A new trial for Evan Zimmerman, 12 years ago

In the spring of 2005, Evan Zimmerman earned the chance at a retrial on a murder charge for which he had gone to prison.  The Wisconsin Innocence Project at the UW Law School questioned the original conviction of the former policeman who was found guilty of strangling a former girlfriend in Eau Claire, hours after her wedding to another man.  La Crosse attorney Keith Belzer handled Zimmerman’s defense.  The trial ended abruptly with Zimmerman cleared of the charges and released from prison, after the DA says he did not have enough evidence to prosecute.  Zimmerman moved to La Crosse, and died two years after he was cleared.

The Mother’s Day sale was on at Ben Franklin Crafts in the Village Shopping Center.  The craft store was selling a park bench for $50, a copper birdbath for $39, and a Yankee candle in a jar for $17.  The scent of the month was ‘fresh peach.’

Among the movies showing in La Crosse that spring…the animated film “Robots,” “Ice Princess,” and the Clint Eastwood boxing drama “Million Dollar Baby,” which had just won the Oscar for Best Picture.  Twelve years ago, 2005, yesterday in La Crosse.