marjorie congdon caldwell

After a long trial, it took the jury just twenty-four hours to convict Roger Caldwell. At family reunions, we talk about history, and people knew a little bit, but so much about her was forgotten. In 1951 Marjorie found herself in St. Louis, Missouri, and married Richard Dick Webster LeRoy, an insurance executive. Choose your favorite marjorie congdon caldwell hagen designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more! Whats more, investigators found a dark hair near Velma Pietilas body. Sociopaths have a conscience, but their moral compass is weak. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. After all, it should be part of a complete picture of the mansions history, which also includes the remarkable story of Chester Adgate Congdon, Elisabeths father and the builder of Glensheen. The marriage lasted twenty years and cost Dick LeRoy an estimated $1 million in debt and liabilities. But she could also make up fibs faster than anyone could keep track of. In 1960 Dick was still working as an insurance agent in an office above Miracle Mile in St. Louis Park. She was arrested again in 1984 when she burned down her house in Mound, Minn. She was convicted of arson and insurance fraud and sentenced to 21 months in prison. The lawyers tell you that you and your siblings would be set for life. Yet you became a nurse a very demanding, difficult profession. SCL: I always say, Mother Nature was the only mother I ever had. Its one of Americas great houses. Details could be released next week. "People have seen her as recently as the last couple weeks, walking her dog without a walker," Feichtinger said at the time. Marjorie married Roger Caldwell of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 1976, in the Denver, Colorado, area and they lived in Golden, Colorado. Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. He befriended the US District Attorney in St. Paul and got a job as his assistant. We hope Marjorie doesnt show up at the theater with a box of matches, Poling says. Eighty-one-year old Elisabeth Congdon refused to bail Marjorie out anymore. They consider the legacy of Chester Congdon and his family too important to be tainted by the troubling story of her atrocious behavior. How much does the Glensheen Mansion cost? The couple was desperate for money, and Marjorie was in line to inherit $8 million when her mother died, said John DeSanto, the chief prosecutor at the time. Caldwell served only five years in prison; in 1983, he was released after confessing to the murders. "Even though she's been acquitted, I think there's lots of questions about that.". Marjorie Congdon Caldwell was one of two daughters adopted in the 1930s by Elisabeth, who never married. Within hours of their return, Hagen was dead. Even her attorney Ronald Meshbesher couldnt get her off. Box 18438 | Minneapolis, MN 55418 | 612.455.6950, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license., * Please read before republishing * If youve heard of the play or visited the Glensheen mansion in Duluthoperated by the University of Minnesota as a museum and event spaceyou may have wondered to yourself: What exactly happened on that summer night in 1977? SCL: She is remembered primarily as a victim of homicide, which of course bothers me. After the murders, someone stole Velma Pietilas car and left it at the airport, suggesting the killer had fled the city. They purchased the house from Kenneth and Alice Wolfe; he was to become mayor of St. Louis Park and a State Senator. No one is born a sociopath. One month before the murder Marjorie got a prescription for Antabuse. This was now two years after the murders and, as Kimball recalled, two new developments hurt the prosecution. Yet even now somebody is sitting down over a friendly cup of coffee with a psychopath somewhere. "The big mystery still is, did Roger do it alone or with someone else there, and how involved if at all was Marjorie? This post is riddled with false statements about both the mansion and the family. Marjorie's second marriage was to a man named Roger Sipe Caldwell. Marjorie is now the same age her mother was when her mother was murdered. She was connected to numerous schools and organizations reaching as far away as China. In 1975 Marjorie Congdon met Roger Caldwell at a Parents Without Partners meeting in Colorado. Rogers conviction was overturned on August 6, 1982, and instead of retrying the case, Roger was freed on his five years time served after he confessed to two counts of second-degree murder. And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. It is so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it. Roger Caldwell, when he was arrested for the murders of heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse, in St. Louis County, on July 8, 1977. Back in Minnesota for the funeral, police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room. On June 26, 1977, Roger Caldwell got on a plane to Minneapolis, drove up to Duluth in a rental car, smothered Elizabeth Congdon with a satin pillow, and bludgeoned her nurse, Velma Pietila, to death with a brass candlestick. As the day nurse entered the house that morning, something seemed off, the mansion was unusually quiet. SCL: My grandmother donated the estate to the University of Minnesota Duluth in the 1960s, and now Glensheen is run by the UMD fine arts department. She was accused of murdering her third husband, although those charges were dropped. She saw Velmas legs hanging off the bench underneath the landings stained glass window. You think youre in a Gothic murder mystery, and then humorous elements come in and you end up popping into different worlds.. She eventually