voice and who has chosen to use it to educate, to inspire, and to advocate for those victimized by a flawed criminal justice system.

Many of you have lent your support in various ways over the years. For this I am grateful. Now, for the sake of continuing to educate the public, you can help me spread this story far and wide. Maybe consider buying a copy of my book for a friend or a loved one.

Purchase through my website. Click on the book image in the upper right corner of this page.

Order the book through my publisher, Kirk House Publishing

If you’ve read the book, THANK YOU! A brief review on Amazon is always helpful in maintaining a book’s visibility.

Most importantly, it truly is a gift for these men to see and feel the amazing support from all of you on their behalf!

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

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!!!”