And an
INTENTIONAL PERVERSION OF JUSTICE
"I believe that there are absolutely circumstances under which no court may knowingly ignore a wrongful conviction -unknowingly is bad enough."
Judge J. Harris
***Please note this document is composed by Don Miller, I am reproducing his work here cross referenced with the evidence for your convenience. The original version may be viewed and downloaded in Acrobat pdf format here. Thanks.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
3. ANATOMY OF DON'S WRONGFUL CONVICTION
1. INTRODUCTION
2. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
3. ANATOMY OF DON'S WRONGFUL CONVICTION
A. THE ACCUSER
B. THE ACCUSED
D. THE ARREST
G. PRE-TRIAL HEARINGS
H. A JURY IS SELECTED
I. THE TRIAL
J. SENTENCING
K. THE APPEAL
4. ANOTHER ATTORNEY JOINS THE CASE
5. JUDGE REFUSES TO HOLD CRIME INQUIRY HEARING
6. JUDGE DENIES ACCESS TO THE COURT
7. PROSECUTOR CONCEALS AND DESTROYS EVIDENCE
8. WEBSITES STARTED
9. RETALIATION AGAINST DON
10. INVESTIGATION
11. SUMMARY OF FACTS AND EVIDENCE
12. FACTS AND EVIDENCE REMAIN UNREFUTED
13. PROSECUTION OF TAMRA COYNE
14. NOTE TO CONNIE, FAMILY, AND HER FRIENDS
15. CONCLUSION
16. HOW YOU CAN HELP
CONTACT INFORMATION
H. A JURY IS SELECTED
I. THE TRIAL
J. SENTENCING
K. THE APPEAL
4. ANOTHER ATTORNEY JOINS THE CASE
5. JUDGE REFUSES TO HOLD CRIME INQUIRY HEARING
6. JUDGE DENIES ACCESS TO THE COURT
7. PROSECUTOR CONCEALS AND DESTROYS EVIDENCE
8. WEBSITES STARTED
9. RETALIATION AGAINST DON
10. INVESTIGATION
11. SUMMARY OF FACTS AND EVIDENCE
12. FACTS AND EVIDENCE REMAIN UNREFUTED
13. PROSECUTION OF TAMRA COYNE
14. NOTE TO CONNIE, FAMILY, AND HER FRIENDS
15. CONCLUSION
16. HOW YOU CAN HELP
CONTACT INFORMATION
This is the true and shocking story of Don Miller, a falsely accused man still sitting in a prison after more than 14 years despite the fact that it is now well proven that he was falsely accused and wrongfully convicted. It is also the story of our badly broken justice system, of gross corruption, incompetent police, and prosecutorial and judicial misconduct.
No matter who you are, how popular you may be, what you do for a living or how much money you may have, this story certainly concerns you and your family because you are subject to this broken justice system. There is no guarantee that someone will never falsely accuse you or someone you love and then one day maybe finding yourself sitting all alone in a prison cell simply because someone had a grudge and wanted you to suffer.
What may be most disturbing here is the fact that there was no investigation prior to trial and that despite the accumulation a lot of evidence sincethe time of trial that proves Don is falsely accused and wrongly convicted there is still no investigation by the prosecutor, judge or police. They simply took a false accuser's word and ran with it without first checking any facts. And now that they have been handed a lot of evidence since the time of trial which proves he is falsely accused and wrongly convicted, they still refuse to investigate and continue ignoring established facts. They have instead moved to destroy evidence and have committed felony misconduct in public office several times.
We do not say anything that we cannot prove. Everything we say in this document and on our website is the truth and supported by evidence on website www.freedonmiller.com. It includes a taped interview of a witness, sworn affidavits, reports by professional investigators, court documents, certified telephone records and various other data. We also posted on the site many comments submitted by the false accuser's friends and by others who know the false accuser, judge, DA, and Don. The story you are about to read is true. Absolutely nothing here has ever been disputed the public officials involved.
DON MILLER is from Hurley, Wisconsin. He has a son, owned and operated his own business, had no prior criminal history and was, and still is, a well known and respected member of our community. He has many friends and supporters. His parents, siblings and son have also been devastated what has been done here. It appalls everyone that our federal, state and local governments have not yet done anything about this case.
CONNIE VARGOVICH was Don's girlfriend and false accuser. She resided with Don at his home, has at least three criminal convictions for previously being convicted for telling lies on several occasions to different police in Michigan, and her established reputation in our community is that of a chronic liar, being mentally unstable, and as a false accuser. You will see this represented by the many comments published on the website made by her friends, her ex boyfriend, and by many others who know her all too well.
Because Connie had been cheating on Don he asked her to move out of his home. She did not like this, promised revenge, then falsely accused Don of committing nonexistent crimes. And by no means was this the first time she had ever falsely accused someone.
Connie has been caught red handed telling many lies in this case. Several years after Don was sent to prison we started a website to publish evidence we obtain and proof that she falsely accused him and Connie became the target of criticism in our community. She also did not like that, but rather than come forward to tell the truth she acted consistent with her nature, and that was to falsely accuse Don yet once again when she made yet another false complaint with DA Martin Lipske. And once again, DA Lipske refused to investigate. But this time outside officials did investigate and found her accusation be to completely false. Though DA Lipske did finally admit to a reporter that "Connie lied," he did not question or charge her, nor reopened Don's case. He did absolutely nothing at all.
People had overheard Connie threaten that she would make Don "pay" if he ever broke up with her, and not long after Don was sent to prison she confessed his innocence to a witness, who has submitted an affidavit. And still no investigation by the DA or police. Connie has bragged about falsely accusing Don and about getting away with it and you will find the answer as to why she is not being held accountable in the evidence on the website which reveals that she was romantically involved for years with the judge in this case, Patrick Madden. She has stated to friends that he protects her from legal trouble, and this is one reason as to why there was and is no investigation whatsoever in this case.
If all this is not bad enough,it was also recently discovered by a professional investigator that Connie was engaged a sexual relationship in with the lead police investigator this in case, Sheriffs Deputy Joe Robinson, both prior to and during the time of Don's trial. At trial Robinson admitted that he had conducted no investigation whatsoever in this case.
PATRICK J. MADDEN is the circuit court judge on Don's case. It was ultimately discovered that Madden was romantically involved with Connie for years prior to Don's trial but had failed to disclose this as required, and also failed to recuse from the case as required. Clearly, these failures exhibit his intent to railroad Don as his favor to Connie, as he has in the past provided her judicial favors. This judge made all rulings against Don before and at trial and then sentenced him to 42-years prison, which is more time than in he gives to child molesters and murderers. It was his little favor to Connie. Wink, wink.
This judge has also offered judicial favors to at least one other female in exchange for sex, but she declined his generous offer. When the judge learned that she had spoken to our investigator,he apparently retaliated against her. She now fears Judge Madden.
Witnesses also watched as Judge Madden hugged and squeezed Connie Vargovich in a courthouse hallway during a break in Don's trial. He could not even keep his paws off of her until after he railroaded Don. Judge Patrick Madden should not have presided over this case in any way, and by doing so he has deprived Don of the neutral and detached judge he is entitled to under the U.S. Constitution. There would be no fair trial here.
MARTIN LIPSKE is the DA who refused to investigate prior to trial, prosecuted Don, and convicted him on false evidence and perjury, and who still refuses to investigate any new evidence or witnesses. Prior to this case, Mr. Lipske was disbarred both Minnesota in and Wisconsin for lying, and now he has been caught lying in this case many times.
This case will open your eyes. Once you review hard facts and evidence on the website you will be shocked because it proves that Don Miller is a victim of perjury, fraud, conspiracy and corrupt small town officials. Look at the facts and evidence. See how perverted our justice system has become. Iron County, Wis. has a history of corruption and of having criminals in public office, and it is well known for this. The cult of corruption continues there to this day, and despite the fact that they are now exposed in corruption, misconduct, conspiracy and lies, Don and his family continue to be victimized by the persons named in this document. They must be held accountable.
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[ Top ]
2. THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
[ Return to Table of Contents ]
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3. ANATOMY OF DON'S WRONGFUL CONVICTION
Don is a good hearted person who loves his family and son very much. Like you, Don
has feelings, emotions, hopes, dreams and ambitions. And this means absolutely nothing
to his false accuser, the corrupt judge, police or previously disbarred district attorney.
Connie Vargovich had been living with Don and on several occasions witnesses heard
her threaten and promise to make Don pay if he ever broke up with her and promise that
he will regret it for the rest of his life and will never have another girlfriend as long as he
lives, then brag about how the police always believe whatever she tells them.
On the morning of October 19, 1997,due to the fact that she had repeatedly cheated on
him, Don finally told Connie to move out of his home. She quickly made good on her
promise to make Don pay and she did so by falsely accusing him of non-existent crimes.
Convicted on her false testimony Don was sentenced to forty two years in prison by the
same judge who had concealed his own involvement with Connie. Don was then shipped
off 1,200 miles from home to a Tennessee prison where he stayed more than three years,
all of which time he was unable to even once see the faces of his son and family.
Well known in our community as a false accuser Connie Vargovich went on with her life
as if what she had done was all in a day's work. And for her it was. Her documented
history includes falsely accusing others, threatening revenge on people who anger her,
and criminal convictions due to having been caught lying to police on different occasions.
Just prior to his false arrest here Don suffered a witnessed unprovoked attack by
a City of Hurley police officer. Don had dated the wife of one of
the officers relatives during her divorce proceedings, which seems to be why he attacked
him. Don had to go to an emergency room twice for treatment of injuries he suffered in
this attack then began demanding that charges be brought against the officer, who already
had a history of assaulting other citizens while he was on duty.
At the scheduled time to be heard on that matter in the Iron County circuit court, Don and
his witnesses found the courtroom dark and locked. The court clerk told Don that "Judge
Madden removed the matter from the calendar and wants you to go home and just forget
about it." A victim of a violent assault, Don was now being denied access to the court.
Don kept demanding the officers arrest and a hearing and DA Lipske refused to speak to
Don and hid in his office when Don tried to see him. Instead of arresting the officer, the
Sheriffs Department threatened Don with big trouble if he did not go away. Don kept on
complaining then nine months later he did find himself in big trouble by being wrongly
prosecuted by DA Lipske who absolutely knew that Connie was telling a lot of lies.
Iron County officials had refused to hold the officer accountable and this encouraged him
to go on beating other innocent citizens. And not once did this judge, DA or sheriff lift
one finger to protect our community from this sick cop. Fortunately for our community.
neighboring Ashland County officials stepped in, prosecuted the officer, and convicted
him of felony assault. These Iron County officials who are responsible for our protection
only protect each other and had refused to assist those outside officials in any way.
DA Lipske was previously disbarred for lying, took money from clients without earning
it, admitted his own incompetence in areas of the law, and was now on Don's case.
On our website you can read the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that disbarred Martin Lipske and after reading the details you will be sickened and outraged that Wisconsin allows Lipske to hold a position of power where his well established habit of lying can cause harm to others and destroy lives, exactly as he has caused and is still causing to Don Miller and his family with his complete lack of moral and professional judgement.
Iron County officials have been given many opportunities to respond to the information
and evidence presented on the website and, if not true, to deny it. But they do not deny
anything and do not deny that Don has told nothing but the truth and not misrepresented
anything in this case either before, during, or since trial. Compare this fact to the dozens
of documented lies that Connie, the judge, DA and sheriff have been caught in. The only
truthful one is in prison suffering every day and the liars and criminals who put him there
and who keep him there are all home with their family and friends enjoying life.
This case is partly about Connie getting revenge with false accusations, partly about
police retaliation against Don for complaining too much, partly about a bad and morally
bankrupt prosecutor, partly about a crooked judge who railroaded Don as a judicial favor
to his girlfriend, and partly about gross professional incompetence by all of the officials
involved. This is all well proven by hard evidence, and it is simply outrageous.
Before she moved in with Don, Connie Vargovich was living in a trailer with her mother,
son, brother, sister, brother-in-law and their baby. Many people had warned Don about
Connie when he started dating her but he believed she was a nice person so always
defended her against negative remarks. Only after she moved in and he started seeing her
crazy behavior did Don finally realize the severity of her personality disorder and alcohol
abuse and learned most of what he knows now only after she had falsely accused him.
Nicknames given to her by her family and friends include The Con and Psycho. These are
earned nicknames. She can con anyone into anything, and can go psycho at the drop of a
hat. Her documented history includes beating up other kids in school; acts of violence;
getting revenge against people; making false accusations; filing false police reports;
disorderly conduct; bar fighting; drunk driving; public intoxication; she attacked a prior
boyfriend with a hammer; accused others of rape; bit a bartender; credit card theft;
burglary; convictions for lying to police; she was fired from a nursing home job after
punching an elderly patient in the head; has a documented history of using police and
courts as a tool for revenge; and abuses the legal system whenever someone angers her.
The false accusations she made against others include rape; beatings; choking; stalking;
bruising; deadly weapons attacks; death threats; multiple injuries; assassination threats;
fear for her life; and various other threats against both her and her family and her
accusations against Don are virtual rubberstamped copies of the same types of complaints
she made against others in the past. Either Connie is the world's most frequently
victimized woman who sees more action than James Bond, or she is a pathological liar.
Review the facts and then you decide.
Even while Don sat in jail awaiting trial here Connie was busy making accusations
against yet another man, Ken Grenfell, who she claimed threatened to kill her within
seventy two hours, threatened to shoot up her house, and told her he was not afraid to go
to jail. But that was in Michigan where they know her habit of lying. Ken told the court
that Connie was lying. They did not charge him and told him to just stay away from her.
After sending Don to prison with her lies Connie continued accusing others, caused car
accidents, collected more drunk driving tickets, got into more bar fights, attacked a
bartender, had another boyfriend put in jail and, as DA Lipske himself even admitted,
falsely accused Don Miller yet once again, this time as retaliation for our website that
exposes her for who she really is and for what she has done to Don and his family.
Her medical reports were obtained before trial and they show what we already knew, that
she has serious psychiatric problems, needs professional treatment and was prescribed
psychiatric medications which she admitted at trial she had not been taking.
Just weeks before accusing Don of having threatened her with a gun Connie's mother had
also accused her own boyfriend, Jerry Aho, of having threatened to kill them all with a
gun. Michigan police arrested Aho, conducted an investigation, discovered inconsistency
in the Vargovich story, found that Aho did not even own a gun, so released him. But that
is not how it works in Iron County, Wis. where they investigated nothing in this case.
After our website published proof that Connie has committed perjury, that Iron County
officials are corrupt and aiding her in crime, we began receiving letters, e-mails and
messages from people who know Connie and from others who have had trouble with her.
They all portray her as a pathological liar and an evil person. Knowing firsthand that she
is a liar, even her closest friends have now come forward to speak out against what she
has done to Don. Those who know Connie the best all know that she falsely accused Don.
You can read many such comments on our website.
Don Miller was a long time resident of Iron County, Wisconsin. He is a very kind person
And loving father who worked very hard to support his family, owned his own business,
is well known and respected in our community, and had many hobbies that include
fishing, hiking, motorcycling, nature photography, painting, music, and helping needy
people and animals alike. He has a very big heart, and all who know him will tell you so.
Through very hard work Don's business was successful but consumed most of his time
and energy because he often worked over twelve hours a day, usually seven days a week,
so had sacrificed much in the way of family, friends and fun to provide for his family.