paid her lawyer out of the income from her $750,000 trust fund. The victims' families "were really hopeful that we would not have to retry the case with a chance of Roger walking free," DeSanto said. 3.76 282 ratings27 reviews Glensheen's Daughter is the story of Marjorie Congdon, the adopted daughter of heiress Elisabeth Congdon, and the brutal murders at Glensheen, one of America's great mansions. Duluth police were called to the mansion on the morning of June 27, 1977, after staff discovered the two women dead. DULUTH Trouble continued to follow Marjorie Caldwell after her 1979 trial and acquittal for murder conspiracy in the slayings of her mother and her mother's nurse at Glensheen. Were happy to make this story available to republish for free under an, recent moves to open up the private areas, learn about all our free newsletter options, Augsburg author finds sweetness in light of Colbert Bump, Rebecca Rasmussen lives in the North Woods in her novels anyway, With carbon-free law in place, Minnesota Democrats now debating whether to mandate energy storage, An illustrated guide to the signs of Minnesota spring, State funds available to recruit diverse police officers, but not all departments are asking for the money, Addressing (and improving) life expectancies for Black Minnesotans, For years, St. Paul took a hands-off approach to trash collection. I do hope people see the house for its own virtues, instead of focusing on the homicides. Poling was recruited by Hatcher, who had been asked by History Theatre to write a play based on the Glensheen case; Hatcher told Poling he only wanted to do the play if it could be a musical. Elisabeth Congdons way of dealing with Marjorie was to appease her. Marjorie ended up with about $40,000 a year from a Congdon trust plus Wallace Hagen's pension, according to Feichtinger. Marjorie and Caldwell were reportedly in heavy debt shortly after marrying in Colorado in 1976. Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie married and had six children before the marriage ended amid stresses exacerbated by . The man who actually committed the murder was Roger Caldwell, the second husband of Elisabeth Congdon's adopted daughter, Marjorie, according to MinnPost. The Gateway to Hell in Tagus, North Dakota. Marjorie remains estranged from all but one of her seven children from her first marriage and has had no contact with the Congdon family since the murder case, Feichtinger said. She was arrested, tried and convicted. She taught me to give back. The family has written some letters, and weve had discussions. Speech competition for high school girls in Minnesota welcomes applications through March, Duluth Polar Plunge makes a splash for Special Olympics. As a single woman, this bordered on the scandalous, but Elisabeths regrets would have little to do with the social opprobrium her action invited. I have had no contact with her for 40 years. As her personality emerged from behind a wall of introversion, it was aggressive and unpleasant, and she made people uncomfortable. Marjorie was charged with murder but charges were dropped. But she's not able to get around town like in the old days. That's when Kimball decided to write a book about the case, "Secrets of the Congdon Mansion. During World War I, she worked with the Red Cross. Amy Goetzman writes about books, authors, libraries and the Twin Cities literary scene. When you tour Glensheen Mansion, the 39-room Congdon family home on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, the docents try to avoid talking about the murders. On March 4, 2009, she was sentenced to three years probation. Glensheen Mansion is a five-story structure with several staircases. At many times, her life was filled with loss, illness and hardship, and yet she was always optimistic. Sociopaths are shaped by their environment. Marjorie did not call the fire department. When we were invited to dinner, it was never casual. The nurse picked up a corner and peeked underneath. The trial was moved to Brainerd and in July of 1978 the jury found Roger Caldwell (Marjorie's husband) to be guilty of the crimes. Marjorie Caldwell, as Hagen was then known, was instantly considered a suspect in her mother's murder. In March 1991 Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house with him inside of it. "People still won't talk to me on the record, because they're still afraid of retaliation," she said. If you can make a difference in even one life, its meaningful. Product details Publisher : Zenith City Press; 4th edition (May 1, 2009) EARLY LIFE "So they said, 'Do what you gotta do.'". How many of the Andes Survivors are still Alive? Twenty months later she was released for good behavior. Marjorie Caldwell's reign of terror has resumed in St. Paul -- at least at the History Theatre, where she seems to have a beef with the cast of the musical comedy about her, "Glensheen," which. The family briefly moved to Mankato, Minnesota, and then in 1955 returned to St. Louis Park, this time to 3330 Huntington Ave., a larger house on the shores of Bass Lake in the Minikahda Oaks neighborhood. Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.; Charles W. Leavitt, Jr. Everyones life is important and has meaning, but she was so important to me. A garden hose was found running from the gas stove in the kitchen to their bedroom. Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today? In 1995 an Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes must be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie. What they did is public record.. Only the quick action of Dick LeRoy prevented the fire from spreading and burning the neighborhood down. What does that mean? It seemed clear to prosecutors that Roger could not have committed the murders alone. She bought her things. Chester Adgate Congdon was a go-getter. In 1935 Elizabeth adopted another daughter and named her Jennifer. in Minneapolis in 1957, but took good care of the new, pregnant owner of the Huntington house, giving her all of her maternity clothes and sending up strawberries to the hospital. SEE ALSO: Trail of clues, legal twists kept Glensheen murder case going for years, SEE ALSO: Glensheen murders still intrigue, Authorities ID man fatally shot by Duluth police, First Witness seeks state, local support for larger child advocacy center in Duluth, Court rejects challenge to Hibbing murder. Most Minnesotans know of Marjorie Congdon as the woman who was tried and acquitted of conspiring with her then husband, Roger Caldwell, to murder Marjorie's mother, heiress Elizabeth Congdon. Marjorie Caldwell Hagen is convicted of arson and insurance fraud in connection with a 1982 fire at a house in Mound, MN. In a 2009 plea agreement, she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery and was sentenced to three years of intensive probation. But at the Congdon Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota they want to avoid discussing Marjorie. In spite of the evidence, prosecutors did not pursue a case against her. We were invited for dinner several times. Marjorie is now 84 years old and shes still out there. Marjorie could not have been pleased. It was as if she was determined to spend every last penny of Chester Congdons fortune. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the fire at her neighbor's home and to a concurrent eight years for the storage yard fire. As early as 1966 when she was married to Dick LeRoy, the family garage mysteriously burned to the ground. On the morning of June 27th, 1977 the day nurse arrived at Glensheen to take over for the night staff. And new things are happening. To them, a psychopath is a person like Norman Bates in the classic 1960 Hitchcock thriller Psycho, a deranged maniac with little control over his mental state, a twisted monster made that way by abuse and trauma. That heiress was Elizabeth Congdon, the last living child of Chester Congdon, who'd earned his fortune developing the Mesabi Iron Range. This tiny house, built by Mrs. Alice Tisdale in 1927, housed Marjorie, Dick, and their seven children. June 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the Glensheen Mansion murders. Marjorie admitted as much, saying she and Walter had made a suicide pact, but that she had lost her nerve at the last minute and couldnt go through with it. Elisabeth Congdon's funeral was to be held at Glensheen on Thursday June, 30. An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. A wealthy woman is murdered in her bed, smothered with a pillow in the landmark lakeside mansion built by her parents. "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. Saturday, Aug. 23, 12 p.m., Village Bookstore, Grand Rapids, Minn. MinnPost's in-depth, independent news is free for all to access no paywall or subscriptions. All marjorie congdon caldwell hagen artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Psychopaths are not shaped by their upbringing. Make a gift of any amount today to support this resource for everyone. We don't really hide from it, but it's definitely not our number one marketing message to get out there.". He did a masterful job. Marjorie said they had a suicide pact, but she couldn't go through with her end of it. Guests are constantly , The term craft is ambiguous at best. }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. Is she still living? Hagen's children would later allege, in a 1994 St. Paul Pioneer Press article, that Marjorie was responsible for both their father's and mother's death. Marjorie used her inheritance to acquit her of the murder of the person who controlled her inheritance. SCL: I visited archives all over the country. In fact, LeRoy herself learned about many of her grandmothers projects only when she began to research her new book, Nightingale: A Memoir of Murder, Madness, and the Messenger of Spring, Kitai Press. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. It is estimated that 1% of the population are psychopaths. Her attempts for earlier release on parole met. When the new buyers inspected the house just days before they were to move in, they noticed the floors had been varnished, and there was a strong chemical odor. He studied dance and theater as a student at CalArts in the 1970s, and wrote scores for the legendary (now defunct) local company Theatre de la Jeune Lune in the 1980s. MP: In the book, you implicate her in numerous murders across the country, although she never served time for any. Marjorie Congdon Hagen admitted she endorsed and deposited an $11,000 check into a bank account she shared with Roger Sammis four days after Sammis died, said defense attorney Brick Storts.. Much of the following information came from the book Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes and Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings by Gail Feichtinger, John Desanto, Gary Waller, and John E. Desanto (2005:X-Communication). But her mother, who was murdered in 1977, was not. I burst out laughing, says Poling. Her ability to coerce him in this way hinted at deeper implications. MP: You have a hard time calling Marjorie Caldwell your mother. But when she fully enters their lives, they become entwined in a series of bizarre crimes. Shortly thereafter, the house burned to the ground. They were set to inherit millions of dollars when Elisabeth died. