UPDATE 6:30PM
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Parole Commission’s chairman has decided to rescind parole for a man convicted of killing his wife.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers had requested that Douglas Balsewicz’s parole be revoked after coming under criticisms from Republicans looking to unseat him in November.
Balsewicz was set to be released as soon as Tuesday after serving less than 25 years of his 80-year sentence.
Victim Johanna Balsewicz’s family learned of the move and pressured Evers to block it. The governor sent a letter to the parole commission’s chairman, John Tate, on Friday saying that Johanna’s family didn’t get a chance to respond to the move.
Tate agreed to rescind Balsewicz’s parole early Friday evening.
ORIGINAL POST
MADISON, Wis. – Gov. Tony Evers is beseeching the chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Commission to reconsider the decision to release a man from prison after serving only 25 years of the 80-year sentence he was given when found guilty of stabbing his 23-year-old wife 42 times in front of their children in 1997.
Johanna Balsewicz’ family met with Evers and his chief-of-staff Maggie Gau at his office Friday demanding the governor overturn the decision. While Evers himself doesn’t have the ability to reverse the decision, his appointed chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Commission, John Tate does.
“Governor Evers has the power to get Tate out of office and get this overturned,” Johanna’s sister said in a video that filmed the encounter. “We know and we’re not going to stand for ‘Well there’s nothing I can do.’ You put him into office. Obviously the people that approved him doesn’t have a family member’s murderer in jail.”
Shortly after the meeting, Evers sent a letter to Tate asking him to “immediately and expeditiously” reevaluate the determination.
“I do not agree with this decision, and I have considerable concerns regarding whether Johanna’s family was afforded sufficient opportunity to voice their memories, perspectives, and concerns before this decision was made,” Evers wrote.
Tate cited the possibility of the state getting sued as a reason the overturn may not happen. Tate believes the state would lose that case.
Douglas Balsewicz, 54, was denied parole in 2017 but will be eligible for release on Tuesday and 30 days will be given to facilitate the departure.
Douglas killed his estranged wife after stalking her for months, in part believing she was having affairs with ghosts who supposedly haunted their West Allis home. Johanna had already informed her divorce lawyer that she was scared of Douglas and her sister said Johanna would “barricade” herself in her room to keep away from him, but it wasn’t enough.
Douglas, after heavy drinking, broke into Johanna’s home and brutally stabbed her 42 times all over the house as their children watched with their mom’s blood splattering on them. In fact, Johanna’s death went unknown until the kids were saw wandering around the neighbor with their hands and feet covered in blood the next morning.
“[Gov. Evers’] got the power and he better do something because, you know what, we’re not going away,” Johanna’s sister said in the aforementioned video. “This isn’t the last stop.”
Governor Evers concluded his letter by writing: “If Douglas Balsewicz goes free next week, the victim’s family may be deprived of participating to the fullest extent justice requires. Johanna and Johanna’s family deserve that opportunity, and I urge your immediate reconsideration to ensure that they do.”