marjorie congdon caldwell
Additionally, two other men shes been close to have died in what some have regarded as suspicious circumstances. The grotesque story is nonetheless a true one that unfolded almost 40 years ago now: Duluths Glensheen murders, an atrocity that riveted the region for years. Sociopaths are shaped by their environment. Cable Publishing, 2014, Mansion with blood red sky, by Toa Heftiba, Glensheen Mansion exterior, Public domain, Glensheen bedroom where murder took place, Damien Enwhistle, Chester Congdon by Daniel Haas, CC by-SA 4.0, Hallway in Glensheen mansion, Damien Enwhistle, Elisabeth Condon in her eighties, Popular Bio, Staircase landing at Glensheen, Damien Enwhistle, Roger Caldwell mugshot, John DeSanto, Zenith City Press, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell walking with attorney, Art Hagen, Minneapolis Start Tribume, Candleholders on nightstand in murder bedroom, Hansen Family blog, Marjorie Congdon mug shot, Pima County Sheriffs Office, Smiling Marjorie in her seventies, Arizona Department of Corrections, Lake Superior shoreline, by Taylor Friehl. The stables at Glensheen Mansion where Marjorie was discovered trying to poison a horse. They were set to inherit millions of dollars when Elisabeth died. SCL: Very much so. Are any of Freddie and the Dreamers still alive? A stroke had left her mobility and speech seriously impaired, requiring full-time medical supervision. Marjorie ended up with about $40,000 a year from a Congdon trust plus Wallace Hagen's pension, according to Feichtinger. It is estimated that 1% of the population are psychopaths. On January 13, 1984, Marjorie was given 21 months in the Shakopee Womens Prison for burning down her and Wallys home in Mound, Minnesota. Most Minnesotans know of Marjorie Congdon as the woman who was tried and acquitted of conspiring with her then husband, Roger Caldwell, to murder Marjories mother, heiress Elizabeth Congdon. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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.. Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie married and had six children before the marriage ended amid stresses exacerbated by her exorbitant spending. 2023 The Growler Magazine. The Caldwells were broke, living in Colorado, and had been asking Miss Congdon for money to buy a ranch. She delivered hospital meals. Velma was covered in blood. There was a level of service and attention to detail we just cant fathom in todays world. Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.; Charles W. Leavitt, Jr. Marjorie Caldwell and her defense attorney Ron Meshbesher walk into the Dakota County Courthouse. The Gateway to Hell in Tagus, North Dakota. Twelve years after the murders, he committed suicide. And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. She was convicted of attempted arson, and the judge allowed her to go home before reporting to prison to make arrangements for her 84-year-old husband. How long does sunscreen last once put on? "People do see her out and about. In 1883 at the age of thirty he started his own practice and traveled to Duluth on the shores of Lake Superior where he became interested in mining. If you can make a difference in even one life, its meaningful. You are here: Home How What happened Marjorie Congdon? She was arrested, tried and convicted. She decided to ask the trustees of her estate to lend her $750,000 to buy a horse ranch in Colorado. When Goetzman asked whether Suzanne fears for her safety, Suzanne answered that shes taken all the necessary precautions. Even so, she says, You never turn your back., At @HistoryTheatre, Chan Polings Glensheen is moving and macabre. How do I create a group in Contacts on iPhone? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. ", "Because the family didn't want to go back to a murder scene," he explained. She was released on October 19, 1986, and she and Wally moved to Ajo, Arizona. On June 27, 1977, the aged heiress to a vast mining fortune is killed along with her night nurse at Glensheen, a posh mansion perched on the Lake Superior coast. Her ability to coerce him in this way hinted at deeper implications. Marjorie's second marriage was to a man named Roger Sipe Caldwell. On March 4, 2009, she was sentenced to three years probation. The research was a wonderful process, and I felt privileged to discover so many things about her I didnt know. In a plea bargain, the remainder of Rogers prison sentence was dismissed as authorities hoped his confession would implicate Marjoriethough that didnt turn out to be the case. January 26,1985 Her appeal is turned down, so Marjorie begins serving her time for the arson and fraud conviction. 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. She was denied parole in 2001 after 10 people, including one of her daughters, sent strongly worded letters to the parole board urging her continued incarceration. Paul Airport, were found in the Caldwells hotel rooms, authorities arrested Roger and charged him with the murders. They know exactly what theyre doing. Im doing work now with Youth Link, and some of the proceeds from this book will go to help young people at risk of sexual trafficking. