Timeline: Key Events in the Thomas Monfils Murder Case (The Journal Times: January 10, 2001)

Racine, Wisconsin

By WIRE; Jan 10, 2001

http://journaltimes.com/news/state-and-regional/timeline-key-events-in-the-thomas-monfils-murder-case/article_d7cd3d9e-9b07-5d18-8460-97fb398d4804.html

1992:

• Nov. 21 – Monfils, 35, disappears at James River Corp. paper mill after several fellow union members, including Keith Kutska, confront him with a tape-recording of an anonymous telephone call he made to police. The call informed on Kutska’s plan to steal electrical cord from the mill. Police had released a copy of the tape to Kutska at his request.
• Nov. 22 – Monfils’ mangled body found with a 50-pound weight tied to his neck in a two-story vat of paper pulp, a mud-like substance used in paper-making. Autopsy finds he was beaten but died of suffocation.

1993:

• Oct. 19 – Legislature passes “Monfils Law,” to protect identities of police informants.

1995:

• April 12 – Kutska, Michael Hirn, Reynold Moore, Michael Piaskowski, Dale Basten and Michael L. Johnson arrested, charged with being party to first-degree intentional homicide.
• Oct. 28 – All six defendants found guilty of being party to first-degree intentional homicide, carrying a mandatory life term. Jury for trial was selected in Racine County because of pretrial publicity in Green Bay area.

1997:

• June 2 – Judge rejects motion of Piaskowski for retrial; similar requests by Baston, Johnson and Moore were denied earlier.
• June 16 – Trial begins in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee in civil lawsuit filed by Monfils’ widow, Susan, accusing Green Bay officials, including several police officers, of negligence in the death.
• June 27 – Jury awards more than $2 million to Monfils family. Susan was awarded $638,000 and her two children were awarded $650,000 each.
• Sept. 23 – Kutska’s request for retrial denied.
• Oct. 31 – Hirn’s request for retrial denied.
• Nov. 28 – Federal court upholds $2 million damage award against Green Bay.

1998:

• Feb. 17 – State appeals court upholds convictions of Basten, Johnson and Moore.
• April 23 – State Supreme Court declines to hear requests for new trials by Basten, Johnson and Moore.
• Sept. 22 – State appeals court upholds convictions of Kutska and Piaskowski.
• Dec. 23 – Federal appeals court upholds $2 million in damages awarded to Susan Monfils.

1999:

• Oct. 4 – U.S. Supreme Court upholds $2 million damage award.

2001:

• Jan. 9 – Federal judge orders release of Piaskowski, finding there was insufficient evidence to convict him. State attorneys said they planned to appeal and seek a stay of release.