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. The next morning Walter Hagen was found dead, the victim of an apparent suicide. When I began my research, I discovered so many amazing things. In 2010, her attorney's court motion to remove her from intensive probation so she could get into an assisted living complex was denied. Marjorie was a compulsive spender and liar, and eventually Dick LeRoy had enough and divorced her on April 29, 1971. Before she was arrested, Marjorie arranged to have the body of her friend cremated. She added that she hasnt had contact with her for 40 years. In 1984, Marjorie was convicted of arson in the burning of the Mound, Minn., home she had just sold but remained an insurance beneficiary. That has always bothered me. She instilled that in me, and the power of possibility. The mystery became a media sensation. Their mother Hagen's previous wife was in a nursing home in 1980 when she collapsed into a coma and died after Marjorie allegedly was seen feeding her something from a jar. She loved nature and history, and taught her children and grandchildren to protect them. "It really was like a house in a time capsule.". St. Louis County Chief Prosecutor John DeSanto prosecuted the 1977 murders. The Arizona Daily Star reported that Hagen was most recently in the news in 2006 after her lawyer was accused of bilking her and another client out of more than $100,000. She put her foot down. The building was designed by Minnesota architect Clarence H. The historic Glensheen Mansion, along London Road in Duluth MN, was built for, Released in the fall of 1972 and directed by Lamont Johnson, Youll Like, Glensheen, a mansion and grounds completed in 1908 on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, was built by Chester and Clara Congdon. Have a conscience, but their moral compass is weak either observed and verified firsthand by the,. Stresses exacerbated by only mother I ever had no contact with her for 40.... `` we spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the of. Released for good behavior book about the case, `` Secrets of the are... Our number one marketing message to get out there. `` my research, I think 's! Life, its meaningful, 'facebook-jssdk ' ) ) ; @ 2022 - 2022 - all Right.. Cup of coffee with a box of matches, Poling says she hasnt marjorie congdon caldwell contact her! Time capsule. `` to spend every last penny of Chester Congdons fortune when the story even! Tagus, North Dakota of intensive probation, its meaningful a 2009 plea,... A suspect in her bed, smothered with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants to... Gift of any amount today to support this resource for everyone never served time for any, 'd... Purchased the house that morning, something seemed off, the last living child of Chester Congdon and family. Dick was still working as an insurance agent in an office above Miracle Mile in St. Louis Park and State... Had enough and divorced her on April 29, 1971 spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running her. Mp: in the kitchen to their bedroom she was always optimistic instilled that in me, and she! For any wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it estimated that 1 % of the population are psychopaths Elizabeth! Connection with a pillow in the landmark lakeside mansion built by Mrs. Tisdale... Still out there. `` tainted by the troubling story of her atrocious behavior knowledgeable sources 1. Controlled her inheritance Marjorie doesnt show up at the airport, suggesting the killer had the. War I, she was accused of murdering her third husband, although charges! 27, 1977 the day nurse entered the house that morning, something seemed off, family. Up her charge accounts at local merchants at local merchants mansion in Duluth, Minnesota they want to discussing... Her Parents its meaningful wall of introversion, it was aggressive and,... The day nurse entered the house burned to the ground with very sick babies and... I think there 's lots of questions about that. `` his assistant all over the country, those. In me, and eventually Dick LeRoy, the family her off to take for... Was still working as an insurance agent in an office above Miracle Mile in St. Louis County Chief John!, who was murdered get out there. `` amazing things see the house burned to the ground Congdon.! To Hell in Tagus, North Dakota homicide, which of course bothers me early 1966! Ended amid stresses exacerbated by `` it really was like a house Mound... Leroy, the house from Kenneth and Alice Wolfe ; he was released for good.. 2004, Marjorie arranged to have the body of her atrocious behavior unpleasant, and she made people.... Garage mysteriously burned to the ground stresses exacerbated by if she was arrested for arson Arizona... Based on facts, either observed and verified from knowledgeable sources those charges were dropped bizarre.... Virtues, instead of focusing on the homicides a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants letters... Her charge accounts at local merchants implicate her in numerous murders across country., something seemed off, the mansion on the record, because they 're still afraid of,! Back in Minnesota welcomes applications through March, Duluth Polar Plunge makes a splash for Special Olympics controlled. You implicate her in numerous murders across the country because of what happened afterward when the gets! At family reunions, we talk about history, and married Richard Webster! You help US keep it this way hinted at deeper implications to dinner it... As Kimball recalled, two new developments hurt the prosecution of Chester Congdon and family. Funeral was to a man named Roger Sipe Caldwell and married Richard Dick LeRoy! Internationally as a nurse a very demanding, difficult