Due to this workload he began to have problems with his health and home life. Then one
day the IRS called and asked why he had not paid his taxes for seven years. Don thought
they were paid but discovered that his girlfriend, also working as his accountant, had
embezzled a lot of money from him and had not been paying the taxes.
His girlfriend admitted what she had done but blamed it on a gambling addiction. Now
knowing he was deeply in debt Don had to fire her and another employee and had to run
the business all by himself and work harder than ever, oftentimes literally for days on end
without any sleep at all, in order to pay off the IRS as soon as possible. This increased
workload, stress, and lack of sleep led to many health problems. It was ruining his health.
But even worse things were on the way.
Don was then devastated to learn that his girlfriend of seventeen years had cheated on
him. But through all the hell, lies and betrayal, he stayed with her then only two weeks
later while riding his motorcycle to work he was hit by a car in an intersection and
received multiple permanent injuries, making it impossible to put in all the time and work that his business required. It now seemed to Don that all those years of hard work, stress
and sheer determination to keep his family and business afloat had all been for nothing.
Because she had cheated on Don his girlfriend convinced herself that he would cheat on
her so constantly harassed him and was accusing him of cheating on her, ignoring the fact
that he was always either working or at home and was completing large amounts of work
at his shop each day. Her actions contributed greatly to his deteriorating health but the
only solution he came up with was to put in even more hours at work so as to avoid all
the hell at home. Despite his painful injuries he now often worked more than eighty hours
a week and even when at home he performed home repairs, did yard work, cooked,
repaired his and her vehicles, studied, and still always made time for his son.
Don would literally have worked himself to death if not for the concern of his doctor who
reasoned with him and convinced him that he needed to take time away from work to
relax, go fishing and to socialize with friends and family. The doctor also told his
girlfriend that mistreating Don was ruining his health and suggested that if she really loved him she should either treat him better or maybe move on. Incorrectly believing Don
had put the doctor up to this she became even angrier and stressed Don beyond even his
ability to cope. And if all of this was not enough hell for one man to endure, his problems
were really just beginning as he was about to meet the woman that would falsely accuse
him and send him off to prison, Connie Lynn Vargovich.
Don was introduced to Connie while out with friends and he thought she was a nice
person. Since Don still cared for his girlfriend he was not looking for a new relationship but Connie learned of the problems he was having with his girlfriend and made it clear
she wanted to take her friendship with him to another level. But Don was trying to deal
with his emotions concerning his girlfriend and had hopes of resolving their problems,
but also realized that this likely was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part.
Connie went to work to remove Don's girlfriend from the picture. She began calling Don's girlfriend and told her that she was Don's new girlfriend and was intimate with
Don, which was not true. So her lies began on day one, a calculated plot to push the
relationship over the edge. It worked out quite well for Connie. Her plots always do.
Don's girlfriend believed Connie so greatly increased her hostility towards him and went
on a rampage to destroy him and all he had worked for. When the dust settled she moved
in with her parents and Don was a complete emotional wreck. Connie was right there to
assure him that all this was for the better and told him he should be thankful she did him
this favor. She now called Don every day, was telling him she loves him and promising to
treat him the way that he deserved to be treated if only he would allow her to do so.
Since Don's girlfriend remained angry, dated other men and rejected efforts to reconcile,
he began dating Connie. She soon asked if she could move in with him for just a few
days, crying and sobbing and claiming she was suffering physical abuse at the hands of
her brother and mother whom she was living with. Don is a very sympathetic person so
told her she could move in for a few days but when he returned home from work the next
day discovered she had moved in all her furniture, belongings and son, Joshua Vargovich.
The situation quickly deteriorated. Her personality changed, she took over his home,
threw a lot of parties for her friends, his home was damaged, and items disappeared.
Connie had become extremely sarcastic, developed a bad attitude and belittled Don in
front of people whenever she drank, which was often. Only after Connie moved in did he
learn the true severity of her drinking problems, personality disorders, mood swings and
the fact that she believes her dreams are true. Several times in the middle of the night she
woke Don with slaps, punches and kicks for his having cheated on her in her dreams. She
told Don that she believes her dreams. She began questioning him as to where he had
been, who he talked to, what he said to this person or that, where was he going and when
Don spoke to any female, even a waitress taking his order, she would embarrass everyone
by becoming jealous and making vulgar comments. Don finally told her she will have to
move out of his home if things do not soon improve and her drinking put under control.
Don tried to limit her drinking, which he saw as the root of her problems. But Connie was
defiant and protective of her alcohol abuse, threw fits, and loudly proclaimed that nobody
ever tells her what to do. Don discussed her drinking problem with her mother who told
him to be careful if he tried to take Connie from her beer. Connie's friends were disgusted
with her and told her to act right or Don would leave her and she responded by saying
that if he did she will make him pay, will never have another girlfriend as long as he
lives, and bragged how the police always believe anything she tells them. Several people
overheard these threats and have written statements.
Just before his arrest Don and Connie went to Milwaukee and when it was time to return
she pleaded to stay a few more days and surprised him by asking him to marry her before
returning. Concerned with her drinking, mood swings and other issues, Don said no. She
became depressed, angry, and said she could not face friends or family because she told
them they went to be married. She said this was all his fault. Since Connie had previously
cheated on Don, spent the night at the home of a prior boyfriend, came home with
bruising she claimed the other boyfriend had caused, he wanted her out. But Connie
always used her tears and hard luck stories to get her way and Don gave in, told her she
could stay, but made it clear that he will not tolerate cheating so she will have to move
out if he thinks that she is. She quickly agreed and promised it will never happen again.
Connie was now doing everything she could think of to entrench herself in his home and
had her own phone line and satellite dish installed and prepaid a year of programs, and
planned and hosted a housewarming party. But then just two weeks later she once again
went to the home of her other boyfriend in the middle of the night. When back home Don
told her it was time for her to move out. Because Don was ignoring her phony tears she
now turned to threatening him by saying he will pay big time if he breaks up with her.
While she was at her other boyfriend's house in the middle of the night Don had packed
some of her belongings and went to bed but was awakened at 4am by a call from Connie
who was calling from a Hurley Citgo station payphone asking that he come to town and
pick her up. Don suggested that she go back to her other boyfriend but she claimed he
had pushed her around and did not want her there and told Don that she will walk to his
house, eight miles from town, if he will not come to get her. Knowing she was drunk and
would start walking he went to town to get her and it was after 4am when he saw her
stumbling down the highway towards his house. As soon as she got into his vehicle she
passed out. Connie was finally done drinking for one night.
Arriving home about 4:20am Don had a hard time waking her up. She had been drinking
for more than twelve hours, and as Connie admitted at trial, she stumbled and fell several
times while going into the house and also vomited on herself. Don helped her into the
shower to clean up and she went to bed. When she awoke later that morning she began to
apologize for going to her other boyfriend's house again, claiming she did nothing wrong
there and went there just to talk. She said he did not want her there so pushed her around
and threw her out and Don told her that she broke their agreement so it was time for her
to move out. Her manipulation began as Connie started telling Don that she loves him,
promised to get help with her alcohol abuse and psychiatric problems, and kept telling
him everything will get better if he just lets her stay. Don told her he has heard all this too
many times before and knows none of it is true so again asked her to move out. Connie
resorted to the one trick she knew Don would always fall for. Connie began to cry.
Don is a sympathetic person and it deeply disturbs him to see anyone cry, but he knew
she was manipulating him so told her that the tears will not work this time because he
now knows they are mere tools used to manipulate him. As if turned off by a switch, her
tears immediately stopped. Connie could win an acting award. While debating whether
she was staying or going, her sister Michelle Vargovich came over and knocked on the
door. Don invited her in and Michelle picked up food and a cooler she left there the night
before at Connie's housewarming party. When Michelle left Connie resumed begging
Don to change his mind, but once she realized he was not giving in she asked if they
could have sex one last time or at least remain what she referred to as sex buddies. Don
did not change his mind. Connie became angry and told him he cannot break up with her,
that he will pay, will be sorry, and will never have another girlfriend as long as he lives.
Don told her to do whatever she wants, but she still has to move out that day. She made several calls to her mother and sisters to ask them for help moving her belongings out.
When Connie spoke to her sister Heather on the phone, Heather had asked if there was a
problem and Connie answered yes. Connie then hung up and told Don that the police are
on the way, that they will believe whatever she tells them, then threatened to make him
pay "big time" if he does not change his mind and lets her stay. But Don still said no.
Heather testified at trial that she had asked Connie on the phone if there was a problem
And that Connie answered yes, that she asked Connie if she should call police and Connie
had answered yes, and then she testified that she had called the police. But while still
under oath Heather admitted that she had in fact lied to the police about Don.
When Iron County Sheriff ‘s Deputy Joe Robinson arrived Connie told him to arrest Don
Because he has guns in the house but Robinson said he also has guns in his home and it is
no cause for an arrest. She stomped around then told him to arrest Don because he broke
her lantern mantle. Robinson found no broken mantle and Don told him she broke it days
ago when she stretched a phone cord across a shelf, knocking it over. She next showed
Robinson a two week old bruise that she previously claimed another boyfriend caused
while she was at his house. Robinson told her he did not see who caused the bruise, to
finish packing, and to go to the police station if she has any further complaints. Though
she tried hard to obtain his arrest those were the only complaints she came up with. She
had not claimed rape, that a gun was pointed at her, or that she was held against her will.
Connie was furious that Robinson refused to arrest Don so she went to the police station
where they gave her a domestic violence worksheet containing multiple choice answers
and she circled nearly all the suggested answers on that form including claims that a gun,
knife, chair and phone had been used as weapons, and also claimed a chemical attack,
punching, kicking, strangling, attempted sexual assault and that she was struck fifteen or
more times. But she had made no such claims earlier while at Don's home and was now
simply using suggested answers on a form to obtain his arrest.
Because these new claims were not true she quickly forgot most of them. She never again
claimed that a knife, chair, or phone were used as weapons or that she was punched.
kicked, slapped or hit. And when filling out the form she still did not make any claim of
rape. Instead, in her first handwritten complaint submitted with that multiple choice form
Connie had in fact actually denied rape, and this is her exact handwritten statement:
This is an actual denial of rape. But because her new complaint now claimed that Don
had pointed a red laser sighted gun at her, he was finally arrested. Later that same
evening Connie was told that Don will post bail and go home on what were at that time
simple domestic violence allegations. Now believing that Don would be released she
changed her story yet once again. Completely contradicting her first written complaint
that denied rape, she now changed her story to rape. Within the first twenty four hours
she had changed her story three times, and her story continued to change and escalate and
today she has six different versions of her story on record. And still no investigation.
Police photographed bruising Connie previously blamed on another boyfriend, which was
now conveniently blamed on Don. Despite a protection order she had on that other man
which claimed he bruised her many times, tried to kill her, shot at her, strangled and beat
her, Connie admitted at trial that she had been inside that man's home in the middle of the
night just hours prior to Don's arrest. Don told police that Connie said this other man had
bruised her but that man was never questioned. That man moved out of town after Don's
arrest and returned after Don was in prison. We certainly are not accusing this other man
of any wrongdoing at all but are merely repeating what Connie herself had claimed.
While Don sat in jail police allowed Connie to come and go from his home unsupervised
for two days. While trespassing there she was free to plant, remove, or fabricate evidence
and many more of Don's belongings disappeared. Police allowed her to trespass, loot, and
alter an alleged crime scene. Only after giving her this opportunity did they execute a
search warrant. They all knew she was lying, knew there was no crime, so also knew that
there was no need to secure his house as a crime scene. They knew that an investigation
would not be needed and so there would be no investigation. Let her rob the house.
Don's arrest was based on Connie's claim that he had pointed a red laser sighted pistol at
her, but Don owned no such gun. It was something she saw on TV so had used it in her
story to make Don look dangerous in order to cause his arrest. She also told police that
Don had bombs and machine guns at his business. Don told police he had no such things
and told them to search his property and vehicles. Police converged on his business.
home, and vehicles. But because such things never existed no such things were ever
found. Instead of questioning Connie they quietly swept these false claims under a rug.
At this point a normal DA or normal police would admit Connie was lying, would release
Don and put her jail. It was already proven that she was lying and Don gave them a lot of
information to investigate to determine that he is being truthful and being falsely accused.
But all investigation stopped after they found no red laser sighted gun and the brief
investigation made by police and the DA proved she was lying, but DA Lipske did not
want more of her lies exposed so they ignored everything Don told them. At trial Deputy
Robinson even admitted there was no investigation whatsoever into anything Don had
told them to check into. Consider the following facts relating to this failure to investigate:
No investigation into anything. The only reason for this failure was to avoid further
exposing Connie in lies which would hurt their plans to make Don regret complaining
about the officer, and interfere with the judge's desire to provide her favors and
get Don out of his way. And we are not talking crazy here. Another woman has been
interviewed and stated that Judge Madden had offered her judicial favors in her case in
exchange for sex, and court records also show Connie previously received judicial favors
from Judge Madden prior to this case when she plead guilty to a drunken driving charge
then walked away without any fine, jail time, or even probation. Everyone else that has
gone before Judge Madden on that charge gets jail time or is stiffly fined.
The failure to investigate was neither by accident nor negligence of the DA and police,
nor was pre-trial destruction of DNA evidence accidental. It is all part of a now exposed
plan to railroad Don into prison and they now have all been caught obstructing justice
and lying many times. They must not be allowed to getaway with this any longer.
Due to plea bargaining more than ninety percent of all criminal cases never go to trial.
Plea bargains benefit the state by saving time and cost of trial and benefits the accused.
As a leveraging tactic to obtain such an agreement prosecutors often overcharge and
trump up charges then will offer to drop or alter the charges in exchange for a guilty plea.
DA Lipske did just that by overcharging Don, trumping up nine different charges, but
then offered to drop them all in exchange for a plea of guilty or no contest to a different,
lesser in severity charge. Don was facing over a hundred years in prison if convicted on
the trumped charges, but DA Lipske now offered just one lesser charge for ten years.
This would be an easy decision for any guilty person. But Don is innocent and believed
they could not prove something that never happened. He had a choice. Accept ten years
in prison for something he did not do and which never happened, or risk a hundred years
in prison by going to trial on false trumped up charges. There was only one choice for
Don. He rejected the so-called plea deal and would fight Connie Vargovich's filthy lies.
Because Don had no prior experience with Judge Madden or DA Lipske he believed the
Justice system worked and believed it impossible for anyone to prove beyond reasonable
doubt something that had never happened. But a fair trial he would not have. He faced
very experienced liars, an unethical prosecutor, a police officer who was having sex with
Connie, and a crooked judge. Don learned the hard way just how corrupt Iron County's
Good old boy system truly is. He was denied a fair trial, wrongfully convicted, and was
sentenced to forty two years for something that had never happened in the first place.
Pre-trial hearings were held for the judge to decide what evidence would be allowed at
trial. Because trial would be a he said she said case where credibility was the issue. the
case would be decided by who the jury believed. It was therefore critical that Don be
allowed to show a jury all the reasons why they should not believe anything Connie says,
to prove she is well known as a liar and false accuser, and show all charges, accusations,
and protection orders she had against other people, who Don hoped to call to trial to tell a
jury how she had also falsely accused them.
