“Open and Shut” is a narrative, seven-part investigative series following two district attorneys in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley and their impact on victims, the accused and the justice system. “Open and Shut” is a joint production of Wisconsin Watch and WPR.
Latest Episodes
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Deals Vince Biskupic made as a prosecutor and judge raise questions of fairness in Wisconsin’s justice system
Episode 7 Transcript In 2002, Vince Biskupic was a Republican candidate for attorney general, the top prosecutor job in Wisconsin, running on his nearly eight years as Outagamie County’s district attorney. On his now-defunct campaign website, Biskupic listed several people he had successfully prosecuted. Among them: Ken Hudson for the murder of Shanna Van Dyn…
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Wisconsin prosecutor campaigned on his record — but some high-profile cases had hidden flaws
Episode 6 Transcript When Outagamie County District Attorney Vince Biskupic was running for office back in 2002, he listed some of his biggest cases on his campaign website. “Vince Biskupic has successfully prosecuted more than 30 homicide or attempted homicide cases in Wisconsin,” the now-dormant website declared. Biskupic said he had gone after murderers, predators,…
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Two decades after high-profile murder trial, questions remain in the prosecution of Ken Hudson
Episode 5 Transcript Editor’s note: Some images in this story may be disturbing to viewers. In the summer of 2000, 19-year-old Shanna Van Dyn Hoven had just finished her first year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was back home in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. And one Sunday afternoon, she went for a jog on a route…
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A horrific murder. Police helped a key witness. The prosecutor kept it secret.
Episode 4 Transcript Sarah Liebzeit’s son started using marijuana when he was about 12. And as a young teenager growing up in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley, he got into alcohol and other drugs. “He turned to sniffing gas,” Liebzeit recalls. “I tried to have Outagamie County commit him for sniffing gas, and was basically told it’s…
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Prosecution included questionable witnesses, racial stereotype, in 2000 arson trial of Dale Chu
Episode 1 Transcript In the spring of 1999, Dale Chu was just about to graduate from high school in Appleton, Wisconsin. His parents had lost their income and their home after the family’s dry cleaning business went up in flames the year before. So he was crashing on friends’ couches. Chu had been in and…
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- Phoebe Petrovic Host
- Dee J. Hall
- Nina Earnest
- Coburn Dukehart
- Alyssa Allemand
- David Hyland
- Brad Kolberg
- Karl Christenson
- Amanda Starich
- Anna Rueden
- Jane Jiumaleh
- Andy Hall
- Bridgit Bowden
- Madeline Heim
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