the future

Mark’s father, Dan  Jensen, gets his securities exchange license suspended from Wisconsin due to unethical business practices. (KN) read more

Nov, 1987

Mark’s father, Dan Jensen, is terminated from brokerage firm Thompson McKinnon while being investigated by New York Stock Exchange after complaints from clients. (KN) read more

May, 1988

Custodians observe Mark’s father, Dan Jensen, entering Thompson McKinnon storage building wearing a hat and trench coat to steal his old records. He was also seen earlier stealing a key to the building from reception desk. (KN) read more

Oct 17, 1988

Mark’s father, Dan E. Jensen, is found guilty of burglary, theft, entering a locked building, and obstructing an officer. He is sentenced to 3 years probation. Judge David Bastian states “Jensen perceives things that are not true” and seems to have “some sort of psychological problem.” Assistant DA Bruce Becker labels Jensen as “a con man who can look you in the eye and tell a big lie.” Jensen shows no remorse and believes to be a victim of a conspiracy. (KN) more here

March 13, 1990

The following is a timeline of events leading up to and surrounding Julie’s death and court trial. These statements are either taken directly from the public criminal complaint (CC), the hearings of Wisconsin vs Mark Jensen, the Criminal Court Record, the reporting done by the Kenosha News (KN), and finally from the trial by jury (T). Many “first-hand knowledge” facts from family and witnesses are now being added since the trial is over. The owners of OurSisterJulie.com can not be held legally responsible for inaccuracies due to typos or mis-reporting.

Julie Griffin graduates from Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin as a straight-A student.

1976

Julie’s sister-in-law Jill Griffin stops by where Julie is volunteering at her son’s school asking her to go out for an afternoon. Julie tells her she can’t because Mark was keeping track of her mileage.

1994, 1995

Mark and Julie move to Lake Shore Drive in Carol Beach, Pleasant Prairie.

1988

Mark Jensen graduates from Tremper.

1977

Julie attends UW Oshkosh for nursing but does not finish degree.

1978-1981

April 14, 1984

Julie Griffin marries Mark Jensen. At the rehearsal dinner, Julie’s mother goes into convulsions from alcohol withdrawal, as she was attempting to stop drinking for her daughter’s wedding.

Julie gives birth to 1st son David. She takes a leave of her job to stay home with him. David was a very colicky baby but Mark refused to help care for him, yet still insisted Julie keep the household spotless and meals on time. Later, Julie informs her brother Paul that Mark had never wanted any kids, which is why he insist that Julie do all the work. She is often exhausted. He even refuses to limit his smoking around the baby.

Jan 21, 1990

Perry Tarica testifies he worked with Julie in 1990 and formed a friendship with her. He said Julie told him Mark was weird and strange and never spent any time with their son David. He admits to a one weekend affair. Soon after Mark found out (by secretly recording her phone conversations), Julie contacted him saying it was over and she was going to work on her difficult marriage. Perry says Julie was a great mother who never said a vulgar or unkind word out of her mouth. more here (T)

1990

Julie sees Paul DeFazio and is treated for mild depression. She professes she has an unhappy marriage and Mark had no interest in their newborn baby and didn’t help with any parenting responsibilities. Mark claims she was too involved with their child. She compromises by returning to work part-time, yet has a two hour commute per day to Chicago while a 9 month old baby is waiting for her! DeFazio describes Mark as introverted and emotionally stoic, unequipped and overwhelmed by fatherhood. (T)

June 1990 - June 1991

Mark and Julie sell their extra lots to neighbor Ted Wojt in order to help Mark’s father financially. Julie is embarrassed by and ashamed of the Jensen’s high-profile criminal activities.

1990, 1991

Julie files for divorce, but later cancels it.

June, 1991

1991

After becoming aware of the affair, Paul Griffin testifies Julie told him that Mark had never wanted any kids and he threatened that if she follow thru with the divorce, she “would never see David again.” (T)

Julie’s mother is hospitalized after a near drowning accident. She seems to recover but then goes downhill fast. Mark refuses to let her leave to Florida because he is incapable of taking care of their son alone. He finally succumbs but Julie does not see her mother who dies.

