Kriti Mehrotra
When Julie Carol Griffin Jensen suddenly passed away on December 3, 1998, she sadly left behind not just her loving siblings and extended family members but also two very young sons. The truth is she did have a husband in the father of her kids Mark Jensen, but we purposefully didn’t mention him because Mark is the one that took Julie’s life, as charted in ABC’s ’20/20: Death Foretold’ as well as NBC’s ‘Dateline: Secrets in Pleasant Prairie.’ Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about the utterly innocent victims in this ordeal — their children, David Mark Jensen and Douglas Jensen — we’ve got the essential details for you.
Who Are Julie and Mark Jensen’s Sons?
It was in 1981 that Julie and Mark first came across one another in the small town of Oshkosh in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, as local college students, only to soon evolve into much more. The couple actually tied the knot by the time summer of 1984 rolled around, following which they decided to settle down in the beautiful Carol Beach neighborhood of Pleasant Prairie for good. That’s where they eventually built their own happy little family, starting with David in 1990 and then Douglas in 1995 — the kids were thus merely 8 and 3, respectively, when they lost their mom.
Despite how young he was, David genuinely still remembers a lot of the good times he spent with Julie or the four of them spent together as a family, especially as it involved a lot of activities. Whether it be swimming in the backyard pool, taking trips to destinations like Lake Tahoe, fishing, or merely building fishing equipment like the rods, he can reminisce on everything all day long. Though one of his most cherished memories is sitting alongside his mother on the small plastic table they had in the kitchen and just having fun since they’d deemed it the arts & crafts area.
The fact Julie often volunteered at David’s elementary school was also some bonding time he really enjoyed, but alas, it all shattered apart in the blink of an eye on that fateful December Day. However, it’s imperative to note he and Douglas did grow up with a maternal figure by their side in the form of Kelly LaBonte because their father ensured she went from his mistress to his wife in 1999. Yet the most significant aspect is that she continued caring for them even after Mark was arrested for murder in 2002 and then sentenced to a life term following his first trial in early 2008.
Julie and Mark Jensen’s Sons Are Living a Quiet Life Today
Both David and Douglas have seemingly always believed in their father’s claims of innocence, which is why they actually sent in a letter asking the judge for some leniency in his sentencing in 2008. “He never failed to support us throughout this ordeal,” the brothers had penned in the joint request. “… If anyone in this world is the epitome of loyalty, it is our dad… If we ever need help, advice or just someone to talk to, we know we can go to him for anything.”
Their efforts didn’t pan out back then, but it didn’t stop David from testifying for Mark during his 2023 trial, only to yield the same result. Coming to their current standing, while Douglas prefers to stay well away from the limelight these days, we do know David is now a married man who has made the city of Seatle, Washington, his home. As for the latter’s profession, he’s presently a proud part of the healthcare industry as a Medical Writer for the pioneering global Ashfield MedComms, an Inizio Company. The Bradford High School graduate had pursued a Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and a Ph.D. in Physiology & Translational Science from the Medical College of Wisconsin before even considering joining the workforce full-time.
