How Investigators Stuck and Attempted a Convicted Antifreeze Killer in 1998

It took just about 25 years, two trials and a letter from past the grave, however prosecutors say they introduced justice to Julie Jensen.

The 40-year-old mom of 2 was once discovered useless in her mattress on December 3, 1998 via her husband Mark Jensen. Toxicology trying out ultimately ambitious that she had ethylene glycol, the primary component in antifreeze, in her frame.

Investigators will uncover the moment next her dying that Julie Jensen delivered a letter to her neighbors detailing her suspicions in opposition to her husband and together with incriminating main points to help her claims.

Mark Jensen was once convicted of his homicide a decade after, with this letter as key proof within the trial next police gained it from Jensen’s neighbors.

“I considered it Julie’s last will and testament. I felt it was her testamentary request,” former Kenosha District Lawyer Bob Jambois, who oversees the prosecution of this example for greater than twenty years. 2008.

An appeals courtroom overturned the conviction in 2011, mentioning that the letter must no longer had been admitted into the trial as it violated Jensen’s 6th Modification rights to confront prosecution eyewitnesses.

Prosecutors retried Mark Jensen in January 2023 with out the letter, specializing in alternative proof they stated proved his guilt, together with web searches he carried out on his pc. He was once convicted via a jury next a moment of deliberations on February 1.

“20/20” will go back to the case in an episode airing February 10 at 9 p.m. ET and airing on Hulu the next moment, which is able to detail pristine interviews with Julie Jensen’s buddies and folk, prosecutors and key eyewitnesses who testified in opposition to her husband.

From the beginning of the investigation, Jambois stated he knew it could be a tricky case as a result of there have been no rapid indicators of foul play.

The prosecutor, on the other hand, stated he felt one thing was once mistaken, specifically with the habits of the husband, who he stated didn’t seem remorseful or depressed next Julie Jensen’s dying.

A few of Julie Jensen’s buddies instructed “20/20” they felt one thing was once mistaken with Mark Jensen.

Ruth Vorwald instructed 20/20 that Mark Jensen confirmed no indicators of grief at his spouse’s wake.

“Mark was standing maybe 5 feet from his coffin, and he had a group of men around him. He was laughing [and] joking and it was so weird,” she stated.

Vorwald stated that in a while next the funeral, she spotted there have been greater than a lot trash luggage at the sidewalk of the Jensens house that contained Julie Jensen’s property.

“It’s like he wants to erase it,” she stated. “He erases her from his life [and] of the House.”

A revelation from Julie Jensen’s neighbors would ascertain those suspicions.

Earlier than her dying, she gave an envelope to her neighbors Ted and Margaret Wojt and instructed them that “if anything happens, give it to the police”.

Then Julie Jensen’s dying, the Wojts passed over the sealed envelope to the police. It contained a letter written via Julie Jensen, along side an image of a buying groceries record that integrated a syringe and chemical substances.

“I am suspicious of Mark’s suspicious behavior and fear my untimely death,” Jensen wrote. “If something happened to me, he would be my first suspect. I would never kill myself because of my children, they are everything to me!”

Jensen additionally mentioned within the letter a imaginable explanation why her husband harbored hostilities in opposition to her. She referenced a short lived affair she had years previous and stated her husband “never forgave me”.

Prosecutors would after be told that Mark Jensen was once having an affair with a associate at his brokerage company that started sooner than his spouse’s dying. Mark Jensen after married her.

Right through Mark Jensen’s two trials, his attorneys argued that Julie Jensen died via suicide and was once the usage of her dying to border her husband for homicide. Paul Griffin, brother of Julie Jensen disputed this allegation. He instructed “20/20” that his sister was once by no means a vengeful individual.

“It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever imagined. I don’t know how anyone could believe that, anyone,” he stated.

Prosecutors stated the proof confirmed Mark Jensen had the cause and the manner to take his spouse’s day. The prosecution additionally introduced eyewitnesses who testified at each trials that Mark Jensen had made incriminating statements.

Ed Klug, a former associate of Mark Jensen, testified that at a piece convention within the fall of 1998, his former associate mentioned hating his spouse and discussed poisons and internet sites about his partner’s homicide .

Klug stated he didn’t advance to the police partially as a result of he feared Mark Jensen would retaliate in opposition to him and his folk.

“In hindsight, I wish I had taken it seriously,” he stated.

David Thompson, who in 2007 was once being held in prison in the similar mobile stop as Mark Jensen, testified that Mark Jensen was once pissed off on the probability of optic Ed Klug testify and referred to as him a “thorn in the side”.

“He discussed, ‘I wish I could get rid of him,’” Thompson told ’20/20’.

Thompson stated he had little interest in doing the rest in opposition to Klug however sought after to create cash and instructed Jensen he can have any individual kidnap Klug sooner than the trial.

Thompson says the artificial scheme was once only a ploy to benefit from Jensen, and he by no means meant to take action. Nobody has ever been charged.

Jensen’s protection famous that no cash was once ever transferred to Thompson, pronouncing the alleged plot was once solely Thompson’s concept. Jensen’s lawyers additionally argued {that a} certain letter written via prosecutors next Thompson’s testimony can have earned him a lesser sentence in any other case.

The second one trial, which lasted just about a generation, ended terminating pace with a jury convicting Mark Jensen next only a moment of deliberation. The decision got here as a bliss to Julie Jensen’s buddies and folk.

“I was concerned that he wouldn’t be found guilty without the letter,” Griffin stated. “We really didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Sentencing is scheduled for April 14. Mark Jensen instructed journalists next the decision that he deliberate to enchantment the case.

Jambois, on the other hand, scoffed at Jensen’s remarks and stated he didn’t imagine any other trial would take playground.

“If he does, I’ll be back and try that son of a bitch again,” he stated.