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For the second time, jury finds Kenosha County man murdered his wife

Mark Jensen found guilty at trial 24 years after wife Julie's death

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Mark Jensen sits next to one of his attorneys during jury selection
Mark Jensen, second from left, speaks with one of his attorneys, Jeremy Perri, left, during jury selection at the Kenosha County Courthouse on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in Kenosha, Wis. A portion of the jury selection was moved to the ceremonial courtroom to accommodate a large pool of potential jurors early in the day. Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP, Pool

For the second time, a jury has found a Kenosha County man guilty of killing his wife.

Mark Jensen, 63, was found guilty Wednesday of first degree homicide for the death of his wife, Julie Jensen, in 1998.

Jensen was first convicted in his wife’s death in 2008. But that conviction was overturned following a series of appeals that centered on prosecutors’ use at the first trial of a letter and voicemails Julie Jensen had left for police. In those letters, she said she suspected her husband wished her harm.

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Defense attorneys argued that Julie Jensen died by suicide. Prosecutors say Jensen poisoned his 40-year-old wife with antifreeze and then smothered her.

In this second trial, jurors were barred from hearing about Julie Jensen’s letter and the voicemails.

Jurors deliberated for a day before finding Jensen guilty. The trial lasted 16 days.

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