Keith Kutska, the final member of the so-called Monfils Six to be released from prison, has died at the age of 74. According to his obituary, Kutska passed away on February 24, 2026, while traveling in Arizona. His death marks the end of a life long overshadowed by one of Wisconsin’s most controversial criminal cases.
Keith Kutska Death, ObituaryKutska served nearly 30 years in prison in connection with the 1992 death of paper mill worker Tom Monfils in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1995, Kutska and five co-workers were convicted in Brown County of being party to Monfils’ murder after Monfils’ body was found inside a pulp vat at the mill. Prosecutors claimed the killing was retaliation after Monfils reported that Kutska had stolen an extension cord. All six men were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Over the decades, the case steadily unraveled. One by one, Kutska’s co-defendants were released amid mounting concerns about evidence, investigative practices, and witness credibility. Michel Piaskowski was released in 2001, Dale Basten in 2017, Michael Hirn in 2018, and Michael Johnson and Rey Moore in 2019. Kutska was the last to be freed, gaining release in 2023.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Kutska and the other men consistently maintained their innocence. Keith Kutska died a free man, but his death does not resolve the lingering questions surrounding the Monfils case. Instead, it leaves behind a legacy defined by controversy, decades lost to incarceration, and an enduring debate over justice and wrongful conviction.