Sept, 1991

Neighbor Ted Wojt testifies he saw Mark’s father, Dan Jensen, leaving Mark and Julie’s house in a hurry while they were both out shopping. Later, police were at the house investigating a break-in where furniture was destroyed. He also noted Mark’s controlling behavior where he would make Julie wear a cordless phone even in her yard gardening so he could keep tabs on her. Also, when Mark came home from work, the whole family would immediately have to drop what they were doing for “daddy” time. Mark would also give Julie a list of chores he wanted done everyday besides the usual immaculate house, kids, groceries, and cooking. (T)

1991-1998

Mark systematically plants pornography in their yard, house, and car for Julie to find, claiming someone was breaking in to do it, and suggesting it was her ex-lover. Mark also prank-called their home and office. Julie and Mark even hire a private investigator and install video surveillance to catch the culprit. Officer Ron Kosman later declares he had 50 contacts with Julie during this time due to her concern that someone was one their property. Both the investigator and police later suspect Mark was doing it all along. This continues for 7 years. (KN)

1992-1999

Neighbor Ted Wojt testifies Mark made Julie, while pregnant with Douglas, rip apart an old porch and nail down new lumber as a contribution to the family because she had no job. She was having a tough time so Ted had some of his workers give her a hand. She wanted to impress Mark how much she did when he got home. (T)

1995

Julie gives birth to 2nd son Douglas.

March 12, 1995

Ted Wojt testifies Mark was mad at Julie on several occasions where she did not want to go on vacation. Julie told him that Mark would normally just hire a sitter for the kids and want to stay out all night partying and going to strip clubs. (T)

1995-1998

Ted Wojt testifies Julie invited her father, who was dying of cancer, to stay with them for a week. Mark thru a fit and made her father get a hotel instead. (T)

1995-1997

Ted Wojt says Mark and Julie’s dog really liked her dad’s company and Julie kept talking about it after her dad left. Mark then had their dog killed.

1995-1997

Julie’s father passes away from cancer.

Jan 31, 1998

Crime lab recovers sexual emails between Mark and his mistress, Kelly LaBonte beginning on this date. (CC)

Sept 3, 1998

Kelly LaBonte marries Mark Greenman while sleeping with Mark Jensen. (T)

Sept, 1998

Laura Schoor testifies that Julie called her asking how to get more involved with David’s school. She mentions PTA and they set up weekly play dates every wednesday at each other’s house with her son Eric Schoor. (T)

Sept, 1998

The Jensen family doctor, Richard Borman testified that Julie came to her yearly checkup. He surmised she may have some mild depression. She weighed 123 lbs. (T)

Sept 21, 1998

At first silent, Kelly LaBonte later admits she and Mark started romantic relationship during October and November. (CC)

Oct, 1998

Crime lab recovers late night websites about Hotels and Mortens Restaurant in Chicago. (T)

Oct 12, 1998, 11:21 pm - 12:09 am

Crime lab recovers late night websites about Chicago guide called “The Street.” (T)

Oct 13, 1998, 11:16 pm

Crime lab recovers late night websites about Sprint coverage in St. Louis and Big Cedar Lodge room info. (T)

Oct 14, 1998, 9:40 pm - 10 pm

Crime lab recovers websites about Botulism poisoning. (T)

Oct 15, 1998, 6:07 pm

Crime lab recovers late websites about Mercury Fulminate explosives on Mark’s computer, including what items it takes to create them which includes a syringe. (T)

Oct 16, 1998, 4:10 pm

Crime lab recovers late night websites about Chicago guide called “The Street.” (T)

Oct 18, 1998, 10:28 pm

In an email between Mark and girlfriend Kelly LaBonte, Kelly states it would be a piece of cake taking on the “three of you” (Mark, Douglas, and David). Later Kelly says she feels llike punching her husband in the nose when her husband says he loves her. (T)

