Julie Jensen seems to have it all: a loving husband, Mark Jensen, two beautiful children, and a perfect life in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. When she was found dead in her bedroom just a few weeks before Christmas, her family and friends were devastated. But what went wrong in Julie and Mark’s marriage that caused her death? Whit Johnson, who hosts World News Tonight Saturday and is also a co-host on Good Morning America Weekend, talked about the 25-year investigation into the death and the dramatic trial that just ended last week.
In this episode, Jolie’s brother Paul Griffin, prosecutors Bob Jambois and Carli McNeill, Mark’s former partner Ed Klug, Mark’s cellmate David Thompson, Jolie’s friend Ruth Vorwald, and Kim Noble are all interviewed. The show also has old interviews with Ted and Margaret Wojt, who got a letter from Julie that changed the way the whole investigation was done. “20/20” airs on ABC on February 10 from 9:01 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET and on Hulu the next day.
David Muir hosts the award-winning prime-time show 20/20 on ABC News. 20/20 has been the most popular long-form news magazine for more than 40 years. It is known for its haunting, character-driven true crime mysteries, exclusive interviews with newsmakers, hard-hitting investigative reporting, and insight into high-profile stories. The story is told in detail. The head producer is Janice Johnston. The two-hour “20/20” show airs on ABC every Friday from 9:01 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is also available on ABC News and Hulu.
In a second trial, a Wisconsin man was found guilty of killing his wife in her home in 1998. Mark Jensen, who was 63, was found guilty of killing his wife, Julie Jensen, who was 40. He was found guilty of killing her in 2008, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court said that Julie Jensen’s letter suggested that if she died, her husband would have broken the law, WTMJ said. In 2021, his sentence was overturned because he had the right to a trial.
According to CBS58, Special Counsel Bob Jambois said after the sentencing, “Mark Jensen was one of the most cruel, cold-blooded people I’ve ever met in my life.” Gross, but he was trying to live while he listened to her and waited for her to die.”
The Milwaukee Sentinel said that prosecutors say Mark Jensen slowly killed his wife by giving her antifreeze and sleeping pills, and then smothering her with a pillow. In his closing arguments, Mark Jensen’s lawyer, Jeremy Perry, told the jury that Mark Jensen did not kill his wife. “We know this because of science and because Julie Jensen told her doctors about it.”
“Think about the questions we asked the witnesses in this case. Think about my answer to the state’s argument. So many things about this case are sad. There is sadness. There is suicide. WTMJ said what Perry said, and a person who wasn’t guilty was charged with manslaughter.
He said, “Mark Jensen is not guilty, and we want you to be set free.” CBS 58 said that Jambois said he was glad Jolie’s letter wasn’t needed to convict him after the sentence was given. “I think the Supreme Court of Wisconsin got this wrong. I think victims should be able to say what they want in court,” he told CBS 58.
Jambois said that Julie wrote a letter to the Prairie Police Department on November 21, 1998, putting her husband in the wrong.
