December 18, 2024Wrapping Up 2024: Our Favorite Moments

Although we’ve been neglecting the blog lately (our New Year’s Resolution is to post more), we have had a busy and fruitful year at the Ramapo College IGG Center. Our staff spent this week reflecting on our favorite moments, which we’ve compiled here to share.

Marianne Hess, IGG Program Assistant:

“My favorite moment for the the IGG Center this year was when the Bintz brothers were exonerated. On a personal note, when I first learned about IGG I thought that it could be a great use of IGG. I was so excited the first time I heard someone mention IGG in that context – it was David Gurney at ISHI in 2022!”

David Gurney, IGG Center Director:

“Seeing the Bintz brothers exonerated a result of the work of IGG Center staff and students was an incredible moment in 2024. Representing only the third and fourth individuals exonerated through IGG, their cases demonstrate the power of IGG as a tool of justice writ large. The exonerations also exemplify the value of Ramapo IGG Center’s collaborative approach to casework. I am so proud of our students and staff for helping to give Robert and David Bintz their freedom and finally achieve justice for Sandra Lison after 37 years.”

Monique Platt, IGG Program Assistant:

“My favorite moment of 2024 was the first day of Boot Camp. There’s a unique energy that you feel right before any case launch, but it’s wholly different when there are so many of you in the same room ready to dig in on the same case. Anything can happen. You don’t know yet whose lives could be impacted by the work you’re about to do, but there’s something very special about knowing you’re all working towards a shared outcome.”

Traci Onders, IGG Program Assistant:

“One of my favorite moments was meeting Allen Grasser, the brother of Norm Grasser, and learning about what it was like for him to have a brother missing for over four decades, and what it meant to finally have some answers as to what happened to his brother. Rhinelander John Doe was identified as Norm Grasser by Ramapo IGG’s first cohort and it was a special honor for our cohort to be able to hang out with Allen during RIGG and a special privilege for me to call him my friend.”

Tracie Boyle, IGG Center Case Manager and Administrative Assistant:

“There were so many great moments this year, but if I had to choose one that stands out, it’s definitely CrimeCon. We worked hard, but we had a lot of fun too! We met some wonderful (and inspiring) people, created new partnerships, reconnected with familiar faces we hadn’t seen in a while, and enjoyed some really great conversations.”

Cairenn Binder, IGG Center Assistant Director:

“I am cheating, because I update the website so I get to pick more than one favorite moment. Apologies to my coworkers! My favorite moments were those where we got to meet with our alumni and our colleagues in the field for in person meetups and collaborations. I4GG in San Diego stands out as a highlight, as do the alumni party and keynote nights at RIGG. Aside from that, quiet moments on campus and enjoying the beautiful scenery are little pleasures we can’t take for granted.”

Our team looks forward to more moments like these in 2025. From our team to you – we wish you a very Happy New Year!

Categories: Uncategorized

---

September 25, 2024Justice Delayed but not Denied: Bintz Brothers Exonerated After 24 Years with the Help of IGG

This blog is an update to David Gurney’s previous blog post: New lead in 1987 Wisconsin murder of Sandra Lison could produce third IGG exoneration

In June of 2023, the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center was tasked with identifying the contributor of a DNA profile developed from blood and semen found on the dress of Sandra Lison. Ms. Lison had been kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered while working at the Good Times Bar in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1987. 

When our IGG bootcamp students produced a new lead in the case in July of 2023 and identified William Hendricks as the possible suspect, we knew there might still be a long road ahead. The State of Wisconsin would need to agree the lead was significant, exhume William Hendricks’ remains, compare Hendricks’ DNA directly to the crime-scene DNA, and, if he was a DNA match – agree to vacate the convictions of Robert and David Bintz. 

Thankfully, the state was cooperative, and the remains of William Hendricks were exhumed in May of 2024. Due to the age and condition of the remains, there was some difficulty in developing a suitable DNA profile. To expedite the process, one of our generous donors covered the cost of testing at a private lab, who developed a full profile. An analysis by the Wisconsin State Lab demonstrated overwhelming statistical evidence that the previously unidentified crime-scene DNA came from Hendricks. 

Recognizing the significance of the DNA result, the State of Wisconsin conducted a renewed investigation of the case.

On September 24th, we were scheduled to present this case at the International Symposium on Human Identification with Jim Mayer of the Great North Innocence Project. Although we had hoped for a conclusion prior to our presentation, the case remained in limbo with a hearing scheduled in October and the Bintz brothers still in prison for a crime they did not commit.

Unbeknownst to us, just hours before our presentation, Jim had received a phone call that changed the course of the case entirely. On stage, he shocked everyone in the room (including his co-presenters) by sharing that the state’s investigation revealed additional evidence of Hendricks’ guilt. All parties now agree that two innocent men have been sitting in prison for twenty-five years. An expedited hearing was called, and the next day, the State of Wisconsin formally acknowledged the Bintz brothers’ innocence, and a judge granted relief. They will be released shortly.

When Jim Mayer of the Great North Innocence Project initially broke the news of Hendricks’ identification through IGG to his client, Robert Bintz’s first reaction was relief that his daughter would finally know that he did not commit this horrible crime. After twenty-five years, and with the help of IGG, the truth has finally been revealed, and a measure of justice has been given to all of the victims in this case. 

 

Categories: Uncategorized

---