News

A man accused of a Tomah Thanksgiving Day stabbing incident last year has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Justin Novak age 33 pleaded no contest Tuesday in Monroe County Court to four felony counts, including attempted first degree attempted homicide. One felony count of bail jumping was dismissed but read in.

Judge Richard Radcliffe sentenced Novak to 15 years in prison plus 30 years of extended supervision.

Another man allegedly involved in the incident, 31-year-old David Hintz Jr., is also facing multiple felony counts including attempted first degree attempted intentional homicide. He is currently serving a prison sentence at Dodge Correctional on separate charges.

Today, Monroe County District Attorney Kevin D. Croninger announced that on June 25th, 2025,
Honorable Judge Richard Radcliffe sentenced Brian J. Jones, 54, of Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, to an additional 40 years in prison.
Jones is already serving a 60 year prison sentence in relation to child sex crimes he was convicted of in Juneau County. The sentence handed down in Monroe County will add to the amount of time Jones will spend it prison.
Jones will not be eligible to be released from prison on extended supervision until the year 2116, at which time Jones would be 145 years old 
The Monroe County sentence comes after a Monroe County Jury convicted Jones in March of 2025 of seven counts related to sexual assault of a child including, Sexual Assault of a Child Under Age 13; Repeated Sexual Assault of a Child; two(2) counts of Incest; and three(3) counts of Exposing Genitals. The charges in Monroe County stem from Jones’ conduct that occurred between the Summer of 1995 and the Spring of 2003, during which time Jones repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim in this case. The victim was between the ages of 6 and 13 during the repeated sexual assaults.
District Attorney Kevin Croninger praised the sentence from Judge Radcliffe and emphasized the importance of achieving justice for all victims, “While Mr. Jones was already serving a sentence which would likely consume the rest of his natural life, we felt it extremely important to seek justice for the victim in this case as well. The victim in this case deserved to see justice done. Judge Radcliffe’s sentence ensures justice for the victim and further ensures that Mr. Jones will never again live outside the confines of a prison. We are thankful Judge Radcliffe agreed it was important to have a separate and independent sentence in relation to the crimes committed in Monroe County.”
Croninger, continued, “Brian Jones is a monster and a predator, who repeatedly and persistently committed acts of sexual violence against children. The world and our community is a far better and safer place with him locked away in prison.”
The prosecution of the case was handled by Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger with support and assistance by the staff of the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation of the case was led by Detective Ben Goehring of the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of Detective John Brose of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Croninger reiterated the high quality of work from Detective Goehring and all officers involved, “The number of people Mr. Jones has victimized is astounding. Detective Goehring and all law enforcement officers and agencies involved in this case have demonstrated a tireless commitment to achieving justice for all of those victims. Their professionalism and skill made the convictions in this case, and in the case(s) in Juneau County possible. We are immensely grateful for law enforcement’s commitment to achieving justice for all the victims. We hope that the verdicts and sentences in this case help all those Mr. Jones has victimized find some level of peace as they continued to address the trauma he has caused”

Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson and Reedsburg Police Chief Patrick Cummings jointly
report developments in an ongoing, multi-jurisdictional sexual assault investigation.
The joint investigation began mid to late June 2025 when the Sheriff’s Office received a
report alleging that an adult female had sexual contact with underage victims, on multiple
occasions, in multiple locations.
The Sheriff’s Office and Reedsburg Police, with the assistance of the Hillsboro Police
Department, have been vigorously investigating the serious allegations.
Early Monday afternoon, June 30, 2025, Ashley Ann Benson, age 33, of rural Coon Valley, WI
was arrested in Vernon County and booked for:
1) § 948.095(2) – Sex Assault of Student by School Staff
2) § 948.02(2) – 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of Child
3) § 948.09 – Sex with Child Age 16 or Older
Benson appeared in Vernon County Circuit Court Tuesday morning, July 1st, for a bail
hearing. A $5,000.00 Signature Bond was ordered with conditions of no-contact with the
victims. Benson is also ordered not to have any unsupervised contact with anyone under
the age of 18 except for incidental contact in public places. Benson’s initial appearance
has been scheduled for July 22nd, at 8:30 AM.
Formal charges will be sought through Vernon County District Attorney Angela Palmer-
Fisher. A charge is merely an accusation. Benson is presumed innocent unless and until
proven guilty. Pending further investigation, additional charges are expected in Sauk
County, and possibly other jurisdictions.
Sheriff Torgerson and Chief Cummings would like to thank their detectives, as well as the
overwhelming support from the Hillsboro Police Department for all of their hard work,
diligence, and collaboration investigating these cases of a delicate nature.
Ashley Benson was previously employed both at a private and public K-12 school in the
Viroqua area.
The investigation continues.
If you have any information about these crimes, call the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office at
608-637-2123 or the Reedsburg Police Department at (608) 524 2376. You can also call
Crime Stoppers at 608-637-TIPS (8477), or 1 (888) TIP-SAUK, or submit an online tip at
www.p3tips.com.