Friday, December 13, 2024
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Friday, December 13, 2024

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Halloween Killer Gerald Turner: Lisa French’s Mother Slams Josh Kaul, Says ‘He Failed Me’

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Josh Kaul “doesn’t help. He doesn’t care about the victims” – Lisa Ann French’s mother.

The mother of 9-year-old homicide victim Lisa Ann French, who was raped and murdered by notorious “Halloween Killer” Gerald Turner while trick-or-treating in one of the state’s most horrific crimes ever, is slamming Attorney General Josh Kaul, saying Kaul “failed me, and he’s failed Wisconsin.”

Maryann Gehring, the mother of Lisa, who was raped and murdered on Halloween by Turner, is endorsing Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney in the attorney general’s race, and she is appearing in a new campaign ad that is the most powerful of the campaign season. Lisa had knocked on Turner’s door, dressed as a hobo, complete with felt hat and freckles, when he raped and murdered her.

“This time of year is very hard for me and my family because of Lisa’s murder,” Gehring said. “It’s difficult to see Josh Kaul lying about his record on crime. When you have a child that is brutally murdered, you simply want answers and justice. Josh Kaul failed me, and he’s failed Wisconsin.”

Gehring also took direct aim at Kaul in the ad. Kaul’s office is currently handling ongoing commitment proceedings against Turner, initiated by his Republican predecessor.

“It was Halloween. My daughter stopped at three homes: Her girlfriend’s house, her teacher’s house, and the man that murdered her. He molested her. He put her in a garbage bag. He was going to be released in 2018,” the mother says in the commercial.

Lisa ann french
Lisa ann french

She continued: “Josh Kaul, he was not there for me at all. You want some help to find out what is going on, and he doesn’t help. He doesn’t care about the victims. I know Eric Toney does. Eric Toney kept that man who murdered my daughter from being released. Eric Toney has always been there for me and that’s the kind of attorney general we need.”

Gerald Turner is easily one of the most infamous and horrific killers in state history. In fact, the case sparked a new sexual predator law that allowed rapists to be committed after serving their time in prison. It was known as “Turner’s Law.” The horrific crime of the little Fond du Lac girl who was killed while trick-or-treating in 1973 changed how families and communities handle Halloween, terrifying the state.

According to WBAY-TV, “Turner is currently being held at Sand Ridge Treatment Center, a facility for people deemed sexually violent. He was sent there after a petition, filed by then-Attorney General Brad Schimel, with the help of Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, asked the court to commit Turner under 980. A 980 would deem Turner as a sexually violent person and he’d remain a ward of the state for life.” Turner had been briefly freed on mandatory release, sparking outrage, years ago.

“Working with Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, former Attorney General Brad Schimel began the Chapter 980 civil commitment process with a petition in 2018 to keep Turner locked up – a process that is still ongoing,” a press release from Toney said.

“Helping Lisa’s mom Maryann and other crime victims seek justice is one of the most important aspects of my career as a district attorney,” Toney said.

“Kaul has repeatedly demonstrated his lack of concern for public safety and victims. He also turned his back on law enforcement to appease his far-left political base. Josh Kaul lived in Fond du Lac County, and Lisa’s tragic murder was known throughout the state and country, yet Kaul couldn’t provide Maryann the assistance she needed,” said Toney.

Continued Toney: “Maryann is showing the courage to stand up and join other victims across the state in stepping forward to share their stories in the wake of more than 200 murderers and over 40 rapists released into the public by Tony Evers and his Parole Commission. Josh Kaul has remained silent and refuses to condemn the appalling release of these murders and rapists.” Those murderers and rapists were released on discretionary paroles.

He added: “Based on Kaul’s silence while Evers released murderers and rapists back onto our streets, I’m confident he would never had filed the 980 petitions to keep Turner locked up. Gerald Turner might be a free man today if it was up to Josh Kaul.”

The news release says that District Attorney Toney “has a lengthy history of fighting Chapter 980 violent sex offender placements and helped change the CH 980 law in Wisconsin.” That’s the sexual predator law.

The campaign released these stories to document those efforts by Toney:

Fond du Lac Reporter story

CBS 58

Fox 11 Online

KFIZ

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Fox 6

District Attorney Eric Toney “has endorsements of over 100 Republican and Democrat Sheriffs, District Attorneys, and Police Chiefs, and has been unanimously endorsed by the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge, the Milwaukee Police Association, the Kenosha Professional Police Association, Waukesha County Chiefs of Police Association, the West Allis Professional Police Association, the Racine Police Association, the Wisconsin Troopers Association, the Racine Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, and the Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization,” the release says.