Judge Madden said he would not allow any of it and his reasoning was that it would ruin
her credibility. It sure would. Don also needed to show a jury Connie's medical records
showing a need for psychiatric care. Judge Madden again said no. Don had her criminal
records showing convictions for lying to police. Judge Madden said no. Don also wanted
to prove that she claimed another man bruised her and hoped to show a jury a protection
order she had on that man, which alleges he beat and bruised her. Judge Madden said no.
Judge Madden had suppressed all evidence that Don needed to show a jury to prove that
Connie is not credible but Judge Madden had made certain that no jury would see the
truth, and he then allowed DA Lipske to use false evidence, perjury, and to violate
motions filed by Don's attorney who was shocked by these bogus rulings. Because the
pre-trial rulings deprived Don of any chance to defend himself his attorney knew that Don
would lose at trial and told Don that in all his seventeen years as an attorney he had
"Never seen a judge pull this crap before." Nor has anyone else.
At a pre-trial hearing DA Lipske seemed ready to drop all charges against Don when he
informed the judge that "There appears to be falsely accused information" in Connie's
police reports. Judge Madden became angry and the DA was nervous, who then blurted
out, "But the state isn't looking for any at this time." So DA Lipske had just admitted that
Connie does make false accusations but when intimidated by the judge he said he was not
looking for any false accusations. And this is all on record. DA Lipske clearly knew that
Connie is a false accuser yet went on to prosecute Don anyway, and without investigating
Any of the facts. It is well established that facts never matter to DA Martin Lipske.
At this hearing the DA wanted to destroy DNA evidence before trial so asked the court's
permission to destroy the DNA test kit, which Don wanted tested. No prosecutor would
want to destroy DNA evidence prior to a rape trial, unless of course it proved the accused
was innocent or proved someone else was involved. When he asked permission to destroy
the evidence DA Lipske referred to it as the "remainder" of the kit. His use of the word
'remainder' is quite revealing. This is due to the fact that when a DNA kit is actually
tested by a laboratory, some of the material in the kit is used up and destroyed.
QUESTION: So what is left after a laboratory tests a sexual assault kit?
ANSWER: The REMAINDER of the kit.
As soon as the DA asked to destroy the kit Don knew it had been tested so asked to see it
to verify that it still existed. The DA, Don, and his attorney went to the Sheriff‘s Dept.
and it was there in the sheriff’s refrigerator. Don immediately noticed that the integrity
seals were torn through and the only persons authorized by law to break these seals or
who have any reason to do so are lab technicians, who document the seals as being intact
then break them only when testing the kit. Don pointed the broken seals out to his
attorney and DA Lipske became upset, slammed the refrigerator shut, and ushered Don
and his attorney out. And this was the last time the kit was ever seen.
Obviously, the kit was tested. The results are concealed. No doubt testing proved that the
DNA of another person was there, maybe that of another boyfriend, Judge Madden
himself, or Deputy Robinson. We will tell you more about Robinson later. The DA could
have no other reason for wanting this destroyed before trial and he then ignored the
court's order by disposing of the kit before Don could have it independently tested. Don
has repeatedly demanded that the kit be tested but has been ignored by DA Lipske who
later conveniently claimed that he had somehow "lost" the kit. But he tells too many lies
and has been caught lying about what happened to the kit, and other matters relating to it.
A jury was selected on the morning of trial and the record shows that many jurors were
either friends of the DA, or had a personal connection to him through family members or
friends. Don was only allowed to have four of these jurors removed, leaving several of
DA Lipske's personal friends and acquaintances to sit on the final jury.
At trial the jury was only allowed to see this case through a figurative keyhole, on the
other side of which DA Lipske held up a false picture. The jurors should visit our website
to see the facts kept from them, and to see how they were lied to by Connie and the DA.
By the time of trial Don was stripped of all evidence and proof he needed to show a jury
to prove that Connie is mentally unstable, a frequent false accuser, and a twice convicted
liar. Though everything was already wrongly stacked against him he still went to trial
because he would not plead guilty to any crime he did not do and which never happened.
DA Lipske absolutely knew that Don was telling the truth before and during trial and this
is why he had questioned Don for only a few minutes during the entire trial. The truth
from Don was hurting his scheme so he really did not want Don to say anything more.
In denial of his constitutional right to a public trial Judge Madden had directed the bailiff
to remove Don's mother and brother from the courtroom. No reason was given for this.
Judge Madden probably wanted the jury to believe that Don had no family support, yet
Connie's mother, brother, and eyewitness sister did not even bother to show up at trial
and showed no support fbr Connie. They certainly knew she was lying and either wanted
no part in it, or simply did not care about what Connie was up to.
During trial Deputy James Wicklund told Don's brother that if we knew what was really
Going on here, they would have to let Don go right now. He refused to say more. Sheriff
Bruneau told Don the same thing after a hearing, and Don literally begged him to tell him
what he knew so that he could go home. The sheriff also refused to say anything more.
Sheriff Bruneau and Deputy Wicklund have made it known that they possess information
that would cause Don's immediate release if disclosed, yet both are too heartless and too
corrupt to do the right thing. And they continue concealing their critical information. This
is an obstruction of justice, the worst form of corruption, extreme cruelty, and the aiding
and abetting of criminal activity. How in hell can they face themselves in the mirror
every day or even sleep at night? Their cruelty goes far beyond our understanding.
Don was on trial for sexual assault, which is defined by the law as sexual contact without
consent. Since none other than Don and Connie had any knowledge regarding consent the
law prohibits any other witness from testifying that a sexual assault actually happened
and strictly limits any testimony given by a doctor to only what specific medical evidence
of sexual contact the doctor had found during a physical examination.
But DA Lipske called Dr. E. Lanny Robins to testify. Robins had examined Connie at the
Grand View Hospital in Ironwood, Michigan then grossly and recklessly misled the jury
by testifying that it was a medical certainty that Connie had been sexually assaulted.
Not only was this testimony inadmissible, it was also an incompetent medical opinion.
Robins had no medical evidence of any sexual contact, knew nothing regarding consent,
and admitted that the only medical evidence he found was arm and leg bruising, the cause
of which he also admitted was not known to him. It was bruising she previously claimed
another boyfriend caused, and which bruising was two weeks older than the date of the
claimed assault this alleged doctor was testifying about.
The opinion of sexual assault given by Dr. Robins lacked a medical basis. Robins himself
admitted that he had no evidence of sexual contact, no evidence of sexual area injury, and
admitted that the sexual aspect of his exam was, quote, "normal." Further, his own lab
had found no evidence of any sexual contact. And unless he was inside Don's home
during the time Connie claimed she was being raped, Robins also had no knowledge
regarding consent. Despite all this, Robins came into that courtroom and told the jury that
it was medically certain that Connie had been sexually assaulted.
A very experienced physician, S.G. Albert, took the time to review the medical report and
testimony given by Dr. Robins. Dr. Sam Albert finds the opinion of sexual assault to be
medically baseless and was appalled by the reckless, incompetent, illogical opinion of
sexual assault given by Robins during trial. Dr. Robins should now retract his opinions.
During the times that Robins examined Connie and testified at trial, Robins was working
at the Grand View Hospital in Michigan. Guess who was on the Board of Directors there
during this time? Judge Madden. He was the doctor's boss! Madden also failed to disclose
this fact before trial. Not long after Robins testified in this case the Grand View Hospital
"prematurely terminated their contract" with Dr. Robins. In other words, they fired him.
Knowing Connie had different versions of her story, DA Lipske asked her prearranged,
rehearsed, leading questions at trial, and she of course gave prearranged and rehearsed
answers. But they had not rehearsed well enough. All of her answers conflicted with prior
stories she had given. And Connie had not rehearsed any questions or answers with Don's
lawyer so when questioned by him regarding the details and inconsistencies in her own
story she claimed she was suffering from some mysterious loss of memory so just could
not remember any details of her own story. How convenient, Connie.
When forgetting details of their lies, liars will falsely claim memory loss and this is
exactly what Connie did. Statistics show she had answered all leading questions asked by
the DA, but failed to answer 70% of material questions asked by Don's attorney. Of those
she did answer, nearly all answers conflicted with prior statements and testimony.
Each time she told her story it changed, evolved, and escalated and even Connie admitted
at trial that her story is inconsistent and that the trial charges were not her original
complaints to police. And there were even more confessions by Connie herself-.
She had claimed she was raped, beaten, and had a gun held to her head, but at trial she
Admitted that she then had Don baby-sit her son and the children of several of her friends
during an overnight birthday party while she was at work. Ask any woman whether they
would do that. There simply is no mother who, after allegedly having a gun pointed at her
and being raped, would ever allow a gun-toting rapist to baby sit her child and children of
her friends all alone while she is away. But Connie did. This shows that she completely
trusted Don, and she trusted him because there never was any gun play or sexual assault.
And there were more admissions by Connie. She claimed she was assaulted and raped so
had plans in place to move out at the very first opportunity she had. But she testified at
trial that she had refused an offer to help move out, admitted that she had a satellite dish
installed and prepaid a year of programming with her own money, had her own telephone
line installed at her expense, and she planned and then hosted a house warming party the
night before she had Don arrested. And all of this took place during the same time period
she claimed she had plans in place to move out. These admissions prove she had no plans
to move out. They prove she was planning on staying with Don for a very long time.
And there is more. Because Connie knew no red laser sighted gun had been found during
several police searches she now claimed at trial that she was "not so sure" about any such
gun having been used, though it was the story that caused Don's arrest in the first place.
And though she abandoned her red laser gun story at trial she raised it again over ten
years later when Don was considered for parole. She told the Parole Board that she is still
traumatized by having had a red laser sighted gun pointed at her, apparently forgetting
that she abandoned this story during trial. She had resurrected this abandoned and proven
false story in order to cause Don even more problems, this time to deny him parole.
During trial Don's attorney presented certified phone records, which are now part of the
official record, and they conclusively prove that Connie told many lies while under oath
and prove that it is impossible for there to have been any assault during the time frame
she alleged, which was from midnight until 4am. Official court records prove that:
Connie was in town and had called Don at 3:49am from a Citgo station payphone
Don was at home and had answered her call from the Citgo station at 3:49am
Judge Madden ordered a pre-sentence investigation and the state investigator doing the
report noted that she had tried to contact Connie for input but she would not return her
calls or letters. 'l'his is because she is not a victim, had already fulfilled her promise to make
Don pay for breaking up with her, and probably felt no need to waste her precious time.
Don's attorney told the judge that the average sentence for what he was convicted of is
Eight years. DA Lipske asked for thirty two years. Trembling and afraid, Don now stood
before the judge and told him that he is falsely accused and never hurt Connie or anyone
else in all his life. Madden turned red, threw off his glasses, called Don Jekyll and Hyde,
said he never saw such a lack of remorse, then sentenced him to forty two years in prison.
Don's horrified family had rushed toward him to hug him but was forcefully pried away
and Don was shoved back into his jail cell. Judge Madden quickly ducked out of sight.
On appeal Don was represented by Attorney Michael Schmidt. and like Don's trial
attorney, Schmidt was convinced that Don was falsely accused. Though he wanted to
help he seemed to have few legal skills, narrowly focused on weak issues, overlooked
strong issues, failed to adequately investigate, and failed to interview an eyewitness who
knows Connie lied. Meanwhile, due to overcrowding in the Wisconsin prison system,
Don was shipped off to a Tennessee prison 1,200 miles away from his home and family.
Studying law books in a prison cell Don discovered many errors in his case which call for
a new trial, but attorney Schmidt seemed confused and unable to understand some issues
Don explained to him and disagreed with him on several points. Don asked Schmidt to
give him a copy of the issues he planned to submit to the appeals court before filing them
so that he could add the strong issues he found. Schmidt agreed but then filed his weak
issues in the court anyway without first telling Don. The appeal was denied. Don then
tried to present his issues, but the appeals court refused to even rule on them.
Don was railroaded at a trial chock full of perjury and which was overseen by Connie's
boyfriend judge, and where witnesses against him included a police officer who Connie
was having sex with. Don was denied a fair trial, swept aside by his appeals attorney,
denied a fair chance on appeal, wrapped up in chains and sent to rot in a Tennessee prison
1,200 miles away from his home and family. God Bless America.
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6. JUDGE DENIES ACCESS TO THE COURT
8. WEBSITES STARTED
13. PROSECUTION OF TAMRA COYNE
We (allegedly) live in a free country and have constitutional rights, and courts that are
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Contact Information
Don Miller #343005
P.O.Box 4000
New Lisbon, WI 53950
Attorney John A. Pray
Wisconsin Innocence Project
Frank J. Remington Center
975 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706-1399
Tel (608)263-3380
Fax(608)263-3380
Connie L. Vargovich
F. 5025 Lake Rd.
Ironwood, MI 49938
Attorney Ray Dall'Osto
330 E. Kilbourn Ave.
Plaza East, Suite 1 170
Milwaukee,WI 53202
Tel (414)271-1440
dallosto@grgblaw.com
IronwoodDaily Globe Newspaper
Margaret Levra (ourlocal newspaper)
globenews@charterinternet.com
Patricia Miller (Don’s Mom)
117 Windsor Avenue
Hurley WI 64534
Tel.(715)561-5I50
pattierae6@hotmail.com
DA Martin J. Lipske
Courthouse-300 Taconite St.
Hurley,WI 54534
lipske.martin@mail.da.state.wi.us
Judge Patrick J. Madden
Courthouse
300TaconiteSt.
Hurley,WI 54534
judgem4@hotmail.com
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen
P.O.Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707
Tel.(608)266-122r
wisag@doj.state.wi.us
Governor Scott Walker
P.O.Box 7863
Madison, WI 53707-7863
Tel.(608)266-1212
wisgov@gov.state.wi.us
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2. THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
Martin Luther King once said that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Injustice is contagious. This case demonstrates horrific and intentional failure of our so called justice system.
Our purpose is to have you voice an opinion and to provide us any information or help you can. Don is a wonderful family man, a hard worker who helped everyone who ever needed his help, and now he needs help. Maybe you can provide information, take time to write a letter or two, ask family, friends and coworkers to visit our websites, or simply say a prayer for Don and his family. If you cannot help in any way please simply read the entire website. Help by spreading the word.
The evidence presented proves that the officials involved here have engaged in crime and conspiracy with the intent to deprive Don of justice and to protect Connie and each other from investigation and prosecution. Since they have yet to be prosecuted they remain free to victimize others, maybe even you or someone you love and care about.It is critical that you carefully review this case. And it is critical that you voice an opinion.
Please share with us any information you may have about Connie Vargovich, Judge Madden, DA Lipske, Sheriff Bruneau or Joe Robinson. We hope you will write a letter or send an e-mail to the judge, DA, Wisconsin officials, or news media to express an opinion.Some suggested persons and addresses can be found at the end of this document.
This is an outrageous case. Uncontested facts and hard evidence will shock and anger anyone who cares about the suffering of another human being or a glaring and appalling injustice. The officials involved here surely hope you will keep quiet, but Don Miller hopes and prays that you will speak up. If you write a letter or an e-mail to express your opinions, please provide us with a copy of that as well.
With such horribly corrupt, irresponsible people as these in our government and people like Connie Vargovich running loose such a nightmare as this really can happen to you or a loved one. If it happened to us, it can happen you. The system is very badly broken.
