Man Convicted For 1992 Murder Continues To Seek New Trial

Five of the six men convicted in the 1992 murder of Tom Monfils have been in prison for 20 years, but supporters who believe in their innocence say there’s still a chance at least one of them will get a new trial.

This week, Judge James Bayorgeon denied Keith Kutska’s request for a new trial. Bayorgeon is the same judge who sentenced Kutska and five other men for beating Monfils and dumping his body in a pulp vat at a Green Bay paper mill. It’s the second appeal Kutska has lost.

Joan Treppa, who helped gather evidence of Kutska’s innocence, said the case will be appealed. She hopes the state appeals court will look more carefully at evidence that Monfils committed suicide.

“It’s the testimony of Cal Monfils, the victim’s own brother, who has never been satisfied with these verdicts. He has always believed his brother committed suicide,” said Treppa.

Attorneys for Kutska won’t comment on when an appeal will be filed.

A federal judge threw out the conviction of one of the men sentenced in the Monfils murder in 2001.