October 4, 2024
Sandra Lison was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered in 1987 after her shift at a local bar. The Bintz brothers happened to be patrons at the same bar the night this happened. Witnesses recount an argument between the group about beer prices. Eleven years later in 1998, David Bintz was in jail for an unrelated crime when a cellmate claimed to hear him confess to Lison’s murder in his sleep. During the interrogation, Bintz confessed to the murder, mentioning his brother as part of the crime. Despite DNA evidence not matching either of the brothers, the court sentenced both to life in prison.¹
Fast forward to 2019, Bode Technology’s customized casework team performed STR (STRmix)/YSTR and mtDNA sample testing from this case. Then, the Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) team assisted with the SNP testing on a sample from the unknown male. After doing genealogy research and a few rounds of planned testing, the case was transferred to the students at Ramapo College, where they did further genealogical research testing.
The genealogy research at Ramapo College showed a match to the DNA at the scene of Lison’s murder, belonging to someone in the Hendricks family. One of the brothers, William Hendricks, passed away in 2000. The body was exhumed to confirm the DNA match.¹ Wisconsin State Crime Lab then confirmed the match with Bode through bone STR testing.
On September 24, 2024, the Great North Innocence Project and the Ramapo College team presented this case at the International Symposium on Human Identification. The team was expecting a conclusion prior to the presentation, but the case was still due for a hearing. Miraculously, during the presentation, the presenters and the audience were notified that the state concluded their investigation and scheduled an emergency hearing. On the following day, the state declared Hendricks guilty and the Bintz brothers innocent.² Thanks to the power of FIGG and the hard work of all teams involved, the truth has been revealed, and two innocent brothers are now free.
¹Source: IGG Helps Exonerate Brothers of 1987 Murder, Forensic®, 2024
²Source: Justice Delayed but not Denied: Bintz Brothers Exonerated After 24 Years with the Help of IGG, Ramapo College, 2024