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3. ANATOMY OF DON'S WRONGFUL CONVICTION
Don is a good hearted person who loves his family and son very much. Like you, Don
has feelings, emotions, hopes, dreams and ambitions. And this means absolutely nothing
to his false accuser, the corrupt judge, police or previously disbarred district attorney.
Connie Vargovich had been living with Don and on several occasions witnesses heard
her threaten and promise to make Don pay if he ever broke up with her and promise that
he will regret it for the rest of his life and will never have another girlfriend as long as he
lives, then brag about how the police always believe whatever she tells them.
On the morning of October 19, 1997,due to the fact that she had repeatedly cheated on
him, Don finally told Connie to move out of his home. She quickly made good on her
promise to make Don pay and she did so by falsely accusing him of non-existent crimes.
Convicted on her false testimony Don was sentenced to forty two years in prison by the
same judge who had concealed his own involvement with Connie. Don was then shipped
off 1,200 miles from home to a Tennessee prison where he stayed more than three years,
all of which time he was unable to even once see the faces of his son and family.
Well known in our community as a false accuser Connie Vargovich went on with her life
as if what she had done was all in a day's work. And for her it was. Her documented
history includes falsely accusing others, threatening revenge on people who anger her,
and criminal convictions due to having been caught lying to police on different occasions.
Just prior to his false arrest here Don suffered a witnessed unprovoked attack by
a City of Hurley police officer. Don had dated the wife of one of
the officers relatives during her divorce proceedings, which seems to be why he attacked
him. Don had to go to an emergency room twice for treatment of injuries he suffered in
this attack then began demanding that charges be brought against the officer, who already
had a history of assaulting other citizens while he was on duty.
At the scheduled time to be heard on that matter in the Iron County circuit court, Don and
his witnesses found the courtroom dark and locked. The court clerk told Don that "Judge
Madden removed the matter from the calendar and wants you to go home and just forget
about it." A victim of a violent assault, Don was now being denied access to the court.
Don kept demanding the officers arrest and a hearing and DA Lipske refused to speak to
Don and hid in his office when Don tried to see him. Instead of arresting the officer, the
Sheriffs Department threatened Don with big trouble if he did not go away. Don kept on
complaining then nine months later he did find himself in big trouble by being wrongly
prosecuted by DA Lipske who absolutely knew that Connie was telling a lot of lies.
Iron County officials had refused to hold the officer accountable and this encouraged him
to go on beating other innocent citizens. And not once did this judge, DA or sheriff lift
one finger to protect our community from this sick cop. Fortunately for our community.
neighboring Ashland County officials stepped in, prosecuted the officer, and convicted
him of felony assault. These Iron County officials who are responsible for our protection
only protect each other and had refused to assist those outside officials in any way.
DA Lipske was previously disbarred for lying, took money from clients without earning
it, admitted his own incompetence in areas of the law, and was now on Don's case.
On our website you can read the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that disbarred Martin Lipske and after reading the details you will be sickened and outraged that Wisconsin allows Lipske to hold a position of power where his well established habit of lying can cause harm to others and destroy lives, exactly as he has caused and is still causing to Don Miller and his family with his complete lack of moral and professional judgement.
Iron County officials have been given many opportunities to respond to the information
and evidence presented on the website and, if not true, to deny it. But they do not deny
anything and do not deny that Don has told nothing but the truth and not misrepresented
anything in this case either before, during, or since trial. Compare this fact to the dozens
of documented lies that Connie, the judge, DA and sheriff have been caught in. The only
truthful one is in prison suffering every day and the liars and criminals who put him there
and who keep him there are all home with their family and friends enjoying life.
This case is partly about Connie getting revenge with false accusations, partly about
police retaliation against Don for complaining too much, partly about a bad and morally
bankrupt prosecutor, partly about a crooked judge who railroaded Don as a judicial favor
to his girlfriend, and partly about gross professional incompetence by all of the officials
involved. This is all well proven by hard evidence, and it is simply outrageous.
Before she moved in with Don, Connie Vargovich was living in a trailer with her mother,
son, brother, sister, brother-in-law and their baby. Many people had warned Don about
Connie when he started dating her but he believed she was a nice person so always
defended her against negative remarks. Only after she moved in and he started seeing her
crazy behavior did Don finally realize the severity of her personality disorder and alcohol
abuse and learned most of what he knows now only after she had falsely accused him.
Nicknames given to her by her family and friends include The Con and Psycho. These are
earned nicknames. She can con anyone into anything, and can go psycho at the drop of a
hat. Her documented history includes beating up other kids in school; acts of violence;
getting revenge against people; making false accusations; filing false police reports;
disorderly conduct; bar fighting; drunk driving; public intoxication; she attacked a prior
boyfriend with a hammer; accused others of rape; bit a bartender; credit card theft;
burglary; convictions for lying to police; she was fired from a nursing home job after
punching an elderly patient in the head; has a documented history of using police and
courts as a tool for revenge; and abuses the legal system whenever someone angers her.
The false accusations she made against others include rape; beatings; choking; stalking;
bruising; deadly weapons attacks; death threats; multiple injuries; assassination threats;
fear for her life; and various other threats against both her and her family and her
accusations against Don are virtual rubberstamped copies of the same types of complaints
she made against others in the past. Either Connie is the world's most frequently
victimized woman who sees more action than James Bond, or she is a pathological liar.
Review the facts and then you decide.
Even while Don sat in jail awaiting trial here Connie was busy making accusations
against yet another man, Ken Grenfell, who she claimed threatened to kill her within
seventy two hours, threatened to shoot up her house, and told her he was not afraid to go
to jail. But that was in Michigan where they know her habit of lying. Ken told the court
that Connie was lying. They did not charge him and told him to just stay away from her.
After sending Don to prison with her lies Connie continued accusing others, caused car
accidents, collected more drunk driving tickets, got into more bar fights, attacked a
bartender, had another boyfriend put in jail and, as DA Lipske himself even admitted,
falsely accused Don Miller yet once again, this time as retaliation for our website that
exposes her for who she really is and for what she has done to Don and his family.
Her medical reports were obtained before trial and they show what we already knew, that
she has serious psychiatric problems, needs professional treatment and was prescribed
psychiatric medications which she admitted at trial she had not been taking.
Just weeks before accusing Don of having threatened her with a gun Connie's mother had
also accused her own boyfriend, Jerry Aho, of having threatened to kill them all with a
gun. Michigan police arrested Aho, conducted an investigation, discovered inconsistency
in the Vargovich story, found that Aho did not even own a gun, so released him. But that
is not how it works in Iron County, Wis. where they investigated nothing in this case.
After our website published proof that Connie has committed perjury, that Iron County
officials are corrupt and aiding her in crime, we began receiving letters, e-mails and
messages from people who know Connie and from others who have had trouble with her.
They all portray her as a pathological liar and an evil person. Knowing firsthand that she
is a liar, even her closest friends have now come forward to speak out against what she
has done to Don. Those who know Connie the best all know that she falsely accused Don.
You can read many such comments on our website.
Don Miller was a long time resident of Iron County, Wisconsin. He is a very kind person
And loving father who worked very hard to support his family, owned his own business,
is well known and respected in our community, and had many hobbies that include
fishing, hiking, motorcycling, nature photography, painting, music, and helping needy
people and animals alike. He has a very big heart, and all who know him will tell you so.
Through very hard work Don's business was successful but consumed most of his time
and energy because he often worked over twelve hours a day, usually seven days a week,
so had sacrificed much in the way of family, friends and fun to provide for his family.
Due to this workload he began to have problems with his health and home life. Then one
day the IRS called and asked why he had not paid his taxes for seven years. Don thought
they were paid but discovered that his girlfriend, also working as his accountant, had
embezzled a lot of money from him and had not been paying the taxes.
His girlfriend admitted what she had done but blamed it on a gambling addiction. Now
knowing he was deeply in debt Don had to fire her and another employee and had to run
the business all by himself and work harder than ever, oftentimes literally for days on end
without any sleep at all, in order to pay off the IRS as soon as possible. This increased
workload, stress, and lack of sleep led to many health problems. It was ruining his health.
But even worse things were on the way.
Don was then devastated to learn that his girlfriend of seventeen years had cheated on
him. But through all the hell, lies and betrayal, he stayed with her then only two weeks
later while riding his motorcycle to work he was hit by a car in an intersection and
received multiple permanent injuries, making it impossible to put in all the time and work that his business required. It now seemed to Don that all those years of hard work, stress
and sheer determination to keep his family and business afloat had all been for nothing.
Because she had cheated on Don his girlfriend convinced herself that he would cheat on
her so constantly harassed him and was accusing him of cheating on her, ignoring the fact
that he was always either working or at home and was completing large amounts of work
at his shop each day. Her actions contributed greatly to his deteriorating health but the
only solution he came up with was to put in even more hours at work so as to avoid all
the hell at home. Despite his painful injuries he now often worked more than eighty hours
a week and even when at home he performed home repairs, did yard work, cooked,
repaired his and her vehicles, studied, and still always made time for his son.
Don would literally have worked himself to death if not for the concern of his doctor who
reasoned with him and convinced him that he needed to take time away from work to
relax, go fishing and to socialize with friends and family. The doctor also told his
girlfriend that mistreating Don was ruining his health and suggested that if she really loved him she should either treat him better or maybe move on. Incorrectly believing Don
had put the doctor up to this she became even angrier and stressed Don beyond even his
ability to cope. And if all of this was not enough hell for one man to endure, his problems
were really just beginning as he was about to meet the woman that would falsely accuse
him and send him off to prison, Connie Lynn Vargovich.
Don was introduced to Connie while out with friends and he thought she was a nice
person. Since Don still cared for his girlfriend he was not looking for a new relationship but Connie learned of the problems he was having with his girlfriend and made it clear
she wanted to take her friendship with him to another level. But Don was trying to deal
with his emotions concerning his girlfriend and had hopes of resolving their problems,
but also realized that this likely was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part.
Connie went to work to remove Don's girlfriend from the picture. She began calling Don's girlfriend and told her that she was Don's new girlfriend and was intimate with
Don, which was not true. So her lies began on day one, a calculated plot to push the
relationship over the edge. It worked out quite well for Connie. Her plots always do.
Don's girlfriend believed Connie so greatly increased her hostility towards him and went
on a rampage to destroy him and all he had worked for. When the dust settled she moved
in with her parents and Don was a complete emotional wreck. Connie was right there to
assure him that all this was for the better and told him he should be thankful she did him
this favor. She now called Don every day, was telling him she loves him and promising to
treat him the way that he deserved to be treated if only he would allow her to do so.
Since Don's girlfriend remained angry, dated other men and rejected efforts to reconcile,
he began dating Connie. She soon asked if she could move in with him for just a few
days, crying and sobbing and claiming she was suffering physical abuse at the hands of
her brother and mother whom she was living with. Don is a very sympathetic person so
told her she could move in for a few days but when he returned home from work the next
day discovered she had moved in all her furniture, belongings and son, Joshua Vargovich.
The situation quickly deteriorated. Her personality changed, she took over his home,
threw a lot of parties for her friends, his home was damaged, and items disappeared.
Connie had become extremely sarcastic, developed a bad attitude and belittled Don in
front of people whenever she drank, which was often. Only after Connie moved in did he
learn the true severity of her drinking problems, personality disorders, mood swings and
the fact that she believes her dreams are true. Several times in the middle of the night she
woke Don with slaps, punches and kicks for his having cheated on her in her dreams. She
told Don that she believes her dreams. She began questioning him as to where he had
been, who he talked to, what he said to this person or that, where was he going and when
Don spoke to any female, even a waitress taking his order, she would embarrass everyone
by becoming jealous and making vulgar comments. Don finally told her she will have to
move out of his home if things do not soon improve and her drinking put under control.
Don tried to limit her drinking, which he saw as the root of her problems. But Connie was
defiant and protective of her alcohol abuse, threw fits, and loudly proclaimed that nobody
ever tells her what to do. Don discussed her drinking problem with her mother who told
him to be careful if he tried to take Connie from her beer. Connie's friends were disgusted
with her and told her to act right or Don would leave her and she responded by saying
that if he did she will make him pay, will never have another girlfriend as long as he
lives, and bragged how the police always believe anything she tells them. Several people
overheard these threats and have written statements.
Just before his arrest Don and Connie went to Milwaukee and when it was time to return
she pleaded to stay a few more days and surprised him by asking him to marry her before
returning. Concerned with her drinking, mood swings and other issues, Don said no. She
became depressed, angry, and said she could not face friends or family because she told
them they went to be married. She said this was all his fault. Since Connie had previously
cheated on Don, spent the night at the home of a prior boyfriend, came home with
bruising she claimed the other boyfriend had caused, he wanted her out. But Connie
always used her tears and hard luck stories to get her way and Don gave in, told her she
could stay, but made it clear that he will not tolerate cheating so she will have to move
out if he thinks that she is. She quickly agreed and promised it will never happen again.
Connie was now doing everything she could think of to entrench herself in his home and
had her own phone line and satellite dish installed and prepaid a year of programs, and
planned and hosted a housewarming party. But then just two weeks later she once again
went to the home of her other boyfriend in the middle of the night. When back home Don
told her it was time for her to move out. Because Don was ignoring her phony tears she
now turned to threatening him by saying he will pay big time if he breaks up with her.
While she was at her other boyfriend's house in the middle of the night Don had packed
some of her belongings and went to bed but was awakened at 4am by a call from Connie
who was calling from a Hurley Citgo station payphone asking that he come to town and
pick her up. Don suggested that she go back to her other boyfriend but she claimed he
had pushed her around and did not want her there and told Don that she will walk to his
house, eight miles from town, if he will not come to get her. Knowing she was drunk and
would start walking he went to town to get her and it was after 4am when he saw her
stumbling down the highway towards his house. As soon as she got into his vehicle she
passed out. Connie was finally done drinking for one night.
Arriving home about 4:20am Don had a hard time waking her up. She had been drinking
for more than twelve hours, and as Connie admitted at trial, she stumbled and fell several
times while going into the house and also vomited on herself. Don helped her into the
shower to clean up and she went to bed. When she awoke later that morning she began to
apologize for going to her other boyfriend's house again, claiming she did nothing wrong
there and went there just to talk. She said he did not want her there so pushed her around
and threw her out and Don told her that she broke their agreement so it was time for her
to move out. Her manipulation began as Connie started telling Don that she loves him,
promised to get help with her alcohol abuse and psychiatric problems, and kept telling
him everything will get better if he just lets her stay. Don told her he has heard all this too
many times before and knows none of it is true so again asked her to move out. Connie
resorted to the one trick she knew Don would always fall for. Connie began to cry.
Don is a sympathetic person and it deeply disturbs him to see anyone cry, but he knew
she was manipulating him so told her that the tears will not work this time because he
now knows they are mere tools used to manipulate him. As if turned off by a switch, her
tears immediately stopped. Connie could win an acting award. While debating whether
she was staying or going, her sister Michelle Vargovich came over and knocked on the
door. Don invited her in and Michelle picked up food and a cooler she left there the night
before at Connie's housewarming party. When Michelle left Connie resumed begging
Don to change his mind, but once she realized he was not giving in she asked if they
could have sex one last time or at least remain what she referred to as sex buddies. Don
did not change his mind. Connie became angry and told him he cannot break up with her,
that he will pay, will be sorry, and will never have another girlfriend as long as he lives.