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; Does the Glensheen mansion have an elevator? It was then that he decided to build his dream home on the shores of Lake Superior. I loved her deeply. "People have seen her as recently as the last couple weeks, walking her dog without a walker," Feichtinger said at the time. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. As far as Marjorie and Roger: Theyre fair game. One other big difference stands out. It was perfect. She left an extensive record of philanthropic activities, with the Red Cross, the Duluth Art Institute, the Kings Daughters, numerous museums, hospitals, historical societies. They may charm you, they may trick you, or they may put you in a difficult position. Some psychopaths are highly successful, exercising wealth and power, but no less dangerous for all that. 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. 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. At the age of nineteen she emerged as an engaging, charismatic young woman. The landing where Velma Pietila was bludgeoned to death with a candle holder. A deposit of iron ore had been found sixty miles to the north in the Mesabi range, and Pittsburgh steel magnate Andrew Carnegie had shown an interest in it. I thought that was kind of brilliant., Although hes best known for his work with The Suburbs, Poling is no stranger to the stage. 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. She was charming and talkative. After his wife mysteriously died after a visit from Marjorie, Wally Hagen became Marjories next husband. "She lives in very nice properties," Gail Feichtinger, co-author of "Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes & Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings," who continues to keep track of Marjorie's whereabouts and crimes told the News Tribune in 2017. Dumbest of all, a rare Byzantine coin that had been taken from Elisabeths Congdons room on the night of the murders turned up in Roger Caldwells home in Golden, Colorado. Roger took Velmas car back to the airport and flew back to Denver. Some call it Minnesotas Downton Abbey. Elisabeth named her Marjorie. 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. While darkly comic elements pepper the musical, Poling emphasizes that he and Hatcher have been respectful of the victims. Candance Renalls is a retired Duluth News Tribune reporter and freelance writer. SCL: She made a big difference for maternal and child health. Glensheen director Dan Hartman talks about a Congdon family portrait. Elisabeth, fearing publicity, did nothing. TUCSON, Ariz. -- Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen, the 74-year-old woman acquitted in connection with the June 1977 deaths of her mother and her mother's nurse at Duluth's Glensheen mansion, was taken into custody Thursday night at a Tucson assisted-living facility and booked into Pima County Jail on suspicion of theft, forgery, fraud and computer tampering. How can I tell how big my Cockapoo will be? In a city that bears the Congdon name at nearly every turn (this week, when a fire damaged Duluths historic Traphagen House, it was even noted that the Congden family had lived there while their Glensheen mansion was being constructed), her legacy is long, yet her individual accomplishments have largely been forgotten. MP: You write with such rich detail about visiting your grandmother at Glensheen, and the functions of the house the service, the secret call buttons. The cause was arson, but her presence there could not be connected to the crime, and she was not arrested. And they ended up acquitting her. They win people over, before bending them to their will. Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. She always seemed like a nice person. How much does the Glensheen Mansion cost? How many bedrooms are in the Glensheen Mansion? Overnight, Congdon became a very wealthy man. When she returned home at age eighteen, she began stealing money again. Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. She had a particular impact on quality of life issues for women and children. If she could not get it by lying, cheating and stealing, she would find some other way. (function(d, s, id) { In 1935 Elizabeth adopted another daughter and named her Jennifer. A satin pillow was lying over Elisabeths face. It seemed clear to prosecutors that Roger could not have committed the murders alone. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. That's because 40 years later, Hartman said, about 70 percent of visitors don't even know about the murders. It is so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it. They are thinking about restoring the greenhouses, which were torn down in 1971, and bringing in bee hives and selling Glensheen honey. However, that didnt mean she didnt want children. Stained glass window above the stairway landing at Glensheen mansion where Velma Pitiela was murdered. It appears someone can be born a psychopath, and it also appears that psychopathology can run in families. Police suspected that Roger Caldwell flew from Colorado to Minneapolis, drove to Duluth, and committed the murders under cover of darkness. When authorities called Marjorie to tell her what had happened, she said nonchalantly, It isnt our house. It really is part of a bygone era. The combination of Antabuse and alcohol can produce seizures, congestive heart failure and even death. "I don't have any comments about the facts of the new crime," DeSanto said Saturday. The mansion itself is beautiful. In January 2004 Marjorie Congdon was released from prison after serving ten years of her fifteen year sentence for arson. Since Marjorie's release from prison, she has lived in several senior residential communities in Tucson, where neighbors often had conflicts with her and her service dogs. When she left, they told her they were going to miss her. Marjorie said they had a suicide pact, but she couldn't go through with her end of it. She is sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; When Elisabeth was found murdered, it didnt take long for the investigation to zero in on the Caldwells. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We are largest Know-How Listing website, total [total_posts] questions already asked and get answers instantly! She resides in Tucson, Arizona. So is she no longer a threat? Marjorie got good grades but was considered something of a weirdo by her classmates. Sure, there've been times over 40 years when I wished the whole thing. At the time, it was not possible to separate ore from sand, so the ore was worthless. On the morning of June 27th, 1977 the day nurse arrived at Glensheen to take over for the night staff. Speech competition for high school girls in Minnesota welcomes applications through March, Duluth Polar Plunge makes a splash for Special Olympics. Required fields are marked *. In 1975 Marjorie Congdon met Roger Caldwell at a Parents Without Partners meeting in Colorado. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. It might help visitors better understand Marjories behavior, and raise awareness about these dangerous people among us. Pietila was beaten with a candlestick holder. The murders were truly reprehensible: attacks of deadly violence committed on two vulnerable, unsuspecting victims. Curiously, he never said who did. Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house. '', DeSanto, who helped author "Will to Murder," a book on the Glensheen murders, said: "My thought is that it is inevitable. He used to call her, My Angel., Psychotics are not the same thing as psychopaths, but for a whole generation of people theres only one way to be psycho. "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. 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. Congdon Caldwell married Wally Hagen in 1982. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. A psychotic is someone who is out of touch with reality. Chester's youngest daughter, Elisabeth had never married. 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. He was found guilty and given two life sentences. So they made a deal. The marriage lasted twenty years and cost Dick LeRoy an estimated $1 million in debt and liabilities. If they want something from you, they will stop at nothing to get it. The victims' families "were really hopeful that we would not have to retry the case with a chance of Roger walking free," DeSanto said. She always told stories about her nursing training in World War I, and I was fascinated. Marjorie is now the same age her mother was when her mother was murdered. 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. Your email address will not be published. The evidence pointed toward Marjorie. In 1986, he was elected St. Louis County Sheriff; he retired in 1999. When we were invited to dinner, it was never casual. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell with her attorney Ronald Meshbesher. "She brought a birthday cake in for one of the lawyers one day. Two years later, the town experienced a rash of forty-three fires, at least fifteen of which were attributed to arson. In 1990, the Hagens moved to Ajo, Ariz. From the outside, it may have looked like her spending was out of control. How do you feel about the recent moves to open up the private areas of the house to the public? The book shop promotes books about the homicides and I didnt want this book to be with them. As a single woman, this bordered on the scandalous, but Elisabeths regrets would have little to do with the social opprobrium her action invited. Roger Caldwell, when he was arrested for the murders of heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse, in St. Louis County, on July 8, 1977. Ricky LeRoy was only 17 at the time of the murders and is now a well-known attorney and advocate for poor defendants. Everybody loves a murder mystery! In 1995 an Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes must be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie. 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