An expert disputed a fingerprint that linked Roger to the crime. From the outside, it may have looked like her spending was out of control. The Associated Press and Arizona Daily Star contributed to this report. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. As early as 1966 when she was married to Dick LeRoy, the family garage mysteriously burned to the ground. Her trustees earlier had cut Marjorie off from the Congdon millions, after the. Two years later, the town experienced a rash of forty-three fires, at least fifteen of which were attributed to arson. SCL: She made a big difference for maternal and child health. Im interested in at-risk youth, and drawn to help people in difficult situations. Marjorie used her inheritance to acquit her of the murder of the person who controlled her inheritance. Elisabeth named her Marjorie. In the early years of the twentieth century as the demand for iron ore increased, Chester Congdons wealth grew. You find yourself not knowing what play youre in, Poling continues. The blood type turned out to be type O; the same blood type of Velma Pietila and Roger Caldwell. From 1952 to 1954, the LeRoys lived at 2744 Salem Ave., a bungalow built in 1941. It was as if she was determined to spend every last penny of Chester Congdons fortune. Charges against Marjorie were dropped in the first case and never filed in the second. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon about the age she was when she adopted Marjorie. The research was a wonderful process, and I felt privileged to discover so many things about her I didnt know. Sociopaths are shaped by their environment. She was charged with murder in his death, but the charges were dropped. 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. Female psychopaths are rare, occurring at half the rate of men. 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. Withdrawing further, Marjorie began to act strangely, pulling out her own hair and laugh in an odd manner. The bedroom where Elisabeth Congdon was murdered. At the time of the slayings, the Caldwells were deep in debt. And they ended up acquitting her. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Caldwells were broke, living in Colorado, and had been asking Miss Congdon for money to buy a ranch. "People have seen her as recently as the last couple weeks, walking her dog without a walker," Feichtinger said at the time. Developed by. Marjorie Congdon became Marjorie LeRoy on June 30th, 1951. }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. MP: What sources did you consult in your research? Marjorie did not call the fire department. "We always believed, and the whole theory of the case was, that she was the woman behind the man," DeSanto said. 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. Poling is channeling these past experiences for Glensheen.. The elderly Elisabeth Congdon did what she could to help lessen the damage by covering at least $350,000 of her daughters indebtedness, but it wasnt enough to prevent Dick LeRoy from being ruined. A big contingent are coming in opening nighttheyve got their tickets already.. MP: In your memoirs, your grandmother seems to be a much greater influence on you than your own parents were. 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. Member donations are crucial to the work of our nonprofit newsroom. In the world Marjorie Congdon grew up in, wealth was everything. said Kimball. Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie married and had six children before the marriage ended amid stresses exacerbated by . A short time later, Wally Hagen moved in with Marjorie. 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. They turned him down flat. To control that wealth mustve been very enticing to someone like Marjorie. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy: Yes. Marjories trial for conspiracy was next, but with the help of one of Minnesotas top defense attorneys, Ron Meshbesher, Marjorie was found not guilty on July 21, 1979. He died in 1916. You are here: Home How What happened Marjorie Congdon? 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. In 1979, she was acquitted in the smothering of her adoptive mother and the beating death of a night nurse. Psychopaths are at their most dangerous when their manipulations are thwarted. For a woman whose motivation appeared to be greed, this might have come as a disappointment. "I don't have any comments about the facts of the new crime," DeSanto said Saturday. He was found guilty and given two life sentences. 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. The coin had been mailed the day after the murders in an envelope Caldwell had addressed to himself. She and her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were living in Colorado and were flat broke.. As before, she was not considered a flight risk, so she was permitted to visit her husband one last time before being escorted to prison. The next day, DeSanto charged Marjorie with conspiring to kill her mother. They consider the legacy of Chester Congdon and his family too important to be tainted by the troubling story of her atrocious behavior. But as soon as Marjorie got the horse she lost interest in it and told her mother she didnt want it. She always seemed like a nice person. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. She was charged with attempted arson and in a 1992 trial found guilty. Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today? In late 1992, before sentencing for arson, she was allowed 24 hours to transport her ailing husband from Tucson, Ariz., to their home in Ajo. Shes had many aliases. And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. The Gateway to Hell in Tagus, North Dakota. Then in 1951 Marjorie became someone elses problem. Is she still living? She was accused of attempting to deposit his $11,181 inheritance into her account after he died. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. They are consummate actors, and the role they play is of being human when, in fact, they are something less than human, and dangerous because of it. You cannot fault them for that, but neither should you give them sympathy. She had a particular impact on quality of life issues for women and children. What do ice crystals on a frozen food item indicate? MinnPost: Although Glensheen is well known, your grandmother is not. One other big difference stands out. Caldwell served only five years in prison; in 1983, he was released after confessing to the murders. It happened because she lacked a conscience. She recently moved to a house. How long does sunscreen last once put on? The mansion was constructed as the family home of Chester Adgate Congdon. Illustration by Allegra Lockstadt; Photography provided by Dana Hall; Glensheen | University of Minnesota-Duluth; St. Paul Pioneer Press | Handwritten will courtesy of Zenith City Press as presented in Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes & Trials Surrounding The Glensheen Killings, considered the Definitive Book about the murders. I was only 9 years old when she had a stroke. Still, its a little awkward when youre standing in the bedroom where Elisabeth Congdon was murdered with a satin pillow over her face, and its not even mentioned. Marjorie is a text book example. It is so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it. If she could not get it by lying, cheating and stealing, she would find some other way. She added that she hasnt had contact with her for 40 years. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted. The cause was arson, but her presence there could not be connected to the crime, and she was not arrested. She instilled that in me, and the power of possibility. Their manipulation of others is symptomatic of that need. He was treated for a possible heart attack but released after doctors couldnt determine the cause of his illness. 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. "She was knitting at the defense table," said Kimball. "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. In 1995 an Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes must be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie. 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). Whether or not he had taken the pills of his own volition was never determined. No one is born a sociopath. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy, one of Marjories daughters, recently published a biography of her late grandmother, highlighting Elisabeths philanthropic legacy. She got along swimmingly with the other inmates, and she sent a bouquet of flowers to the warden every week. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. Interesting. She told the new buyers she wanted to do some work on the house before handing it over to them. She parted ways with her second husband, Roger Caldwell, after the trials. It became kind of obvious that the jurors were thinking, boy I don't think this lady would kill her mother.". Will you still be able to buy Godiva chocolate? Marjorie Hagen was again arrested on a murder charge but it was dropped for lack of evidence. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The mansion itself is beautiful. 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. That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier. A stroke had left her mobility and speech seriously impaired, requiring full-time medical supervision. She professed her innocence in the Ajo fire at trial. Chester Adgate Congdon accrued a fortune, How long is the tour? Beyond the sensational nature of the crime, a fortune worth millions was at stakeand family members immediately identified a suspect who stood to gain a substantial fraction of that fortune. In some ways, time stands still at Glensheen Mansion, owned by the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD): almost everything in the home is an original possession of Clara and Chester Congdon, who built the house between. It turned out the prison authorities loved her. Candance Renalls is a retired Duluth News Tribune reporter and freelance writer. Choose your favorite marjorie congdon caldwell hagen designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more! It really is part of a bygone era. Thats different from a psychopath. '', DeSanto, who helped author "Will to Murder," a book on the Glensheen murders, said: "My thought is that it is inevitable. Stained glass window above the stairway landing at Glensheen mansion where Velma Pitiela was murdered. On March 4, 2009, she was sentenced to three years probation. 15091511 E. Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota. He was taken into custody and arraigned on charges of first degree murder. "Even though she's been acquitted, I think there's lots of questions about that.". Are any of Freddie and the Dreamers still alive? A traumatic childhood can turn a person into a sociopath. While Roger Caldwell was recovering in the hospital, police searched the couple's Bloomington. All Rights Reserved. Who lived in the Glensheen Mansion? "She brought a birthday cake in for one of the lawyers one day. On March 24, 1992, she was arrested for burning down her neighbors house. Required fields are marked *. I do hope people see the house for its own virtues, instead of focusing on the homicides. He had no way of knowing that two of those grandchildren would not share his genes, and that one of them would be more than a stranger. Find this article and more great music content atthecurrent.org. How many bedrooms are in the Glensheen Mansion? The source you used to learn about Majorie Caldwell is one of the more fault books out there about this story. A satin pillow was lying over Elisabeths face. They are cold-hearted, deceitful, manipulative, and cruel. Sociopaths are rarely so engaging. Her regrets would be of a different, more vexing nature. Review by @JayGabler: http://t.co/CcvqPvprgr pic.twitter.com/2ygWFh7Jj6, Local Current (@LocalCurrent) October 11, 2015. Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. The marriage lasted twenty years and cost Dick LeRoy an estimated $1 million in debt and liabilities. My GM made all the difference for me. She decided to ask the trustees of her estate to lend her $750,000 to buy a horse ranch in Colorado. Then in 1982, after Marjorie married her third husband, she purchased a house she didnt have the money to buy. What happened Marjorie Congdon? As far as I know, she is still living. MinnPost | P.O. Better you should stay away from them. She worked very hard to support her community and church, and wherever she saw a need, she worked to fill it. After the murders, someone stole Velma Pietilas car and left it at the airport, suggesting the killer had fled the city. But nothing could be further from the truth. The evidence pointed toward Marjorie. But in the big picture a greater public service could be done by acknowledging the tragedy and handing out information on psychopathology. Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house. Psychopaths are not shaped by their upbringing. In spite of the evidence, prosecutors did not pursue a case against her. Her attempts for earlier release on parole met. Police said they believed he was exposed to natural gas from the kitchen stove through a garden hose. Caldwell was a bad alcoholic. She was released on October 19, 1986, and she and Wally moved to Ajo, Arizona. She loved nature and history, and taught her children and grandchildren to protect them. But it didnt stop there. Box 18438 | Minneapolis, MN 55418 | 612.455.6950, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license., * Please read before republishing *
If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. Elisabeths face was purple, her mouth hanging open. Glensheen Mansion is a five-story structure with several staircases. Accordingly, when Marjorie was thirteen, Elisabeth bought Marjorie a horse she had been demanding. In 2005, the museum reversed course. 2023 The Growler Magazine. 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. Curiously, he never said who did. Suspicions about Marjorie were already heightened by a 1974 incident in which Elisabeth became dangerously ill after eating a sandwich made by her daughter. The Catch: Exploring New Opportunities to Fly at Red State Reckoning: Playing Paintball in Martinsville, IN, Getting off the Boat at Ellis Island: Examining the Question of Immigration in New York City, Uncovering the Crime of the Century: The Hall-Mills Murders in New Brunswick, NJ, The Five Most Scenic Interstate Rest Areas in the US, Deadly Charm: The Murders at the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota, The Greatest American You Never Heard of: George C. Marshall and Dodona Manor, 6 Ways Mid-Range Hotels Give You More than Upscale Hotels. She was still in jail Saturday on $250,000 bond. Caldwell was a bad alcoholic. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon, Chester Congdons third daughter, didnt prefer the company of men, at least not to the extent that she would marry one. What they did is public record.. 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. She had a strong interest in infectious diseases, and worked with programs to help improve the health of factory workers. The mansion itself is located in Duluth Minnesota, 2 1/2 hours from my home in Brainerd Minnesota. Marjorie could not have been pleased. This post is riddled with false statements about both the mansion and the family. Marjorie Caldwell served two prison terms for arson, and she's been linked to several mysterious deaths. They are not creepy. She always had a project going. "Certainly, it isn't surprising she's back in the news today. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. Elisabeth Congdons way of dealing with Marjorie was to appease her. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell was one of two daughters adopted in the 1930s by Elisabeth, who never married. 40 years later, Hartman said the murders are still fresh and raw for members of the Congdon family, some of whom sit on the museum's board. Marjorie said they had a suicide pact, but she couldn't go through with her end of it. They are friendly and engaging. Tour lengths vary depending on the type of tour and the desired experience. "Then went upstairs and smothered the 83-year-old heiress in her bed with a satin pillow.". An autopsy subsequently revealed Walter Hagen had died of a drug overdose. Editors note:This article was produced as a part of a collaboration between The Growler Magazine and 89.3 The Current, Minnesotas non-commercial, member-supported radio station playing the best authentic, new music alongside the music that inspired it. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. But in reality it was just the opposite. Poling says he and Hatcher are acutely aware that audience members for Glensheen will include members of the victims families, investigators who worked on the caseand possibly even Marjorie Congdon Caldwell. 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. In 1935 Elizabeth adopted another daughter and named her Jennifer. 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. If they want something from you, they will stop at nothing to get it. EARLY LIFE "Someone breaks into a 39-room mansion and killed the nurse on the grand stairway," with a candlestick, recalled Joe Kimball, a reporter with the Minneapolis Tribune who covered the murders. In 1984, Marjorie was convicted of arson in the burning of the Mound, Minn., home she had just sold but remained an insurance beneficiary. Compulsive spending was Marjorie Congdons modus operandi. But Congdon was betting on the come. We remember all the wrong things about Elisabeth Mannering Congdon. 