Don told her to do whatever she wants, but she still has to move out that day. She made several calls to her mother and sisters to ask them for help moving her belongings out.
When Connie spoke to her sister Heather on the phone, Heather had asked if there was a
problem and Connie answered yes. Connie then hung up and told Don that the police are
on the way, that they will believe whatever she tells them, then threatened to make him
pay "big time" if he does not change his mind and lets her stay. But Don still said no.
Heather testified at trial that she had asked Connie on the phone if there was a problem
And that Connie answered yes, that she asked Connie if she should call police and Connie
had answered yes, and then she testified that she had called the police. But while still
under oath Heather admitted that she had in fact lied to the police about Don.
When Iron County Sheriff ‘s Deputy Joe Robinson arrived Connie told him to arrest Don
Because he has guns in the house but Robinson said he also has guns in his home and it is
no cause for an arrest. She stomped around then told him to arrest Don because he broke
her lantern mantle. Robinson found no broken mantle and Don told him she broke it days
ago when she stretched a phone cord across a shelf, knocking it over. She next showed
Robinson a two week old bruise that she previously claimed another boyfriend caused
while she was at his house. Robinson told her he did not see who caused the bruise, to
finish packing, and to go to the police station if she has any further complaints. Though
she tried hard to obtain his arrest those were the only complaints she came up with. She
had not claimed rape, that a gun was pointed at her, or that she was held against her will.
Connie was furious that Robinson refused to arrest Don so she went to the police station
where they gave her a domestic violence worksheet containing multiple choice answers
and she circled nearly all the suggested answers on that form including claims that a gun,
knife, chair and phone had been used as weapons, and also claimed a chemical attack,
punching, kicking, strangling, attempted sexual assault and that she was struck fifteen or
more times. But she had made no such claims earlier while at Don's home and was now
simply using suggested answers on a form to obtain his arrest.
Because these new claims were not true she quickly forgot most of them. She never again
claimed that a knife, chair, or phone were used as weapons or that she was punched.
kicked, slapped or hit. And when filling out the form she still did not make any claim of
rape. Instead, in her first handwritten complaint submitted with that multiple choice form
Connie had in fact actually denied rape, and this is her exact handwritten statement:
"Don acted like he was going to rape me.
I begged him to stop, so he stopped."
I begged him to stop, so he stopped."
This is an actual denial of rape. But because her new complaint now claimed that Don
had pointed a red laser sighted gun at her, he was finally arrested. Later that same
evening Connie was told that Don will post bail and go home on what were at that time
simple domestic violence allegations. Now believing that Don would be released she
changed her story yet once again. Completely contradicting her first written complaint
that denied rape, she now changed her story to rape. Within the first twenty four hours
she had changed her story three times, and her story continued to change and escalate and
today she has six different versions of her story on record. And still no investigation.
Police photographed bruising Connie previously blamed on another boyfriend, which was
now conveniently blamed on Don. Despite a protection order she had on that other man
which claimed he bruised her many times, tried to kill her, shot at her, strangled and beat
her, Connie admitted at trial that she had been inside that man's home in the middle of the
night just hours prior to Don's arrest. Don told police that Connie said this other man had
bruised her but that man was never questioned. That man moved out of town after Don's
arrest and returned after Don was in prison. We certainly are not accusing this other man
of any wrongdoing at all but are merely repeating what Connie herself had claimed.
While Don sat in jail police allowed Connie to come and go from his home unsupervised
for two days. While trespassing there she was free to plant, remove, or fabricate evidence
and many more of Don's belongings disappeared. Police allowed her to trespass, loot, and
alter an alleged crime scene. Only after giving her this opportunity did they execute a
search warrant. They all knew she was lying, knew there was no crime, so also knew that
there was no need to secure his house as a crime scene. They knew that an investigation
would not be needed and so there would be no investigation. Let her rob the house.
Don's arrest was based on Connie's claim that he had pointed a red laser sighted pistol at
her, but Don owned no such gun. It was something she saw on TV so had used it in her
story to make Don look dangerous in order to cause his arrest. She also told police that
Don had bombs and machine guns at his business. Don told police he had no such things
and told them to search his property and vehicles. Police converged on his business.
home, and vehicles. But because such things never existed no such things were ever
found. Instead of questioning Connie they quietly swept these false claims under a rug.
At this point a normal DA or normal police would admit Connie was lying, would release
Don and put her jail. It was already proven that she was lying and Don gave them a lot of
information to investigate to determine that he is being truthful and being falsely accused.
But all investigation stopped after they found no red laser sighted gun and the brief
investigation made by police and the DA proved she was lying, but DA Lipske did not
want more of her lies exposed so they ignored everything Don told them. At trial Deputy
Robinson even admitted there was no investigation whatsoever into anything Don had
told them to check into. Consider the following facts relating to this failure to investigate:
- Police have a critical duty to investigate all allegations of crime, no matter who is making the claim, and it certainly is a crime to make false accusations. Don repeatedly informed DA Lipske and police that he was being falsely accused. They ignored this.
- Connie claimed that Don held her against her will and had allowed her to make only one phonecall, but Don told the police to obtain his home phone records because they would prove she had made and received multiple phonecalls. They ignored this.
- Don told police that Connie claimed her other boyfriend caused her bruising when she spent a night at his house and that she had a protection order against that man based on her claim that he had beaten and bruised her many times, and told police that Connie was in fact at that man's home during the night just hours before his arrest. Don urged them to go question that other boyfriend about her bruises. They ignored this.
- Don told the DA and police about an eyewitness to the fact there was no assault. Connie wrote in her police reports and testified that a sexual assault was in progress during the exact time her sister Michelle came over to Don's house. Connie claimed that Don had sent her sister away then continued an assault. But Don told the DA and police to contact Michelle because she will tell them she did come over. did knock. was not sent away but was instead invited inside by Don then spent ten minutes inside his home gathering items she had left there the night before at Connie's party. They ignored this. If Connie was telling the truth, Michelle is the only person able to verify her story. But DA Lipske did not call her to trial and whenever a deputy and Don mentioned her name at trial DA Lipske quickly changed the subject. Michelle reportedly informed the DA prior to trial that Don invited her in and that she spoke with Don and Connie but observed no assault during the time Connie claimed she was being attacked. Lipske knew Connie was lying yet intentionally used her lies at trial. Don has written to the DA many times asking him whether he spoke to Michelle before trial, but for more than fourteen years the DA has refused to answer that one simple question. He ignores the question.
- Connie claimed she was assaulted from midnight until 4am but was actually in town, eight miles away, during all that time. Don told the DA and police that records for his home phone and the Hurley Citgo payphones would prove that Connie called him at 4am from the Citgo station, that this would be hard evidence she is lying, and will prove it impossible for there to have been any kind of assault during the time period she claimed. They ignored this. But Don's attorney did obtain these certified records which arrived during trial and they proved that Connie did call Don from the Citgo station at 3:49am,just like Don said. Connie reluctantly admitted this at trial. The records prove There was no assault between midnight and the early morning hours, and prove that she committed perjury. No one now denies that she was in town during that entire time.
- To further prove that he was being truthful Don had demanded lie detector tests and even injections of the so-called truth serum, sodium pentothal. But they knew he was truthful, and from what little initial investigation they did they also knew that Connie Vargovich was telling a lot of lies. No lie detector testing was allowed.
No investigation into anything. The only reason for this failure was to avoid further
exposing Connie in lies which would hurt their plans to make Don regret complaining
about the officer, and interfere with the judge's desire to provide her favors and
get Don out of his way. And we are not talking crazy here. Another woman has been
interviewed and stated that Judge Madden had offered her judicial favors in her case in
exchange for sex, and court records also show Connie previously received judicial favors
from Judge Madden prior to this case when she plead guilty to a drunken driving charge
then walked away without any fine, jail time, or even probation. Everyone else that has
gone before Judge Madden on that charge gets jail time or is stiffly fined.
The failure to investigate was neither by accident nor negligence of the DA and police,
nor was pre-trial destruction of DNA evidence accidental. It is all part of a now exposed
plan to railroad Don into prison and they now have all been caught obstructing justice
and lying many times. They must not be allowed to getaway with this any longer.
Due to plea bargaining more than ninety percent of all criminal cases never go to trial.
Plea bargains benefit the state by saving time and cost of trial and benefits the accused.
As a leveraging tactic to obtain such an agreement prosecutors often overcharge and
trump up charges then will offer to drop or alter the charges in exchange for a guilty plea.
DA Lipske did just that by overcharging Don, trumping up nine different charges, but
then offered to drop them all in exchange for a plea of guilty or no contest to a different,
lesser in severity charge. Don was facing over a hundred years in prison if convicted on
the trumped charges, but DA Lipske now offered just one lesser charge for ten years.
This would be an easy decision for any guilty person. But Don is innocent and believed
they could not prove something that never happened. He had a choice. Accept ten years
in prison for something he did not do and which never happened, or risk a hundred years
in prison by going to trial on false trumped up charges. There was only one choice for
Don. He rejected the so-called plea deal and would fight Connie Vargovich's filthy lies.
Because Don had no prior experience with Judge Madden or DA Lipske he believed the
Justice system worked and believed it impossible for anyone to prove beyond reasonable
doubt something that had never happened. But a fair trial he would not have. He faced
very experienced liars, an unethical prosecutor, a police officer who was having sex with
Connie, and a crooked judge. Don learned the hard way just how corrupt Iron County's
Good old boy system truly is. He was denied a fair trial, wrongfully convicted, and was
sentenced to forty two years for something that had never happened in the first place.
Pre-trial hearings were held for the judge to decide what evidence would be allowed at
trial. Because trial would be a he said she said case where credibility was the issue. the
case would be decided by who the jury believed. It was therefore critical that Don be
allowed to show a jury all the reasons why they should not believe anything Connie says,
to prove she is well known as a liar and false accuser, and show all charges, accusations,
and protection orders she had against other people, who Don hoped to call to trial to tell a
jury how she had also falsely accused them.
Judge Madden said he would not allow any of it and his reasoning was that it would ruin
her credibility. It sure would. Don also needed to show a jury Connie's medical records
showing a need for psychiatric care. Judge Madden again said no. Don had her criminal
records showing convictions for lying to police. Judge Madden said no. Don also wanted
to prove that she claimed another man bruised her and hoped to show a jury a protection
order she had on that man, which alleges he beat and bruised her. Judge Madden said no.
Judge Madden had suppressed all evidence that Don needed to show a jury to prove that
Connie is not credible but Judge Madden had made certain that no jury would see the
truth, and he then allowed DA Lipske to use false evidence, perjury, and to violate
motions filed by Don's attorney who was shocked by these bogus rulings. Because the
pre-trial rulings deprived Don of any chance to defend himself his attorney knew that Don
would lose at trial and told Don that in all his seventeen years as an attorney he had
"Never seen a judge pull this crap before." Nor has anyone else.
At a pre-trial hearing DA Lipske seemed ready to drop all charges against Don when he
informed the judge that "There appears to be falsely accused information" in Connie's
police reports. Judge Madden became angry and the DA was nervous, who then blurted
out, "But the state isn't looking for any at this time." So DA Lipske had just admitted that
Connie does make false accusations but when intimidated by the judge he said he was not
looking for any false accusations. And this is all on record. DA Lipske clearly knew that
Connie is a false accuser yet went on to prosecute Don anyway, and without investigating
Any of the facts. It is well established that facts never matter to DA Martin Lipske.
At this hearing the DA wanted to destroy DNA evidence before trial so asked the court's
permission to destroy the DNA test kit, which Don wanted tested. No prosecutor would
want to destroy DNA evidence prior to a rape trial, unless of course it proved the accused
was innocent or proved someone else was involved. When he asked permission to destroy
the evidence DA Lipske referred to it as the "remainder" of the kit. His use of the word
'remainder' is quite revealing. This is due to the fact that when a DNA kit is actually
tested by a laboratory, some of the material in the kit is used up and destroyed.
QUESTION: So what is left after a laboratory tests a sexual assault kit?
ANSWER: The REMAINDER of the kit.
As soon as the DA asked to destroy the kit Don knew it had been tested so asked to see it
to verify that it still existed. The DA, Don, and his attorney went to the Sheriff‘s Dept.
and it was there in the sheriff’s refrigerator. Don immediately noticed that the integrity
seals were torn through and the only persons authorized by law to break these seals or
who have any reason to do so are lab technicians, who document the seals as being intact
then break them only when testing the kit. Don pointed the broken seals out to his
attorney and DA Lipske became upset, slammed the refrigerator shut, and ushered Don
and his attorney out. And this was the last time the kit was ever seen.
Obviously, the kit was tested. The results are concealed. No doubt testing proved that the
DNA of another person was there, maybe that of another boyfriend, Judge Madden
himself, or Deputy Robinson. We will tell you more about Robinson later. The DA could
have no other reason for wanting this destroyed before trial and he then ignored the
court's order by disposing of the kit before Don could have it independently tested. Don
has repeatedly demanded that the kit be tested but has been ignored by DA Lipske who
later conveniently claimed that he had somehow "lost" the kit. But he tells too many lies
and has been caught lying about what happened to the kit, and other matters relating to it.
A jury was selected on the morning of trial and the record shows that many jurors were
either friends of the DA, or had a personal connection to him through family members or
friends. Don was only allowed to have four of these jurors removed, leaving several of
DA Lipske's personal friends and acquaintances to sit on the final jury.
At trial the jury was only allowed to see this case through a figurative keyhole, on the
other side of which DA Lipske held up a false picture. The jurors should visit our website
to see the facts kept from them, and to see how they were lied to by Connie and the DA.
By the time of trial Don was stripped of all evidence and proof he needed to show a jury
to prove that Connie is mentally unstable, a frequent false accuser, and a twice convicted
liar. Though everything was already wrongly stacked against him he still went to trial
because he would not plead guilty to any crime he did not do and which never happened.
DA Lipske absolutely knew that Don was telling the truth before and during trial and this
is why he had questioned Don for only a few minutes during the entire trial. The truth
from Don was hurting his scheme so he really did not want Don to say anything more.
In denial of his constitutional right to a public trial Judge Madden had directed the bailiff
to remove Don's mother and brother from the courtroom. No reason was given for this.
Judge Madden probably wanted the jury to believe that Don had no family support, yet
Connie's mother, brother, and eyewitness sister did not even bother to show up at trial
and showed no support fbr Connie. They certainly knew she was lying and either wanted
no part in it, or simply did not care about what Connie was up to.
During trial Deputy James Wicklund told Don's brother that if we knew what was really
Going on here, they would have to let Don go right now. He refused to say more. Sheriff
Bruneau told Don the same thing after a hearing, and Don literally begged him to tell him
what he knew so that he could go home. The sheriff also refused to say anything more.
Sheriff Bruneau and Deputy Wicklund have made it known that they possess information
that would cause Don's immediate release if disclosed, yet both are too heartless and too
corrupt to do the right thing. And they continue concealing their critical information. This
is an obstruction of justice, the worst form of corruption, extreme cruelty, and the aiding
and abetting of criminal activity. How in hell can they face themselves in the mirror
every day or even sleep at night? Their cruelty goes far beyond our understanding.