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Report: Wisconsin Needs Solution to Road Construction/Repair Funding Gap

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin will need to find an additional funding source for road repairs and transportation spending or the quality of the state’s road system will decline, according to a new report.

Gas tax collections, which fund transportation spending, have progressively declined while the cost of road repair has increased significantly, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum.

“Either the state will have to forego spending and sacrifice road quality over time, or it will have to tap one of a few available funding sources such as the gas tax, vehicle fees, general tax dollars, mileage fees or local taxes and fees” the report finds.

The gas tax stopped being increased along with inflation after a 2005 law change and since then the state has used $2.6 billion of general funds between fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2025 on road work including $749.7 million in the 2023-25 biennial state budget.

Wisconsin has spent $821 per person in state and local funds over the most recent three years with data on road work compared to a national average of $811.

“While little of the analysis or warnings about the condition of our transportation funding system are new, we are reaching an inflection point–fiscally, technologically and demographically–that makes the stakes of ignoring long-term reforms to fund our roads, bridges and highways even higher than ever,” Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association (WTBA) Executive Director Steve Baas said in a statement regarding the report.

The cost of construction has gone up 56.8% nationally and 26.6% in Wisconsin since 2020.

The report suggests that some options to fix the funding gap include increasing the state general fund transfers, increasing the gas tax and vehicle registration fees, switching to a mileage-based fee used in pilot programs in several states or begin collecting tolls.

“Our economy stands on manufacturing, agriculture and tourism – all are incredibly dependent on roads and transportation,” Baas said. “If we are going to grow the state’s economy, creating a sustainable sufficient funding model to support smart asset management is an imperative. “The cost of doing nothing is prohibitive for Wisconsin communities and the Wisconsin economy.”

Mileage-based pilots have occurred in Oregon, Utah and Virginia with other states considering them for the same reasons.

“These little-used programs show mileage-based fees are technologically feasible, but remain relatively untested nationally and seemingly unpopular with motorists,” the report said.

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Poll: Majority of Americans Support Trump’s Plan to Declare Emergency at Border

A majority of Americans support President-elect Donald Trump's plan to declare a national emergency over the border crisis, according to a new poll. Declaring such an emergency would allow Trump to utilize the military to secure the border and help with his plan to deport violent criminal foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally.

The Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted online by pollster Scott Rasmussen Nov. 18-19. It asked: "President Trump has said that he will declare a national emergency because of the illegal immigration problem. This would let the Trump Administration use military force to help with a mass deportation of illegal immigrants. Do you favor or oppose declaring a national emergency to address the problem of illegal immigration?"

In response, 31% of those polled said they strongly favor declaring a national emergency, and 24% said they somewhat favor it. Combined, 55% of Americans support Trump's plan. Those in favor include 62% of Hispanic voters, 57% of white voters, and 50% of Black voters.

On the other side, 12% said they somewhat oppose the idea while 26% said they strongly oppose it, with a total of 38% in opposition. An additional 7% said they were not sure.

"Declaring a national emergency would allow the president to use military forces to assist in the deportation of illegal immigrants," Napolitan News Service said in a statement accompanying the polling results. "Support for the plan comes from 62% of Hispanic voters, 57% of White voters, and 50% of Black voters."The border crisis and Vice President Kamala Harris’ work on the immigration issue were a focal point of the Trump campaign. Trump vowed to close the border and stop the flow of illegal immigration, which rose to unprecedented levels during the Biden-Harris administration.

Jose Ibarra Guilty of Murdering Laken Riley

Jose Ibarra, a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and in America illegally since 2022 according to immigration officials, has been found guilty on all counts related to the murder of Laken Riley.

Judge H. Patrick Haggard gave the ruling on Wednesday morning shortly after testimony and closing arguments had closed. Ibarra's defense attorneys waived the right to a jury trial in opting for a bench trial.

Riley, 22, was a former University of Georgia student who had transferred into the Augusta University nursing program on the Athens campus. Her name became synonymous with immigration campaign points by Republicans in this year's election cycle.

Prosecutors said, and Haggard agreed, Ibarra killed Riley on the morning of Feb. 22 as she was jogging near her Athens apartment. Haggard said he took two legal pads full of notes during the trial but typically just listened during closing arguments.

The judge offered that he wrote down two things, one by prosecutor Sheila Ross and the other by defense lawyer Kaitlyn Beck.

"One was a statement by Ms. Ross, that the evidence was overwhelming and powerful," Haggard said. "And then I also wrote down what Ms. Beck said that I am required to set aside my emotions. That's the same things that we tell jurors."

The court has recessed to consider when sentencing will take place.

(This is a developing story. Check back for updates.)

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