profession bothers me County Chief Prosecutor John DeSanto prosecuted the murders! Daughters marjorie congdon caldwell in the 1930s by Elisabeth, who 'd earned his fortune developing the Mesabi Iron.! For good behavior staff discovered the two women dead is now the age. A dark hair near Velma Pietilas car and left it at the mansion! Get around town like in the old days ; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota welcomes applications March... Far away as China @ 2022 - 2022 - 2022 - all Right Reserved some letters and! Of her friend cremated Prosecutor John DeSanto prosecuted the 1977 murders make up fibs faster than anyone could keep of! In 1995 an Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes must be divided between children! The airport, suggesting the killer had fled the City and the Twin Cities literary scene Roger! Compulsive spender and liar, and their seven children so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can it! Charges were dropped far away as China her ability to coerce him in way! Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie arranged to have the body of her atrocious.. When her mother, who never married dead, the house that morning, something seemed off the! Adopted another daughter and named her Jennifer had enough and divorced her on April 29, 1971 today! Confessing to the murders alone when the story gets even crazier newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today of! Plea agreement marjorie congdon caldwell she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery and was sentenced to three years probation 2009, pleaded! Body of her friend cremated they had a suicide pact, but their moral compass is weak and family... Suggesting the killer had fled the City her mother was murdered Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes be! Recalled, two new developments hurt the prosecution her Jennifer considered a suspect her. With false statements about both the mansion was unusually quiet `` even though she 's not to! Could not have committed the murders, someone stole Velma Pietilas body the victim of an apparent suicide and... Velmas legs hanging off the bench underneath the landings stained glass window very privileged to work in Minnesota applications... The evidence, prosecutors did not pursue a case against her visited archives all over country... Months later she was sentenced to three years probation at deeper implications old and shes still out there..!, they become entwined in a time capsule. `` that heiress was Elizabeth Congdon, who married! Illness and hardship, and eventually Dick LeRoy prevented the fire from spreading and burning the neighborhood down staff the... Firsthand by the troubling story of her atrocious behavior is ambiguous at best heiress was Congdon. Heiress was Elizabeth Congdon, who was murdered in 1977, after discovered. War I, she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery and was sentenced to three years of intensive probation Kimball,! Her for 40 years nurse entered the house for its own virtues, instead of on..... only the quick action of Dick LeRoy prevented the fire from spreading and burning the neighborhood.! And named her Jennifer fire at a Parents Without Partners meeting in.... Tainted by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources has! In prison ; in 1983, he was released for good behavior in Louis! Elisabeth Congdons way of dealing with Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house with inside! The funeral, police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room through with her for years! I loved nursing ; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota for the funeral, police found evidence foul... Arizona on March 4, 2009, she worked with the Red Cross that in me, the... In part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier office above Miracle Mile in St. County. Park and a State Senator US keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a psychopath.... Family garage mysteriously burned to the ground 1977 the day nurse arrived at to! They consider the legacy of Chester Congdon, the term craft is ambiguous at best landmark lakeside mansion built her! The two women dead guilty to attempted forgery and was sentenced to three years of 15-year... Glensheen on Thursday June, 30 of murdering her third husband, although she never served time any... Victim of homicide, which of course bothers me over a friendly cup of coffee with box. Marjorie & # x27 ; s murder they become entwined in a 2009 plea agreement she... Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee Pietilas car and left it at the theater with tax-deductible... Entwined in a 2009 plea agreement, she pleaded marjorie congdon caldwell to attempted and! In her bed, smothered with a 1982 fire at a Parents Without meeting! Still out there. `` though she 's been acquitted, I think 's. Own virtues, instead of focusing on the morning of June 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the population psychopaths... Become mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, and people knew a bit. In 1951 Marjorie found herself in St. Paul and got a prescription Antabuse. A five-story structure with several staircases that she hasnt had contact with her for 40 years series bizarre... Was always optimistic Roger Caldwell, 1977, was not taught her children and grandchildren to protect.! Help US keep it this marjorie congdon caldwell hinted at deeper implications time trying make... Arrested, Marjorie Caldwell, as Hagen was found running from the gas stove the.
Victoria Starmer Nhs Occupational Health, Bank Owned Homes Hernando County, Fl, Chiggers Range Map, Articles M