Don was on trial for sexual assault, which is defined by the law as sexual contact without
consent. Since none other than Don and Connie had any knowledge regarding consent the
law prohibits any other witness from testifying that a sexual assault actually happened
and strictly limits any testimony given by a doctor to only what specific medical evidence
of sexual contact the doctor had found during a physical examination.
But DA Lipske called Dr. E. Lanny Robins to testify. Robins had examined Connie at the
Grand View Hospital in Ironwood, Michigan then grossly and recklessly misled the jury
by testifying that it was a medical certainty that Connie had been sexually assaulted.
Not only was this testimony inadmissible, it was also an incompetent medical opinion.
Robins had no medical evidence of any sexual contact, knew nothing regarding consent,
and admitted that the only medical evidence he found was arm and leg bruising, the cause
of which he also admitted was not known to him. It was bruising she previously claimed
another boyfriend caused, and which bruising was two weeks older than the date of the
claimed assault this alleged doctor was testifying about.
The opinion of sexual assault given by Dr. Robins lacked a medical basis. Robins himself
admitted that he had no evidence of sexual contact, no evidence of sexual area injury, and
admitted that the sexual aspect of his exam was, quote, "normal." Further, his own lab
had found no evidence of any sexual contact. And unless he was inside Don's home
during the time Connie claimed she was being raped, Robins also had no knowledge
regarding consent. Despite all this, Robins came into that courtroom and told the jury that
it was medically certain that Connie had been sexually assaulted.
A very experienced physician, S.G. Albert, took the time to review the medical report and
testimony given by Dr. Robins. Dr. Sam Albert finds the opinion of sexual assault to be
medically baseless and was appalled by the reckless, incompetent, illogical opinion of
sexual assault given by Robins during trial. Dr. Robins should now retract his opinions.
During the times that Robins examined Connie and testified at trial, Robins was working
at the Grand View Hospital in Michigan. Guess who was on the Board of Directors there
during this time? Judge Madden. He was the doctor's boss! Madden also failed to disclose
this fact before trial. Not long after Robins testified in this case the Grand View Hospital
"prematurely terminated their contract" with Dr. Robins. In other words, they fired him.
Knowing Connie had different versions of her story, DA Lipske asked her prearranged,
rehearsed, leading questions at trial, and she of course gave prearranged and rehearsed
answers. But they had not rehearsed well enough. All of her answers conflicted with prior
stories she had given. And Connie had not rehearsed any questions or answers with Don's
lawyer so when questioned by him regarding the details and inconsistencies in her own
story she claimed she was suffering from some mysterious loss of memory so just could
not remember any details of her own story. How convenient, Connie.
When forgetting details of their lies, liars will falsely claim memory loss and this is
exactly what Connie did. Statistics show she had answered all leading questions asked by
the DA, but failed to answer 70% of material questions asked by Don's attorney. Of those
she did answer, nearly all answers conflicted with prior statements and testimony.
Each time she told her story it changed, evolved, and escalated and even Connie admitted
at trial that her story is inconsistent and that the trial charges were not her original
complaints to police. And there were even more confessions by Connie herself-.
She had claimed she was raped, beaten, and had a gun held to her head, but at trial she
Admitted that she then had Don baby-sit her son and the children of several of her friends
during an overnight birthday party while she was at work. Ask any woman whether they
would do that. There simply is no mother who, after allegedly having a gun pointed at her
and being raped, would ever allow a gun-toting rapist to baby sit her child and children of
her friends all alone while she is away. But Connie did. This shows that she completely
trusted Don, and she trusted him because there never was any gun play or sexual assault.
And there were more admissions by Connie. She claimed she was assaulted and raped so
had plans in place to move out at the very first opportunity she had. But she testified at
trial that she had refused an offer to help move out, admitted that she had a satellite dish
installed and prepaid a year of programming with her own money, had her own telephone
line installed at her expense, and she planned and then hosted a house warming party the
night before she had Don arrested. And all of this took place during the same time period
she claimed she had plans in place to move out. These admissions prove she had no plans
to move out. They prove she was planning on staying with Don for a very long time.
And there is more. Because Connie knew no red laser sighted gun had been found during
several police searches she now claimed at trial that she was "not so sure" about any such
gun having been used, though it was the story that caused Don's arrest in the first place.
And though she abandoned her red laser gun story at trial she raised it again over ten
years later when Don was considered for parole. She told the Parole Board that she is still
traumatized by having had a red laser sighted gun pointed at her, apparently forgetting
that she abandoned this story during trial. She had resurrected this abandoned and proven
false story in order to cause Don even more problems, this time to deny him parole.
During trial Don's attorney presented certified phone records, which are now part of the
official record, and they conclusively prove that Connie told many lies while under oath
and prove that it is impossible for there to have been any assault during the time frame
she alleged, which was from midnight until 4am. Official court records prove that:
Connie was in town and had called Don at 3:49am from a Citgo station payphone
Don was at home and had answered her call from the Citgo station at 3:49am
Judge Madden ordered a pre-sentence investigation and the state investigator doing the
report noted that she had tried to contact Connie for input but she would not return her
calls or letters. 'l'his is because she is not a victim, had already fulfilled her promise to make
Don pay for breaking up with her, and probably felt no need to waste her precious time.
Don's attorney told the judge that the average sentence for what he was convicted of is
Eight years. DA Lipske asked for thirty two years. Trembling and afraid, Don now stood
before the judge and told him that he is falsely accused and never hurt Connie or anyone
else in all his life. Madden turned red, threw off his glasses, called Don Jekyll and Hyde,
said he never saw such a lack of remorse, then sentenced him to forty two years in prison.
Don's horrified family had rushed toward him to hug him but was forcefully pried away
and Don was shoved back into his jail cell. Judge Madden quickly ducked out of sight.
On appeal Don was represented by Attorney Michael Schmidt. and like Don's trial
attorney, Schmidt was convinced that Don was falsely accused. Though he wanted to
help he seemed to have few legal skills, narrowly focused on weak issues, overlooked
strong issues, failed to adequately investigate, and failed to interview an eyewitness who
knows Connie lied. Meanwhile, due to overcrowding in the Wisconsin prison system,
Don was shipped off to a Tennessee prison 1,200 miles away from his home and family.
Studying law books in a prison cell Don discovered many errors in his case which call for
a new trial, but attorney Schmidt seemed confused and unable to understand some issues
Don explained to him and disagreed with him on several points. Don asked Schmidt to
give him a copy of the issues he planned to submit to the appeals court before filing them
so that he could add the strong issues he found. Schmidt agreed but then filed his weak
issues in the court anyway without first telling Don. The appeal was denied. Don then
tried to present his issues, but the appeals court refused to even rule on them.
Don was railroaded at a trial chock full of perjury and which was overseen by Connie's
boyfriend judge, and where witnesses against him included a police officer who Connie
was having sex with. Don was denied a fair trial, swept aside by his appeals attorney,
denied a fair chance on appeal, wrapped up in chains and sent to rot in a Tennessee prison
1,200 miles away from his home and family. God Bless America.
[ Return to Table of Contents ]
[ Top ]
Investigators contacted us, asked to look at the case, organized the paperwork, and gave it
to Attorney Ray Dall'Osto for his opinion as to how to proceed. Dall'Osto took the case
then many years later hired Charles Hess, an investigator at CMC Investigations. Among
other things, Hess discovered that there was an ongoing romantic relationship between
Judge Madden and Connie prior to trial that had been concealed. Though he clearly had
no business being the judge on this case, Madden unethically and unconstitutionally
concealed this critical information in order to remain on this case.
Because Don did not know that Judge Madden was involved with Connie or that he was
part of the now exposed conspiracy against him, Don had turned to Judge Madden for
help. (That's like a mouse asking a snake for help.) After Don had gathered evidence of
crimes which included certified telephone records, transcripts, and sworn affidavits which
includes one from a man Connie admitted Don's innocence to, Don filed for a criminal
inquiry hearing and submitted evidence that DA Lipske intentionally used perjury at trial
and had destroyed evidence that Don needed to defend himself, and provided evidence
that Connie had committed the crimes of obstruction, false swearing, and perjury.
The law required Judge Madden to conduct a hearing so that Don could call witnesses,
testify under oath, and present evidence. A date was set for the hearing. While waiting for
it Don requested copies of certain public records kept by Iron County Sheriff Robert
Bruneau which contain further proof that the DA lied, hid evidence favourable to Don, had
The DNA kit tested and hid the test results. The law required the sheriff to either provide
the records or to give a sufficient reason as to why he will not. But the sheriff did neither.
Failure to respond to a public record request or concealing a public record is felony
misconduct in office and the legal remedy for this failure to disclose is to petition the
judge to order them disclosed. So Don petitioned Judge Madden and explained that the
records contain additional evidence of perjury, obstruction of justice, and other crimes so
are therefore needed for the scheduled crime hearing. Judge Madden refused to order the
records and instead called Don a harasser who has no purpose for his records request.
By blocking access to these records Judge Madden was trying to stop Don from proving
he is a victim of crime. And instead of conducting the scheduled crime inquiry hearing,
the judge now changed his mind and refused to hold the hearing. Don demanded that all
evidence he submitted be returned, including the affidavit submitted by a person to whom
Connie confessed Don's innocence. Judge Madden now claimed he had no such affidavit.
Judge Madden violated the law by denying access to the public records and the court, and
did so to protect Connie from criminal charges, as he had previously done to protect
the officer from criminal charges. Don certainly had no idea Judge Madden was
involved with Connie, and had he known this he would have requested another judge just
as fast as he could for both his trial and crime inquiry hearing. Judge Madden repeatedly
concealed critical facts. And Connie has bragged about how Judge Madden protects her.
6. JUDGE DENIES ACCESS TO THE COURT
According to law, and citing law that requires Sheriff Bruneau to comply with his public
records request or give good reason why he will not, Don again requested that the sheriff
provide true and accurate copies of certain public records that contain evidence of crime.
He was again ignored and so he again petitioned Judge Madden to order the sheriff to
comply with the law and with his duty to provide records or to give a valid reason why he
will not. Judge Madden refused to even receive this petition. His clerk, Karen Ransanici,
wrote to Don and told him that Judge Madden directed her not to file it.
Don sent another petition to the court which cited state and federal laws that show it to be
a felony to refuse to receive and consider his legal pleadings, but Judge Madden simply
wrote Refused, return to sender on the unopened mail containing his petition demanding
access to public records containing evidence needed to challenge a wrongful conviction
and fraud. Don again submitted his legal papers to the court. Again they came back
unopened and marked Refused, return to sender. In blatant violation of his rights Don
was once again being denied access to the circuit court ,just as he was previously denied
access when he tried to publicly expose the police officer who committed a witnessed
felony assault against him. Mobsters run that court, and mobsters protect each other.
Don's mother then sent Judge Madden a certified letter which cited constitutional, federal
and state laws that require him to accept Don's legal papers, and which reminded him of
his oath to uphold the laws and constitutions. Judge Madden sent her letter back. It was
marked Refused, return to sender. Don sent additional requests to the sheriff and now, for
the first time, these all came back unopened and marked Refused, return to sender ,just as
Judge Madden was now doing. This is proof that the judge and sheriff were conspiring.
Planning to use DNA evidence against Don at a rape trial DA Lipske had obtained
biological samples in the form of a 'rape test kit' which is supposed to be sent off to a lab
for testing. But right after Don refused the DA's offer to drop all charges in exchange for
a plea of guilty to one lesser charge DA Lipske made the following statement to Judge
Madden on the record at a pre-trial hearing:
"Probably more than likely, I am about to discard the remainder of that sexual assault kit."
As we questioned previously, why would DA Lipske, or any prosecutor, want to destroy
DNA evidence prior to a rape trial? Obviously, the kit was tested before trial and when
Don and his attorney viewed it prior to trial all the integrity seals on the kit were broken.
The only persons authorized to break those seals, or having any reason to do so, are lab
technicians who will break these seals only when testing it. Testing had either proved that
Don was innocent, or that someone else's DNA was there. As testing consumes part of
the kit, this is why the DA said he wanted to destroy the "remainder" of the kit.
Don still wants the kit tested, and photos of bruising examined by an expert to prove they
were not caused in the time frame Connie claimed. Attorney Dall'Osto sent a letter to DA
Lipske asking for access to these items, but DA Lipske claimed the kit was lost and that
the photos are unavailable. In his letter to Dall'Osto, the DA also stated that he had
Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Foryan investigate and interview witnesses to determine what had
happened to the kit, but claimed this investigation was unsuccessful. But Don knew that
DA Lipske was lying once again about the kit. And in fact the DA has been caught lying.
Not yet knowing that Judge Madden was involved with Connie or part of a conspiracy,
Don had complained to Judge Madden about the missing evidence, but Madden ignored
him. Don then wrote to court clerk Giacomino and asked what she thought happened to
the photos the court is required to keep for seventy five years. Ms. Giacomino wrote back
and said the photos are there, and sent copies to prove it. Don had formally complained to
Judge Madden about the missing photos and though they were there in his own files, the
Judge refused to reply. His refusal to reply was intended to assist DA Lipske in his lies.
Don also knew the DA was lying about an investigation into the DNA kit disappearance
so he wrote to the claimed investigator, Roy Foryan, and asked him for the details of his
investigation. Foryan promptly answered. He said he had no involvement whatsoever in
such an investigation. So once again Lipske was caught lying, this time to Don's attorney.
Witnesses swore out affidavits stating they had overheard DA Lipske admit to throwing
out the DNA before trial. Like Connie, DA Lipske cannot keep his stories straight and
they have all been caught telling lies. Everything Don has said from day one is all proven
true yet he is still in prison because it is the proven liars who control his case. Don has
demanded that they surrender his case to outside authorities but they refuse to do so. Any
outside authorities looking into this case would prosecute each and every one of them.
8. WEBSITES STARTED
In 2005 www.freemyfather.com started posting evidence that proves all we say is true,
and later www.freedonmiller.com started. When we tried to advertise the website in
local newspapers the Iron County Miner newspaper refused to run our ad, saying it was
too political. But the Daily Globe in lronwood, Michigan did and immediately DA
Lipske and the Vargovich clan began demanding that the newspaper remove the ad. But
thanks to the integrity of the Daily Globe editors our ad still runs in the newspaper.
The websites show you proof of things Iron County officials hoped you would never see,
And that is proof of their corruption, proof that Don is falsely accused and intentionally
wrongfully convicted, proof that Judge Madden, DA Lipske and Sheriff Bruneau all
know this, proof that they are acting in everyway to obstruct justice, and proof that they
are protecting each other from investigation and prosecution.
We receive lots of comments from people, and the most outspoken and convincing critics
against Connie are her own friends and the people who have experiences with her.
Because hard evidence proves that he is an ongoing victim of lies, crime, conspiracy.
corruption and cover up, our entire community supports Don. Surely, Connie and these
Iron County officials hate the website. It is shining a light into their dark world, allows
the public to see the culture of corruption, and exposes an utterly failed legal system.
Because their attempts to stop newspaper ads failed they hatched a new scheme. In late
summer 2005, the DA called the prison and told officials that Don was calling Connie to
threaten and harass her, a serious charge which if true would cause severe disciplinary
actions and form the basis for additional charges. But it was just another lie and another
false accusation, and once again they were caught in their lies. Prison administrator
Captain Dohms confronted Don with this latest false accusation and asked Don if he had
anything to say. Expecting the Captain to believe a DA over a prisoner Don feared severe
punishment, literally became sick to his stomach, and could only offer the truth. He told
the Captain that the DA and Connie are lying.