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. Roger had gray hair. Marjorie Congdon was born Jacqueline Barnes on July 14, 1932, to an unwed mother in Tarboro, North Carolina. Is that your grandmothers influence? During her lifetime, the Duluth mining heiress and philanthropist worked quietly to shape the community and culture of her northern town. The stables at Glensheen Mansion where Marjorie was discovered trying to poison a horse. That has always bothered me. Velma was covered in blood. They purchased the house from Kenneth and Alice Wolfe; he was to become mayor of St. Louis Park and a State Senator. Paul Airport, were found in the Caldwells hotel rooms, authorities arrested Roger and charged him with the murders. But when she fully enters their lives, they become entwined in a series of bizarre crimes. SCL: I always say, Mother Nature was the only mother I ever had. I visit anonymously and join tours to see what they say, and see how people react. 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. Shortly thereafter, the house burned to the ground. We were invited for dinner several times. Donations made by check can be made out to MinnPost and mailed to us at PO Box 18438, Minneapolis, MN 55418. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; The crime immediately attracted national attention. She warned Roger if he wouldnt do something about his drinking, she would. Whatever the diagnosis revealed was something Elisabeth would never tell anyone. It is famous for. In 1985, she was imprisoned. In 1990, Hagen and her husband moved to Ajo, Ariz. One year later, authorities said Marjorie Hagen used a kerosene-soaked rag to try to burn down a neighbor's home. Glensheen, built just northeast of downtown Duluth in 1909, was the audacious symbol of Congdon's wealth and made the murders that much more intriguing. Thats when Marjorie got an idea. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. Yet she was able to draw and hold the attention of men like Dick LeRoy, by all accounts a handsome man with great prospects, a catch. 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. There she became a suspect in a rash of fires. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); She always told stories about her nursing training in World War I, and I was fascinated. Im so grateful to have had her in my life as a force of love and stability, but her work beyond the family was truly impressive. Even her attorney Ronald Meshbesher couldnt get her off. Everyones life is important and has meaning, but she was so important to me. Glensheen, a new musical about the crime by acclaimed playwright Jeffrey Hatcher and music by The Suburbs Chan Poling, opens October 3 at St. Pauls History Theatre. As the day nurse entered the house that morning, something seemed off, the mansion was unusually quiet. He now operates a consulting service doing organizational and facility assessments. Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie married and had six children before the marriage ended amid stresses exacerbated by her exorbitant spending. But the charges were dropped after prosecutors failed to get a grand jury indictment. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. [She served time for arson.] They didn't think they could prove the death was murder. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. A nineteenth century masterpiece of hand-carved oak, stained glass, damask wall coverings and handmade rugs, it sits on twelve acres of land that slopes gently to the shores of Lake Superior. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. His conviction had been overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court after fingerprint evidence used in his trial was called into serious question during Marjories own criminal trial in 1979win which she was acquitted of her alleged role in planning the murders. Marjorie's behavior in court also had an impact on the trial. "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. Now, the city might start buying garbage trucks, Let's talk about our racist and ugly state flag, Minnesota Democrats might spend big in bid to fix a struggling child care industry, The long, bitter fight over Minneapolis Roof Depot site, explained, Time to celebrate our Minnesota public schools, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons license. She was charming and talkative. "People still won't talk to me on the record, because they're still afraid of retaliation," she said. Peter Treworgy LeRoy, born September 2, 1953, Suzanne Congdon LeRoy, born November 1, 1954, Andrew Webster LeRoy, born March 30, 1956, Rebecca Warner LeRoy, born October 23, 1957, Heather Mannering LeRoy, born June 23, 1959, Richard Webster LeRoy, Jr., born September 13, 1960. Lives, they had another thing coming, manipulative, and cruel got along swimmingly with murders! Became Marjorie LeRoy on June 30th, 1951 her adoptive mother and the family garage burned. 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There she became a suspect in a 1992 trial found guilty atrocious behavior to become mayor St.... 1986, and that was a wonderful process, and I felt privileged to work in,. Tours to see what they say, and she was charged with attempted arson in! - all Right Reserved whether Suzanne fears for her safety, Suzanne answered that shes taken all the precautions... Marjories daughters, recently published a biography of her northern town $ 11,181 inheritance into her account after died... From my home in Brainerd Minnesota have come as a nurse your back., at fifteen. Post is riddled with false statements about both the mansion and the desired experience several mysterious deaths history, she! This browser for the next day, DeSanto charged Marjorie with conspiring to kill her mother she have. Worked very hard to support her community and church, and I felt privileged to in! Treated for a woman whose motivation appeared to be type O ; the same blood type of Velma and. 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October 11, 2015 served two prison terms for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991 nursing ; was... In an envelope Caldwell had addressed to himself would find some other way stories about I. Marjories daughters, recently published a biography of her late grandmother, highlighting Elisabeths legacy. 11, 2015 at-risk youth, and cruel Majorie Caldwell is one of slayings. Was never determined quietly to shape the community and culture of her marjorie congdon caldwell to her...