Oct 26, 1998

Inmate Aaron Dillard testifies Mark tried to poison Julie while he went away on a business trip to St. Louis. Mark said he’s lucky she didn’t die then because he didn’t have a good defense story and he blabbed what he intended on doing to Ed Klug. (T)

Nov 6 & 7, 1998

Edward Klug testifies that Mark told him how he was planning on murdering Julie and had looked up how to do it in an undetected way on the internet, over a late night drunken conversation at St. Louis business trip. (T)

Nov 6 & 7, 1998

Ed Lug coworker Stacey Bauer testifies that the day after their drunken conversation, Ed told her about Mark hating his wife and wanting her dead. (T)

Nov 7, 1998

Inmate Aaron Dillard testifies Mark returns home from St. Louis and Julie had thrown up all over the carpeting and just put towels over it because she was so sick. Mark then called carpet cleaners to clean up. (T)

Nov 7 & 8, 1998

Crime lab recovers late night websites about toxicology, physician-assisted suicide, chemical absorption, methanol ethanol, and nicotine on Mark’s computer. (T)

Nov 10, 1998, 12:41-1:15 am

Several weeks before her death, neighbor Ted Wojt testifies Mark threatened Julie that if she tried to leave him, he would make her seem like an unfit mother and she would never see the kids. Mark was pressuring her to see a doctor, put Douglas in childcare, and get a job. (T)

Nov, 1998

Two weeks before her death, Margaret Wojt testifies that she becomes aware of Julie’s marriage problems and Julie mentioned that Mark had been asking how she felt after her miscarriage and making a physical written note from her answer. (T)

Nov, 1998

Julie hosts a monthly book club with neighbors. She also attended a birthday party in late November with her son. They testify she showed no sign of depression or showed significant weight loss. Jurors see pictures of Julie verifying this. (T)

Nov, 1998

Several weeks before her death, Julie leaves two messages with police officer Ron Kosman about her suspicions. Her second message proclaims Mark is planning on killing her, yet she hopes that she is simply over-reacting and nothing comes of it. (T)

Nov, 1998

Prompted by husband David Nehring responding to Mark’s claims that Julie was sickly, depressed, and had lost so much weight she was unrecognizable, Sharon Nehring has lunch with Julie and reports she looked normal and seemed fine. (T)

Nov, 1998

Officer Ron Kosman stops by Julie’s residence after receiving her messages and asks her to leave the house if she was in fear for her life. She retrieves the film roll from the Wojts and gives it to police which were pictures she took of a list of things in Mark’s day planner and websites. (T)

Nov, 1998

Ted Wojt testifies that a policeman talks to Julie after developing the film and can’t make much sense of it as well as most of the pictures of the computer websites had high glare in the photos. Julie signals to Ted while walking away from the policeman that he probably thinks she’s crazy. (T)

Nov, 1998

Bradford Principle Joe Mangi testifies he interviewed Julie for a half hour applying for part-time secretary that she was over qualified for. She had office skills plus good with kids. (T)

Nov 20, 1998 am

Julie gives a letter and roll of film to neighbor Ted Wojt instructing them to give it to police in case of her unusual demise. (T)

Nov 21, 1998

Computer expert Martin Koch testifies internet history was purposely erased on Mark’s computer on this date. (T)

Nov 22, 1998

Julie confides in her Southport School teacher friend, Theresa DeFazio that she wants a divorce, but thinks Mark is planning on killing her, that she found a suspicious list of drugs in his day planner, and he’s always sneaking on the computer and turns it off when she enters the room. (KN) She also testifies that Mark threatened if she pursue divorce, he would take the kids and she would never see them again. (T)

Nov 25, 1998

Crime lab recovers late night websites about pricey fountain pens. (T)

Nov 26, 1998, 10:28 pm

Crime lab recovers early morning websites about antifreeze on Mark’s computer. (T)

Nov 29, 1998, 5:21 am

Computer expert Martin Koch testifies internet history was purposely erased on this date. (T)

