In the year 2000, two brothers, David and Robert Bintz, were convicted for a murder committed in 1987.
The case in 1987 involved a woman by the name of Sandra Lison who was found near a trail in Oconto County, Wis. by a group of horseback riders, assaulted both physically and sexually. There was no physical evidence that connected the Bintz brothers to this particular case but David Bintz, who was in prison for another sexual assault case, confessed to it in his sleep and his cellmate reported it. When he was interrogated, David confessed and involved his brother as well.
The DNA evidence found on Lison’s person did not match either brother but the court ruled against them, leading to them serving time in prison for almost 25 years before new evidence was found.
The Great North Innocence Project is an organization that looks for new leads in cases in which those convicted may actually be innocent. Together, along with an Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG), looked into the Bintz brothers’ case but could not come up with new leads.
The case was brought to the Ramapo College IGG and within two days six students, led by IGG staff managed, to find a lead proving that the brothers were not responsible for the actions done to Sandra Lison.
“The Ramapo IGG Center is a pioneering effort that has led to the resolution of over a dozen cases in its short history. We are proud of our dedicated students who worked together to help provide justice for the Bintz brothers and for the victim, Sandra Lison,” David Gurney, the Ramapo College center’s director said. “We are also grateful to the Great North Innocence Project for allowing us to work on this important case.”
DNA evidence found on the body connected to a man named Wilson Hendricks, whose body was exhumed when evidence pointed his way, matched the evidence found on Lison.
On Sept. 25, 2024, the two brothers walked free. David and Robert Bintz are only the third and fourth cases in which investigative genetic genealogy managed to set free innocent individuals, but experts are hopeful that this number will continue to grow.
“I know that there are many more cases out there that could benefit from IGG, and we have done extensive outreach to wrongful conviction organizations to make them aware of IGG’s power to help resolve otherwise intractable cases,” Gurney said in a statement released by Ramapo College.
He continues, “My hope is that the incredible story of justice provided for the Bintz brothers as the result of one IGG lead will spur the innocence community to pursue IGG in more cases. The IGG Center’s doors are always open.”
Ramapo College is now looking at 53 other cases in hopes of continuing to help those who were wrongfully convicted.
rcassio@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Ramapo College of New Jersey
