Two Wisconsin brothers, David Bintz and Robert Bintz, were released from prison after spending 25 years incarcerated for a crime they did not commit. The Bintz brothers were wrongfully convicted of killing Sandra Lison, a mother of two, in 1987. Lison’s body was found in the Machickanee Forest, and evidence at the scene pointed to sexual assault and murder. However, DNA evidence later found at the scene did not match the Bintzes, but prosecutors charged them with the crime in 1998 based on other circumstantial evidence.
The Bintz brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 2000 after being accused of killing Lison during a robbery at the bar she worked at. The case relied heavily on testimony from David Bintz’s cellmate, who claimed he heard David confess to the murder. Despite the lack of evidence connecting the brothers to the crime, they were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. It was not until 2023 that new DNA evidence identified another man, William Joseph Hendricks, as the true perpetrator of the crime.
The Great North Innocence Project, in collaboration with the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center, uncovered the new DNA evidence that led to the Bintz brothers’ release from prison. Judge Donald Zuidmulder acknowledged that the true murderer of Sandra Lison had been identified, bringing closure to the case after years of wrongful imprisonment for the Bintz brothers. Brown County District Attorney David Lasee stated that officials had followed the evidence available at the time of the brothers’ conviction.
Christopher Renz, Robert Bintz’s attorney, expressed relief at his client’s release and highlighted the injustices faced by innocent exonerees re-entering society after years of wrongful imprisonment. James Mayer of the Great North Innocence Project started a GoFundMe campaign to support Robert Bintz as he rebuilds his life post-release. The challenges faced by exonerees, including lack of resources, employment, and housing, add to the trauma of wrongful imprisonment, and support from organizations and the community is crucial in helping them re-establish their lives.