Because all prison phone calls are recorded and are collect calls, Don asked the Captain
to check the records and have the DA send Connie's phone bill as she would have to first
accept a call before Don could say a word, so it would appear on her bill. But the prison
already checked their phone records. They proved Don made no such call. The Captain
dismissed the charge and commented that DA Lipske had really put his foot in his mouth.
So it was once again proven that Don is a victim of false accusers. Now think about that.
After posting evidence of their lying, corruption and false accusing on a website, the only
idea DA Lipske and Connie could come up with was to once again retaliate against Don
by lying and making up even more false accusations against him. How ignorant.
Don wrote to the DA and asked if it was he or Connie who made up this false accusation.
No reply. Don complained to the Office of Lawyer Regulation about the DA lying and
falsely accusing him so they called Lipske to question him. He of course lied to them,
claiming he had not called the prison, but when questioned later claimed someone from
his office did call, not to accuse Don, but to request an investigation to determine whether
he called Connie from prison. But the Captain made it clear that it was Lipske himself
who called and that he had not requested an investigation but instead accused Don.
Dohms said "DA Marty Lipske called and said Don has been calling Connie Vargovich."
Daily Globe reporter Levra asked Lipske about the accusation and at first he claimed ex-DA Jodi Bednar is who had called the prison, but when pressed further he confessed that
Connie lied. So the DA had finally admitted that Connie does falsely accuse Don. But
Though he claims Connie lied, she will claim it is Lipske who had lied. But one thing is
proven, and that is that one of them again lied and falsely accused Don of committing a
non-existent crime. It was their attempt at retaliating for websites publishing evidence that
proves they lie and falsely accuse. And it backfired. Their response to being exposed in
lies was to simply lie some more and make up even more false accusations against Don.
Investigation has uncovered a romantic relationship between Judge Madden and Connie
Vargovich that had existed for years, even behind Don's back while he and Connie lived
together, and during trial. Don had no idea the judge was involved with her or that he was
about to be railroaded because of it. Had he known this he would have demanded a
substitute judge just as fast as he could.
Judge Madden had a duty under law to disclose the relationship and recuse from the case,
but he did neither. That is fraud and deprived Don of the unbiased judge guaranteed by
our Constitution and of a winning issue for appeal. Obviously hoping to inflict all the
damage he possibly could on Don as his favor to Connie and the police officer targeted
by Don's complaints, Judge Madden had concealed his relationship with Connie.
Don's family hired licensed investigator Charles Hess and after he reviewed the facts of
this case he saw the gross perversion of justice, provided his services at no cost, and even
refused money for airplane fare between lower Wisconsin and upper Michigan. The
following are a few things that have been discovered.
A. WITNESS MICHELE A.
Michele was a friend of Connie and Judge Madden but she and her husband moved out of
town before Don's arrest so she did not know that Connie had accused anyone of crime.
After returning in 2005 Michele learned that Connie had accused a man of crime, that he
was now in prison, and that Judge Madden had presided over the case. She was disturbed
by this, knew justice had been perverted, so alerted authorities because she personally
knows there was a romantic relationship between Connie and the judge prior to Don's
trial and was absolutely shocked that Judge Madden had been the judge on this case.
During an interview with Hess, Michele explained that Connie is indeed a liar, swears out
revenge against people who anger her, is very violent, and has threatened revenge against
prior boyfriends who, like Don, had also wanted to break up with her. Michele also
described personally seeing Judge Madden and Connie out partying together many times,
saw them making out and even tongue kissing well over twenty separate times prior to
Don's trial. She also gave the names of others who saw the same things. Michele has
expressed grave concern that Judge Madden was the judge on this case and believes this
Judge should never have been in any position to destroy Don's life. "No way" she said.
When Michele was asked what she would say if the judge tried to deny this, she said she
would call him a bald faced liar to his face and made it clear that she will testify in any
court at any time regarding all she knows. The interview was recorded and transcribed.
Michele read the transcripts and swore under penalty of law that it is all true. You can see
this transcript and hear the interview on our website. Thanks Michele, for speaking up.
B. WITNESS NICHOLE G. A.
Investigator Hess also interviewed Nichole, who has confirmed both the fact and nature
of the pre-trial relationship between Judge Madden and Connie and also provided other
information that establishes as fact that the judge and Connie partied it up together even
during the time Connie lived with Don and while he was at work. The investigative report
for this interview is also on the website. Thanks Nichole, for speaking up.
C. PROTECTED IDENTITY WITNESSES
A woman come forward and revealed that Judge Madden had offered her judicial favors
in her case in exchange for sex. This is a crime committed by Judge Madden and this
info was sent to law enforcement. Understandably, this witness was embarrassed to come
forward and fears Judge Madden, but it was the right thing to do as it will protect others
from his perverted behavior. Judge Madden was willing to act corruptly in exchange for
sex. If he ever solicited sex from you or someone you know, please let us know.
D. SHERIFF'S DEPUTY JOE ROBINSON
Besides Investigator Hess's discovery of the relationship between Connie Vargovich and
Judge Madden, another licensed investigator, Lori Gonion, recently joined the case and
obtained additional evidence, witnesses, and information. Some things Ms. Gonion found
includes the discovery of a sexual relationship between Connie and Joe Robinson, who
was the Iron County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned as the lead investigator in this case. So not
only was Connie involved with the judge, she was also sleeping with the police witness.
When you read Ms. Gonion's sworn affidavit on the website you will see that Connie and
Robinson had begun flirting on the very same day that Connie had Don arrested and that
their sexual affair was ongoing at the time of trial, involved rough sex and hair pulling,
that Robinson had Connie talk dirty during sex, that he was into pornography, and that he
had often picked her up from the bars in his Sheriff’s Department vehicle. This explains
why Robinson was less than truthful at trial and explains why he completely failed or
refused to investigate anything that Don told him to investigate. He was too busy having
sex with Connie so simply did not care whether or not she was falsely accusing Don.
Now you know how Connie gets her way. Robinson's failure to investigate was a gross
breach of duty, and this failure, along with his less than truthful testimony contributed to
Don's wrongful conviction. Not long after trial Deputy Robinson was fired from his job,
and we were told that this was due to his indulging in pornography while on the job.
E. CONNIE BOASTS AND BRAGS
Investigator Gonion also discovered that Connie has boasted and bragged about her
'special relationship' with Judge Patrick Madden and about how Madden always protects
her from legal trouble. And this is exactly why Don is still in prison and it is exactly why
Connie has not been arrested, prosecuted, or convicted for her multiple felonies in this
case. See Investigator Gonion's sworn affidavit on the website.
F. DR. ROBINS TAKES A STEP BACKWARDS
Dr. E. Lanny Robins was the doctor who testified against Don at trial for the prosecution
and was portrayed by the prosecutor as an expert witness whose opinions were reliable to
a reasonable degree of medical certainty. However ,Robins was recently interviewed and
made some candid remarks, among which was his confession that he is not an expert and
that the opinions he gave at trial were merely personal opinions. But this is not how the
prosecutor had presented it to the jury, and personal opinions are not allowed at a trial.
Dr. Robins now seems to recognize that it is impossible for him to have been "medically
certain" that a sexual assault had actually taken place given the fact he had no medical
evidence of sexual contact and had no personal knowledge as to whether any sexual
contact was with or without consent. The jury was misled by the prosecutor's misleading
portrayal of the doctor's opinions, and this is what caused Don's wrongful conviction.
The following comprises a summary of facts and evidence that has not been, and cannot
ever be, refuted by the judge, DA, Sheriff, Joe Robinson, or Connie Vargovich:
By not recusing, presiding over the case, and not disclosing his involvement with Connie
Vargovich, Judge Madden committed fraud, betrayed the public trust, and violated Don's
constitutional rights. On our site you can read a letter Don wrote to the judge. If anything
in the letter was not true he would have charged Don with contempt, but he never did.
Jay Kalla was a juror on Don's case and he recently told one of Don's supporters that
there basically was "no evidence Don committed any crime" and that the jury convicted
him because the defense offered no one else to blame. There are problems with this. First,
there was no crime. Second, the jury clearly did not understand that an accused person
must be acquitted if the jury is not absolutely sure that he personally committed a crime.
Connie has a documented history of mental illness, violence, revenge, falsely accusing
people and has made prior claims of being a victim of violence, of weapons threats, rape,
and has lied in court to bring legal action against others. She has criminal convictions that
involve lying to police, and has been caught lying here. Even as Don sat in jail awaiting
trial on her accusations here, Connie was accusing yet another man in a Michigan court.
Connie initially made no claim that would cause an arrest, but after failing to have Don
arrested repeatedly changed her story until it was big enough to cause his arrest. She had
come up with a new story that Don pointed a red laser sighted pistol at her, and that
caused his arrest. Police demanded that Don tell them where the laser sight gun was and
he told them there is no such gun and gave permission to search. They searched his home,
business, and vehicles, but for the simple reason that it never existed no such gun was
ever found. And this is when all police investigation stopped, on the first day.
Connie's first written police report had actually denied rape. But right after she was told
that Don would post bail and go home, she immediately changed her story to rape. Her
story now changed three times within the first 24-hours.By the end of trial she would
have six different versions on record. Initial investigation proved that she was lying, and
then all investigation stopped. Don had repeatedly requested lie detector tests but was
denied but DA Lipske now offered to drop all charges in exchange for his guilty plea to a
lesser charge carrying a ten year penalty. Preferring to risk a hundred years in prison
rather than plead guilty to something that never happened, he rejected the plea deal.
At pre-trial hearings Judge Madden denied Don's right to present witnesses and evidence
in his defense to a jury. DA Lipske admitted on the record that there is falsely accused
information in Connie's police reports, and then actually stated he is not looking for any.
Seeing that the DNA kit had already been tested, it was clear that DA Lipske was hiding
the test results so Don demanded testing but DA Lipske then destroyed the kit and has
now been caught lying about the kit, photos, investigation into disappearance of the kit,
and about clothing at trial. Don told the police and testified that Connie claimed it was
her other boyfriend who bruised her, and at trial she admitted she was inside that man's
home only hours before Don's arrest despite a protection order she had on him that was
based upon her claims that this other boyfriend had beaten and bruised her many times.
During trial Connie admitted her story is inconsistent, differs from prior stories, and was
not her original complaint to police. She then could not answer 70% of material questions
regarding her own story, and the 30% she did answer contradicted her prior statements.
Certified phone records prove she fabricated her story, was not with Don during the time
she said she was assaulted, and that she falsified police reports and committed perjury.
Because she told so many lies Connie could not remember her last story so DA Lipske
asked her all leading questions at trial. He then wanted Deputy Robinson to lie under oath
to back up lies he and Connie told the jury about clothing evidence. But Robinson told
the truth about the clothing, exposing the DA and Connie in a lie. Connie's sister Heather
admitted during trial that she had lied to police about Don, and her other sister, Michelle
Vargovich, is an eyewitness who told the DA prior to trial that there was no assault, but
DA Lipske prosecuted Don anyway. And DA Lipske had several friends on that jury.
The DA knowingly used false evidence and perjury at trial. No gun fitting the description
Connie gave ever existed and none was ever found. By introducing a different gun, one
with no laser sight, the DA misled the jury. Don's brother and mom were not allowed to
sit at trial so his mother spent two days in the hallway crying her eyes out. When Connie
walked by her she laughed, pointed at her, and said, That makes me laugh! Anyone who
laughs at the pain of another human being is a true psychopath, and Connie loves nothing
more in this world than to inflict pain and suffering on others because it makes her feel
good, and to her it is an accomplishment. And all her friends know this is true about her.
On the website you can read many damning comments made by her closest friends.
Don told Judge Madden at sentencing that he is innocent but Madden showed no mercy.
He sentenced Don to forty two years in prison, thirty two years more than the DA offered
in his plea bargain, and then further degraded Don by calling him names. How impressed
are Judge Madden, Connie, Lipske, Sheriff Bruneau, and Joe Robinson now after such
damning evidence about them is published on the internet for the whole world to see?
Evidence of crime committed against Don was sent to Judge Madden and he scheduled a
required crime inquiry hearing. While waiting for the hearing Don sought other evidence
in public records kept by Sheriff Bruneau, but Bruneau concealed the records, which is a
felony. Don petitioned Judge Madden for these public records but he denied the request
and called Don a harasser. Don then submitted additional pleadings, but Judge Madden
ordered his clerk not to file them. Don sent legal papers directly to Judge Madden but he
returned them to Don unopened. They were marked Refused, return to sender.
Though the law requires a hearing Judge Madden now cancelled the scheduled hearing.
Don asked him to return the affidavit that contains Connie's confession but Madden lied.
claiming he had no such affidavit. Now the sheriff started to mark Refused, return to
sender on all requests for public records containing evidence of crime and DNA test
results. Then for the first time and after many years of trying to obtain the records, the
sheriff finally answered. He stated that he destroyed all the public records in Don's case.
And this was after Don's attorney had formally requested that he not destroy any records.
The sheriff violated state law prohibiting destruction of any requested public records.
An investigator discovered one reason why they are violating law, obstructing justice,
and conspiring, and that is because Judge Madden and Connie were romantically
involved prior to and during this trial. Judge Madden had concealed this information and
failed to recuse from this case as required by law. Witnesses then watched him hugging
Connie in the courthouse hallway during a break in Don's trial.
When we published proof of their lies, corruption, and crime, what did they do? They did
the only thing they know how to do. They retaliated by falsely accusing Don again! But it
backfired, and once again they were caught lying and falsely accusing Don.
An investigator also discovered that prior to and during the time of trial, Connie was also
engaged in an ongoing sexual relationship with Deputy Joey Robinson. He was the lead
investigator for the prosecutor and the same investigator who admitted under oath at trial
that he had in fact investigated nothing at all. He was too busy having sex with Connie.
Don has sent facts and information to the judge and DA and asked them to admit or deny
any of it, or simply point to one word he ever said that is not true. They do not answer.
The judge, DA, Connie, and Robinson have all lied and have engaged in crime and
Unethical conduct and are covering up for each other. Please read the letters posted on the
website that Don has sent to the Judge, DA, and Sheriff. You will then see why they do
not answer or deny anything that we say. It is because it is all true.
The evidence we present includes documents from their own offices, witness statements.
certified records, investigator reports, affidavits, transcripts, recordings, and more. They
know that to deny will only open a door and expose more lies, and they probably realize
they have been caught in far too many lies already.
Iron County officials know Don is innocent yet intentionally inflict this nightmare on him
And his family in order to make him pay for challenging a rogue cop who beats citizens,
for challenging their corruption, for exposing them on a website, and as a favor to
Connie. All of this is overseen by a judge who should have had no involvement in this
case, who intentionally perverts justice, who calls upon his good old boy pals to help him
such as the always ready to lie and twice disbarred DA Martin Lipske, and Sheriff Robert
Bruneau who refuses to investigate, destroys evidence, and actually protects criminals.
