Judge Vacates Conviction in Poisoning Death

Note from the victim had been used as evidence, meaning defendant couldn't confront witness

MILWAUKEE — A federal judge has overturned a Kenosha man's conviction in the poisoning death of his wife.

Chief U.S. District Judge William Griesbach ordered that Mark Jensen be released from prison within 90 days.

Jensen was convicted of killing his wife, Julie Jensen, with antifreeze in highly-publicized Kenosha County trial in 2008. Jensen appealed and said the state's use of his wife's note to a neighbor violated his constitutional right to confront a witness. Julie Jensen's note said she suspected her husband wanted to kill her and that if anything happened to her, the neighbors should give her letter to police.