Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Bulletin: Keith Kutska; Wisconsin; Lead Investigator in ‘Monfils Six’ Case Testifying at Kutska Hearing': Action2 News. (Issue in case is 'murder or suicide'. HL);

The lead investigator in the “Monfils Six” case is testifying Wednesday in a hearing for one of the men seeking a new trial. Randy Winkler led the investigation into the 1992 death of Tom Monfils at a Green Bay paper mill. Monfils’ body was discovered in a pulp vat and the death was ruled a homicide. Six men–Keith Kutska, Dale Basten, Michael Hirn, Rey Moore, Michael Piaskowski and Michael Johnson — were arrested and convicted of murder. Piaskowski was released from prison in 2001 after appealing his conviction. Keith Kutska, identified as one of the ring-leaders in Monfils’ death, is seeking a new trial. Kutska’s attorneys from the Minnesota Innocence Project are trying to prove Tom Monfils committed suicide. Kutska’s attorneys are asking Winkler about evidence found outside the pulp vat where Monfils was found. They are expected to ask him more about how the investigation was conducted. At the last hearing, a mill worker who was called as a witness during the original trial testified that investigators threatened him and told him to say specific things on the stand. “They wanted me to say that Mike Piaskowski had told me that he knew what happened. Which he never did,” said Steven Stein. “The daughter of mill worker Brian Kellner testified that Winkler threatened to take away Kellner’s children if her father didn’t help police. Amanda Williams said Winkler and a social worker pulled her out of school..........The judge has not set a timeline for a possible decision for Kutska.