Green Bay brothers exonerated for 1987 homicide seek $2 million in compensation for wrongful convictions
GREEN BAY - Two Green Bay brothers exonerated in 2024 after spending more than 20 years in prison for a homicide they didn't commit have filed claims to the State of Wisconsin Claims Board seeking compensation for their wrongful convictions.
Robert Bintz, 68, and David Bintz, 69, were wrongfully convicted in 1999 and 2000, respectively, for the 1987 killing of Sandra Lison, though no physical evidence linked them to her death. Lison was killed at Good Times, which used to be a bar at 1332 S. Broadway and where Lison worked as a bartender. Her body was found the next day in Oconto County.
Forensic testing of blood and semen found on Lison did not match either brother, but they were both sentenced to life in prison. Forensic genetic genealogy, which uses DNA evidence found at the scene to find a suspect's relatives and is used by investigators to track down the suspect, identified William Hendricks as Lison's killer in 2024. Hendricks died in 2000.
The Bintzes, whose cases were represented by the Great North Innocence Project and the Wisconsin Innocence Project, were released from prison in September in light of the DNA results. Criminal defense attorney Jarrett Adams filed innocent convict compensation claims Thursday on behalf of both brothers with the state Claims Board, a five-member board that pays, denies or makes recommendations on money claims against state agencies, according to a news release.
Robert Bintz left prison on Sept. 25 with nothing but the items in his cell, a Coke, a bag of chips and a chocolate bar, Adams wrote in the petition. He had no home, no resources, no plan in place for reintegration and notably, no assistance from the state that wrongfully convicted him.
David Bintz was released from prison on Sept. 26 and, like his brother, left with almost nothing to his name. He had a duffle bag with clothes and hygiene products, and a ride to a motel, all provided by the Wisconsin Innocence Project, Adams wrote.
Robert and David Bintz have both struggled with mental and physical health challenges and have been unable to find employment, the petitions said. Despite being older than many people are when they retire, the Bintz brothers lost the chance to build a retirement fund because of their conviction.
"To date, the state has offered no job training, skill building, or meaningful financial assistance to support" either brother, Adams wrote in the Bintzes' petitions. Neither Robert nor David Bintz did anything to contribute to the state wrongfully pursuing and maintaining their convictions, Adams wrote, and therefore, they deserve compensation.
Petitioners of innocent convict compensation claims can be granted up to $25,000, paid at a maximum rate of $5,000 per year. Compensation greater than $25,000 can be awarded but must be approved by the state Legislature.
Adams requested an additional $2 million be approved for each of the brothers, "ensuring that Robert and David may live out the rest of their lives with dignity, security, and the independence they deserve and not on handouts," Adams said in the news release.
'After a quarter century in a maximum-security penitentiary for a crime they did not commit, we are asking the Wisconsin Claims Board for compensation for the damages the Bintz brothers suffered after being wrongfully incarcerated,' Adams said in the release. 'The Bintz brothers have been released at the age of retirement with nothing to retire with. We pray that the claims board expeditiously grants the award we are requesting because their situation is dire.'
The Claims Board can also compensate attorney's fees paid by the petitioner, which the Bintzes claims both request. In total, the claims request $2,159,328.45 for David Bintz and $2,153,698.20 for Robert Bintz.
Benita Mathew of The Press-Gazette contributed to this report.