Nov 29, 1998

At first after seeing Julie and Mark take a walk with Douglas and their dog, neighbors, the Wojts, talk with Julie after Mark leaves. She is scared, shaking, and in tears, not knowing for sure if Mark is planning on poisoning her food or drink or just playing mind-games with her in order to later say she was crazy. She says Mark openly leaves poisoning websites up for her to see and follows her around at night offereing her wine. She tells them she didn’t eat or hardly drink anything and did not think she might survive the weekend but tells them she had called the police. (T)

Nov 29, 1998

Neighbor Margaret Wojt testifies that against Julie’s wishes, Mark insists Douglas start full-time preschool (the week of Julie’s death). She says Julie told her Mark said he would kill her before getting a divorce. Julie also told her that she had an affair long ago because Mark did not love her anymore. (T)

Nov 30, 1998

Two days before her death, Margaret testifies she asked Julie if she thought Mark would really harm her and Julie answered “yes.” (T)

Dec 1, 1998

Mark convinces Julie to see family doctor Borman. She was visually upset and complained of bad marriage problems. He surmised she was not suicidal even though she mentioned she thought there was depression and alcoholism in her mother and mother’s father. She had lost 8 lbs and complained of loss of appetite, so he prescribed her with Paxil, gave her a month of samples, referred her for counseling, and wanted to see her back in two weeks. She was concerned that she be labeled crazy and loose custody of her kids. (T)

Dec 1, 1998

Aaron Dillard testifies after Julie and Mark came home from the doctor, Julie takes the prescribed Paxil and Benedryl and Lithium. She got loopy from the drugs, jumping on the bed, and then needed to lie down so Mark gives her juice mixed with antifreeze to drink. Mark goes online with Julie to research side effects of Paxil to help calm her down. Mark goes back to the doctor to get sleeping pills (Ambien) so she would sleep and feel at ease as she die. (T)

Dec 1, 1998

Dr. Mainland reports Mark’s description of Julie he told to Paul Griffin, that Julie was drunk and loopy late Tuesday night. (T)

Dec 1, 1998

Crime lab recovers many websites about antifreeze poisoning on Mark’s computer. (CC) (T)

Dec 2, 1998, 2:30 - 9:46 am

Aaron Dillard testifies Mark says the next day Julie was sick and throwing up, unable to keep any food down. David and Douglas were really concerned and wanted Mark to bring her to the hospital. (T)

Dec 2, 1998

Eric Schoor’s mother testifies David Jensen called her for a ride to school because his mom was sick. She thought it strange because normally Julie would call. (T)

Dec 2, 1998

David’s friend Eric Schoor testifies that David tells him he is really worried and concerned that his dad (Mark) is not taking his mother to the hospital. He imitates the sound of her heavy breathing. (T)

Dec 2, 1998

On the morning before Julie dies, Margaret Wojt noticed Mark leaving late for work and receives a phone call from Julie sounding strangely drunk telling them she was suprised her medication would affect her so much and that Mark was taking care of her, he was bringing the kids to school, and everything was okay. (T)

Dec 2, 1998, 1o am

Dr. Mainland reports Mark’s description of Julie told to Paul Griffin, that Julie was seen only out of bed one time all day to use the bathroom, and mostly sleeping, groggy, and out of it. (T)

Dec 2, 1998

Dr. Mainland testifies Mark called family Doctor Borman on his own accord, describing that Julie needed to sleep. Doctor Borman unlawfully gives Mark some Ambien samples without contacting Julie, and directs Mark to discontinue medication and take Julie to ER if any problems get worse. (T)

Dec 2, 1998, 1o am

Aaron Dillard testifies Mark said he then gave her more antifreeze with juice and Ambien in the evening so she would sleep and he would have no trouble. That evening, they are all laying on the bed with Julie and Mark promises the kids he will take her to the hospital if Julie is not feeling better by the time he gets home from work. (T)

Dec 2, 1998