Man convicted 36 years after Green Bay murder
GREEN BAY (WLUK) – More than 36 years after Lisa Holstead’s body was found partially submerged in a swamp in an area now known as the Ken Euers Nature Area, Lou Griffin was convicted for her murder Friday.
Griffin, now 67, was charged with first-degree murder in October 2020 after investigators linked Griffin to the scene by a DNA match.
A double-panel of potential jurors - more than 80 people - reported to court Friday in anticipation of a two-week trial starting Monday. But before the jury selection could start Friday morning, Griffin pleaded out.
Instead of the first-degree murder charge, Griffin pleaded no contest to homicide by reckless conduct. He faces up to 10 years in prison at the March 27 sentencing.
According to a criminal complaint filed in October 2020, investigators linked Griffin to the murder earlier that year by matching his DNA to a sample found at the scene. Police tracked Griffin and got his DNA from beer cans and a cigarette he threw away.
Police say Griffin fit the profile of the killer. He lived in Green Bay at the time of the murder and was released from prison for a sexual assault crime a month prior to Holstead's death.
The complaint says Griffin initially denied ever seeing Holstead, 22. However, when presented with the DNA evidence, he said he must have had sex with her but did not kill her. He said he did not remember having sex with her.
Griffin’s attorneys had planned to argue Holstead’s boyfriend was instead responsible for the murder.
Note: the story was updated to correct the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.