Vivian Barrett is the public safety reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at vmbarrett@greenbay.gannett.com or (920) 431-8314. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @vivianbarrett_.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Robert, David Bintz seek wrongful conviction compensation from state
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Man with ‘anarchy' button scrawls antisemitic graffiti on NYC Jewish art museum
A man sporting an 'anarchy' button is being sought for scrawling the word 'Gaza' on a Greenwich Village Jewish art museum, police said Friday. The vandalism comes amid continued strife in the Middle East and a jump in antisemitic attacks throughout the country. Workers at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum on W. 4th St. near Broadway found the graffiti written on their door sometime after 10 p.m. on May 26. The art museum explores Jewish history and culture, sharing space with the Hebrew Union College, officials said. Building officials reviewed surveillance footage and found a disheveled man sporting a button with what appears to be the anarchy symbol — an 'A' within an 'O.' No arrests have been made. Cops released an image of the graffiti vandal Friday in the hopes someone recognizes him. Members of the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force are investigating. If he's arrested, the vandal could be facing a charge of criminal mischief as a hate crime. The vandalism comes as the NYPD ramps up patrols at Jewish sites throughout the city following violent antisemitic attacks at a Jewish museum in Washington D.C. that left two Jewish embassy workers dead and a flamethrower attack on Jewish marchers in Boulder, Colorado. 'We're witnessing a global campaign of intimidation and terror deliberately directed against the Jewish people,' Anti Defamation League CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement following Sunday's flamethrower attack. 'Sadly, none of this is surprising. In fact, it's entirely predictable. This is precisely where anti-Jewish incitement leads. This is exactly what vicious anti-Zionism enables. Elected officials, community groups, media platforms, faith leaders — they all need to commit to taking action before this crisis escalates even further.' The NYPD has seen an uptick in antisemitic crimes in the city since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War on Oct. 7, 2023. Mayor Adams last month said that displays of antisemitism in New York City since the Hamas war have been 'constant.' While the NYPD saw a 54% drop in anti-Jewish hate crimes in May compared to the same month last year, from 52 to 24, the number of antisemitic incidents amounted to nearly 60% of all hate crimes investigated that month, officials said. Anyone with information regarding the vandalism at the Heller Museum is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
California high school sprinter stripped of state title due to 'unsportsmanlike' fire-extinguisher celebration
A California high-school sprinter was stripped of the state title after an "unsportsmanlike" celebration with a fire extinguisher, according to the Los Angeles Times. Clara Adams, a 16-year-old sophomore at North Salinas High, finished the 400-meter finals .28 seconds before her closest competitor, but was disqualified by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) due to her celebration. Following the win, Adams obtained a "small fire extinguisher" from her father in the stands. Adams then sprayed her cleats, implying they were on fire due to her blazing speed. Advertisement The CIF disqualified Adams from both the 400-meter finals and the 200-meter finals due to that celebration, which they deemed "unsportsmanlike." Adams told the Los Angeles Times she was "robbed," saying she was just having fun with the celebration. "I was having fun,' Adams said, noting her win in the 400 marked her first state title. 'I'd never won something like that before, and they took it away from me. I didn't do anything wrong.' She added: 'I worked really hard for it and they took it from me, and I don't know what to do.' David Adams, Clara's father, said the CIF ruled "unsporting conduct" against his daughter. David claimed officials were "really nasty" to Clara. Unsporting conduct can include "disrespectfully addressing an official, any flagrant behavior, intentional contact, taunting, criticizing or using profanity directed toward someone," per the National Federation of State High School Associations. David said that rule was cited as a "gray area" that the CIF used to justify the decision. Advertisement David said the celebration was a tribute to Maurice Greene, a former U.S. sprinter who used the same celebration at the Home Depot Invitational in 2004. Broadcasters laughed at Greene's celebration, which took place in the middle of the track. David argued Clara's antics didn't qualify as unsportsmanlike because she performed her celebration away from the track, per the Los Angeles Times. "Looking at the film, Clara is nowhere near any opponent,' he said. 'She's off the track, on the grass. Her opponents are long gone off the track already, so she wasn't in their face. It was a father-daughter moment. ... She did it off the track because she didn't want to seem disrespectful toward nobody. And they still found a reason to take her title away. They didn't give her a warning or anything.' The CIF and North Salinas High track and field head coach Alan Green did not respond to the Los Angeles Times when reached for comment. David Adams threatened to take legal action against the CIF if the organization won't return his calls. Following Clara's disqualification, St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood sprinter Madison Mosby was awarded the win in the 400-meter finals.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
DC man sentenced for robbing woman, stealing car
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A D.C. man was sentenced Thursday for robbing a woman and later stealing her car, according to the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia. Donovan Adams, 31, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty in April to charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Uncertainty lingers over Dupont Circle's status ahead of WorldPride Parade According to court documents, on Sept. 27, 2024, a woman parked her car in the alleyway near the restaurant where she worked in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. As she got out of her car, she saw a black sedan nearby that proceeded to follow her down the alley before pulling up beside her. The USAO states that Adama got out of the car and pointed a gun at the woman before stealing her purse, cell phone, and car keys before getting back into his car and driving away. The woman then ran into her work and called the police. Meanwhile, Adams returned to the alleyway and drove off in the woman's car. Court documents state that, ten minutes later, the woman went back outside and noticed that her car had been stolen. Officers located Adams, who attempted to drive away from police in his black sedan, shortly after. Police searched his vehicle and seized a beige BB gun, the woman's car keys, and three credit cards belonging to the woman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