13. PROSECUTION OF TAMRA COYNE
Based upon a complaint by Tamra Coyne, DA Lipske had three local men thrown in jail
and charged them with first degree sexual assault. He then asked Judge Madden to
dismiss the charges because he said that statements by Coyne were inconsistent. Madden
promptly dismissed the charges and released them. Then DA Lipske filed a criminal
complaint against Coyne for having allegedly falsely accused those three men.
DA Lipske criminally charged Coyne due to inconsistency in her story yet refuses to even
question Connie despite the ton of evidence against her that is far more extensive and
damning and which goes far beyond mere inconsistency in statements. We now know
that Lipske can detect inconsistencies in a story so we also know for sure that he can see
inconsistencies and outright falsehoods in the statements and testimonies made by Connie
Vargovich. The real problem in this case is that Martin J. Lipske does not give a damn
about guilt or innocence or right and wrong, but cares only about his own image and ego.
DA Lipske knows that Connie's story changed, escalated, and contradicts each time she
told it. And he was there when even she admitted this. He knows that she has six different
versions of her story on record, confessed that Don did nothing wrong to her, that there is
an eyewitness to the fact there was no assault, that certified phone records prove she
committed perjury at the prelim hearing and trial, and he himself admitted that Connie
falsely accused Don when she claimed he was calling her from prison to threaten her.
Yet due to mere inconsistency in a story the DA filed charges against Coyne but won't
even question Connie. is additional solid proof Connie is being protected due to her
relationship with Judge Madden and because she surely has a lot of dirt on them which
she would happily share with us if these Iron County officials tried to prosecute her.
CONNIE VARGOVICH --Everyone now knows that you falsely accused Don, so the
game is over. You had your fun. You laughed. We cried. You badly hurt good people. It
made you happy. Now you are caught in lots of lies. You have admitted that Don did
nothing wrong to you and now it is time to be a human being by leading the way to Don's
release. If you continue doing nothing we will continue investigating and seek an arrest
and conviction. If you do not tell the truth to get Don home we promise that you
eventually will be prosecuted and your friends and lovers in government will not be able
to save you because they will be too busy blaming you in order to save themselves.
If you want to put an end to all this and avoid prosecution, admitting you falsely accused
Don will go a long way towards that goal. So get it over with Connie. If you do nothing,
that will be used against you. It is time to undo the damage you caused so contact Don,
his family, or his lawyer. And let us know if they told you what to say, told you to be
quiet, or threatened or promised you anything for silence. You were never afraid of doing
wrong, but why not try doing the right thing for once. Get this off your conscience.
Don cares about people, and you know that he truly cared about you and your son Joshua.
And somehow he still believes in you. For over fourteen years he has been saying that
you will help him. Your responsibility is to help him. It is in your own best interest to do
so. Do not waste another minute. But if you have no heart, maybe you are smart enough
to fix this before the judge and DA pin it all on you to make themselves look innocent.
MICHELLE VARGOVICH --You are an eyewitness. You know Connie lied and that
there was no assault. We are not trying to cause Connie trouble. We just want her to do
the right thing by helping to get Don home. Prior to trial you told DA Lipske that on the
morning of his arrest Don had invited you into his home, that you spoke with him and
Connie but observed no assault. We need to hear this from you, so please contact us soon.
CONNIE'S FRIENDS --Most, if not all, of Connie's friends are now on Don's side and
are working to help Don. If you are a true friend to Connie then you should care enough
about her to talk some sense into her. If she keeps hiding from what she has done then
this matter will most certainly continue to escalate and she will ultimately be prosecuted.
If Connie comes forward and admits that Don did not sexually assault her or commit any
other crime, as she already confessed to several people, she will do well. But continuing
to do nothing will only make things much worse for her. So if you are her true friend, talk
some sense into her. Let Connie know that you, like all of her other friends, support Don.
If you are her true friend, then help her do the right thing.
It is said that no lie lives forever. The lies they all have told in this case died out long ago.
Don has but one God given life to live and that life drains away as he sits heartbroken in
a prison cell year after year awaiting justice. To those who have put him in that cell and
who keep him there today, may God soon judge you accordingly and most severely.
There is hard evidence that proves Don was falsely accused and is being denied justice by
those who know better and who are supposed to care. All evidence on our websites is true
and Don has challenged the judge, DA, and sheriff to disprove any of it or to point out
anything not true. But since facts cannot be denied, they have refuted absolutely nothing.
Our constitution guarantees an acquittal if reasonable doubt as to guilt exists. If there is
reasonable doubt then the accused must go free. But forget for a moment that it is well
proven that Don was falsely accused and ask yourself whether, based upon the facts and
evidence, there is reasonable doubt as to his guilt. After you review the facts and
evidence you will agree that much more than reasonable doubt exists. Therefore, if we
have any rights at all or if justice really does matter, then Don must immediately go free.
A juror admits that no evidence shows Don committed any crime. DA Lipske admits
Connie falsified police reports and admits she made recent false accusations against Don.
An eyewitness told the DA that Don is innocent. Connie herself confessed that Don did
nothing wrong to her. Certified phone records prove she was not even with Don during
the time she claimed she was assaulted, and prove she committed perjury many times.
She originally denied rape, admits her story is inconsistent, admits that the charges at trial
were not the original complaints she gave police, and admits that she repeatedly changed
and escalated her story after she failed to have Don arrested on her first attempt.
Deputy Robinson refused to arrest Don then failed to back up one lie told by DA Lipske
and Connie. Her sister Heather admitted that she provided police false information about
Don. Police admit there was no investigation prior to trial. The new sheriff, Tony Furyk,
also has not investigated anything. At trial Connie failed to answer seventy percent of the
material questions regarding her own story. She claimed to be traumatized by a rape yet
almost immediately jumped into bed with the police investigator after Don was arrested.
Lies, perjury, corruption, conspiracy, revenge and incompetence of the officials involved
Have put Don in prison, and keep him there today. But they have been sloppy, and this
allowed us to gather evidence. Now you see how corruption is the routine in Iron County.
It is nothing new. Even a prior Iron County judge, Alex Raineri, was corrupt. But he was
convicted and sent off to prison. And now it is Judge Madden and DA Lipske's turn.
Attorney Raymond Dall'Osto told Don that nobody believes he is guilty anymore and that
the only reason he is still in prison is because Iron County officials fear lawsuits if they
let him go. Iron County officials, there to protect freedom and protect us from crime.
have become the criminals, betray our trust, deny justice, commit crimes and are a danger
to our families and community. By betraying our trust, violating laws and their oaths of
office, protecting false accusers and ignoring a falsely accused man begging for help,
they truly have become criminals, and despots without a conscience.
We receive comments from those who know people in this case, and one you can read is
from the prior Iron County DA, whose opinion is that Don was "royally screwed by two
individuals who grossly abused" their offices, meaning the judge and DA, and who also
stated that "It is not in the public interest to have an innocent man in prison."
Another comment is from the Iron County Court Commissioner, who said that his own
Dealings with DA Lipske matches what we say about him abusing the power of his office.
failing to adequately investigate before prosecuting, overcharging an accused. vindictive
use of his power, and his casual disregard for facts are the very reasons why Don
was prosecuted and is still in prison. Clearly, Martin Lipske should not be in that office.
Comments were submitted by Connie's friends and many others who had experiences
with Connie. Though all are appalled by what she has done here, none are surprised at all.
They all know she is a false accuser, a chronic liar, violent, and very mean spirited.
Compare what they say about her to what all the people who know Don say about him
Connie told the jury Don would not let her leave and that he caused her bruising, but Don
testified that he directed her to leave, that her bruising occurred during the time she was
at another boyfriend's house, that she threatened to make him pay if he broke up with her
and that she was falsely accusing him because he told her to move out. Years later her
prior boyfriend contacted us and stated that Connie had often threatened to make him pay
when angry and would then falsely accuse him. He also said that when she came to his
home Connie had told him Don "kicked her out," but he did not want her there and it took
him and two others to remove her from his home. This supports all of Don's testimony.
All this is additional proof that Connie falsely accused Don, so thanks to Mr. K.A. for his
helpful information. He knows Connie very well and therefore knows she falsely accused
Don. He also realizes that he is one very lucky man that this did not happen to him.
We (allegedly) live in a free country and have constitutional rights, and courts that are
Supposed to administer justice and protect our rights. Our loved ones go to war to protect
our freedom and rights and many die for this cause. Iron County officials apparently do
not believe in such things, do not believe this is a free country, do not believe that we
have rights, and act to deny justice and freedom. Why is our state and federal government
not yet stepping in to again clean up Iron County corruption or to help Don? Why are
they not protecting his rights or protecting our families and community from all of this?
And why are our local police silent? Concealing information about officials who commit
crimes and harbor criminals is not police work. It is corruption. Did you become a police
officer to be corrupt? ?Deputy Roy Foryan knows something ,but keeps it quiet. Deputy
Robinson knew Connie was lying, exposed one lie at trial, then lied about other matters
and failed to investigate because he was having sex with Connie. He knows more. Sheriff
Bruneau and Deputy Wicklund had made it clear that they know of facts which would
cause Don's immediate release, and yet they remain silent. Are all police here corrupt?
The judge, DA, Sheriff, and Connie are hoping you will not care about Don or their lies
and corruption and hope that you sit back, shut up, and let them get away with this. But
Don hopes and prays that you will care and will not sit back or be quiet, but that you will
join us and others to both help him and protect others from such intentional perversions of justice. The more who learn of this case the sooner Don will be home. So please help spread the news of this case by directing as many others as possible to our website.
Please send comments to us or the Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Attorney General
Van Hollen, Wisconsin Department of Justice, FBI, newspapers, or Iron County officials
involved You may find it simple to write one master letter then e-mail it to different
persons and offices. Below you will see some addresses. A few others are on the website.
Please send us a copy of any letters or e-mails you send out.
If you have information for us we will keep your name confidential if you so request, or
send it anonymously. Connie's friends submit comments and information, as have others.
Some donate money to help pay for ads, an attorney works for free, an investigator
donated services, and some wrote letters to express opinions, show support, or to demand
justice. Importantly, the University of Wisconsin Law School Innocence Project works
hard to help Don. All this is very important and is much appreciated. Hopefully you will
be able to help in some way. Don and his family need whatever help you can provide.
Without hesitation, everyone who knows Don will tell you that he is a caring and good
hearted person who does not deserve any of this suffering. His family loves and misses
him so much. If only Iron County officials were not quite so corrupt, that Connie had a
heart or a conscience, or that law enforcement would investigate the real criminals here,
Don would be home right now instead of sitting heartbroken in a dingy prison cell year after year missing his family and friends. Meanwhile, Connie has not changed at all.
In 2009 she was again found guilty of disorderly conduct, as was her sister Heather. She
had a recent surge in drunken driving tickets, kicked a Michigan police officer where it
hurts the most, and though she is now over forty she is still raising hell and acting the
fool. It is the same old Connie Vargovich, and it is the same old Iron County officials.
The Iron County Sheriff's Department has repeatedly followed Don's brother and mother
around town, has pulled Don's mother over several times just to tell her she can go, and
more than once the police have parked in front of her house and stared at her while she
was in her yard. Don's mom is sixty seven years old and suffers from Parkinson's disease
but she is not intimidated. None of us are. And neither should you be.
The question is: How on the earth can anyone be as cruel, evil and heartless as Connie
Vargovich, Judge Madden, DA Lipske and Sheriff Robert Bruneau? They all know Don
is innocent but care nothing about the suffering they inflict on him and his family every
day. They show absolutely no signs of professionalism, heart, conscience, or morals.
Draw a lot of attention to our website and to the people responsible for this. Express an
opinion, write a letter, send an e-mail, drop us a note, or say a prayer for Don, his son,
and family. If someone you know who may be interested in this injustice and small town
corruption does not have a computer, simply printout material from our website.
Please read through the website. Look at the evidence, documents ,affidavits, investigator
reports, comments and opinions submitted by many caring people. We then hope to hear
from you. Do not fear speaking up. They will not harm or threaten you in any way. They
know that the Department of Justice and FBI have been alerted to what is going on here
so will not risk any activity that will cause further scrutiny. In fact, based upon recent
statements made by Judge Madden himself, he may now agree that Don is entitled to
relief and DA Lipske has also made indications that he is opening up as well.
If enough of us speak up the government will eventually listen and act. And this is why
we are asking you to speak up for Don. It will help to get him home, help prevent this
from happening to you or to a loved one, and will help clean up the cult of corruption in
Iron County. Please speak up. And if you have information, please provide it to us today.
Thank you very much for your time, for caring about what has happened here, and for
caring about what is still going on in this terrible and absolutely inexcusable situation.
We will win this when we all pull together.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing ... No one
could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little."
-Edmund Burke
"Since corrupt people unite amongst themselves to constitute a force,
then honest people must do the same."
-Leo Tolstoy
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Contact Information
Don Miller #343005
P.O.Box 4000
New Lisbon, WI 53950
Attorney John A. Pray
Wisconsin Innocence Project
Frank J. Remington Center
975 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706-1399
Tel (608)263-3380
Fax(608)263-3380
Connie L. Vargovich
F. 5025 Lake Rd.
Ironwood, MI 49938
Attorney Ray Dall'Osto
330 E. Kilbourn Ave.
Plaza East, Suite 1 170
Milwaukee,WI 53202
Tel (414)271-1440
dallosto@grgblaw.com
IronwoodDaily Globe Newspaper
Margaret Levra (ourlocal newspaper)
globenews@charterinternet.com
Patricia Miller (Don’s Mom)
117 Windsor Avenue
Hurley WI 64534
Tel.(715)561-5I50
pattierae6@hotmail.com
DA Martin J. Lipske
Courthouse-300 Taconite St.
Hurley,WI 54534
lipske.martin@mail.da.state.wi.us
Judge Patrick J. Madden
Courthouse
300TaconiteSt.
Hurley,WI 54534
judgem4@hotmail.com
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen
P.O.Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707
Tel.(608)266-122r
wisag@doj.state.wi.us
Governor Scott Walker
P.O.Box 7863
Madison, WI 53707-7863
Tel.(608)266-1212
wisgov@gov.state.wi.us
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I am not surprised by this cases corrupt history as that is par for course here. I grew up in area and though not in IC I am familiar. Double lives so many live. Going up for communion at the Catholic church and such a "prize" citizen to the community. But in private dark corners the Friday before was cheating on spouse and kids,taking old people's money, asking for sexual favors,and the list goes on. Because of positions of power so many in this area get away with corruption and acts they never have to answer for. My only pride from this area is my family and being raised by great parents. In a world where church and communion was meant for God fearing good people. I take comfort knowing karma will take care of these folks on earth
ReplyDeleteAnd God will make
them answer after Earth. May you find peace out of prison and may those you took the path paved with gold be punished.
I am not surprised by this cases corrupt history as that is par for course here. I grew up in area and though not in IC I am familiar. Double lives so many live. Going up for communion at the Catholic church and such a "prize" citizen to the community. But in private dark corners the Friday before was cheating on spouse and kids,taking old people's money, asking for sexual favors,and the list goes on. Because of positions of power so many in this area get away with corruption and acts they never have to answer for. My only pride from this area is my family and being raised by great parents. In a world where church and communion was meant for God fearing good people. I take comfort knowing karma will take care of these folks on earth
ReplyDeleteAnd God will make
them answer after Earth. May you find peace out of prison and may those you took the path paved with gold be punished.