KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Copies of photos from a police file will be provided to a man convicted for the 2000 murder of a Kaukauna woman, as he continues to make appeals in the case.
Kenneth Hudson is serving a life prison term for the June 25, 2000, murder of Shanna Van Dyn Hoven, 19, while she was jogging in a Kaukauna park. He was also sentenced to consecutive sentences after that for kidnapping, attempted homicide and recklessly endangering safety, totaling another 70 years in prison.
Since sentencing, Hudson has filed more than a dozen appeals and motions — usually focusing on claims he was framed — and all have failed.
The case is now assigned to Marinette County Judge James Morrison, who held a hearing Wednesday.
Hudson asked for the negatives of several photos he claims were never turned over. While police officers testified they believe the defense attorneys had access to them at the time of the trial, Judge Morrison ordered prints of those photos to be made and provided to him, Hudson and the prosecutors.
Outagamie Co. Sheriff Sgt. Nathan Borman said he could not recall the specifics of what the photos show but that they do not include photos of Van Dyn Hoven.
Judge Morrison initially set an Aug. 31 deadline for Hudson to file a comprehensive motion detailing remaining issues he wants to raise. Hudson complained that wasn’t enough time to compile the motion, so the judge agreed to an extra month.
“You’ve had years to do this. You’ve had months to do this. The only thing you’re getting that’s new is seven pictures. And if you think that they’ve played ‘hide the ball’ you should know that already; you should be working on it. It’s not impossible. We have time limits for a reason. Your conviction was decades ago,” the judge said.
“The family of the victim in this case has a right to this being over at some point. (Hudson interjects) They have a right to this being done. You have raised these issues repeatedly. Your lawyers have raised them, repeatedly. Every judge who’s looked at every substantive issue you’ve raised has said, ‘You’re wrong.’ So, there’s no reason for us to believe you have much to do now, but you have until the end of the month to do it.”
Outagamie Co. District Attorney Melinda Tempelis will craft a reply by the end of the year, and the judge will then make rulings.
Hudson tried to raise an issue Wednesday that an officer perjured himself during the trial, but the judge instructed him to include that in the motion due Sept. 30. The same ruling was made on Hudson’s claim a 9-1-1 recording was tampered with.
Judge Morrison noted anything not raised in this motion will not be able to be raised in the future. And, just because Hudson raises an issue doesn’t mean it will have merit but will be reviewed in the effort to bring the case to a close, he said.
