On June 27, 1977 at 3:00am, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila (born April 26, 1911) were found murdered. Congdon's son-in-law, Roger Caldwell, was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in 1978. It sounds like fictionlike a murder mystery in a worn paperback novel. In November 2010 a judge in southern Arizona refused her request for a reduction in the terms of her probation so that she could move to a nursing 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. "She got no bulk sum after the murders - she basically lost it all . But she's not able to get around town like in the old days. I visit anonymously and join tours to see what they say, and see how people react. The first time she invited me over I was met at the door by the Doberman pinscher peering out through the little window on the door. Antabuse is a prescription drug that reacts badly with alcohol. Marjorie got good grades but was considered something of a weirdo by her classmates. Soon, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell. She won. At many times, her life was filled with loss, illness and hardship, and yet she was always optimistic. 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). He passed the bar and took a job as a high school principal in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Elisabeths face was purple, her mouth hanging open. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. Marjorie ended up with about $40,000 a year from a Congdon trust plus Wallace Hagen's pension, according to Feichtinger. MP: In your memoirs, your grandmother seems to be a much greater influence on you than your own parents were. All Rights Reserved. The LeRoys moved to an eight bedroom house at 4705 Fremont Ave. No. Glensheen Mansion is a five-story structure with several staircases. Marjorie did not call the fire department. 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. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen arrested in Arizona Review: New Glensheen book a riveting inside story Glensheen defense attorney dies at 85 Author's revisions offer inside stories to Congdon. She had been smothered to death. '', DeSanto, who helped author "Will to Murder," a book on the Glensheen murders, said: "My thought is that it is inevitable. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. If she could not get it by lying, cheating and stealing, she would find some other way. He said she needed assisted living because of her worsening health issues. It was a three or four course meal, with fine china and polished silver. Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.; Charles W. Leavitt, Jr. In 1990, the Hagens moved to Ajo,. A big contingent are coming in opening nighttheyve got their tickets already.. It really is part of a bygone era. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. The child shed adopted was olive skinned with straight, black hair and was so nearsighted she had to wear thick glasses. The court granted him a new trial. Marjorie stood to inherit $8.2 million upon her mother's death. SCL: She made a big difference for maternal and child health. Then he graduated as class valedictorian from seminary school before taking a law degree at Syracuse University. That's because 40 years later, Hartman said, about 70 percent of visitors don't even know about the murders. She left an extensive record of philanthropic activities, with the Red Cross, the Duluth Art Institute, the Kings Daughters, numerous museums, hospitals, historical societies. How long does sunscreen last once put on? 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. 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. But at the Congdon Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota they want to avoid discussing Marjorie. 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. "She brought a birthday cake in for one of the lawyers one day. 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. Then the story took another turn when the Minnesota Supreme Court court threw out Roger Caldwell's conviction based on the new evidence introduced at Marjorie's trial. What they inadvertently let loose on a summer day in 1932 destroyed many lives, and it all began with an act of generosity. Review by @JayGabler: http://t.co/CcvqPvprgr pic.twitter.com/2ygWFh7Jj6, Local Current (@LocalCurrent) October 11, 2015. Marjorie and Dick LeRoy had seven children: When LeRoy was transferred to Minnesota, they lived in Minneapolis, then moved to St. Louis Park. Hagen was arrested in 1977 in connection with the deaths of her mother, mining heiress Elisabeth Congdon, and her mother's nurse, Velma Pietila. Roger. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. People are drawn to psychopaths like moths to a flame. And a witness from the first trial changed her story to say she saw Roger elsewhere the day of the murder. Sociopaths are shaped by their environment. Spirits Close-Up: The Ultimate Hot Toddy Matrix. 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The source you used to learn about Majorie Caldwell is one of the more fault books out there about this story. Back at home, her third husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return. Sympathy is a dangerous emotion in the hands of a psychopath. During her lifetime, the Duluth mining heiress and philanthropist worked quietly to shape the community and culture of her northern town. Where Marjorie Congdon Hagen goes, fire and death follow. 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. Glensheen director Dan Hartman talks about a Congdon family portrait. Chester Adgate Congdon accrued a fortune, How long is the tour? The killings were carried out by Roger Caldwell, allegedly at the urging of his wife, Congdons adopted daughter Marjorie, though she was later acquitted of conspiracy to murder at a trial. The Associated Press and Arizona Daily Star contributed to this report. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. It appears someone can be born a psychopath, and it also appears that psychopathology can run in families. In 1984, Marjorie was convicted of arson in the burning of the Mound, Minn., home she had just sold but remained an insurance beneficiary. Roger returned to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and committed suicide by slashing his wrists on May 18, 1988. The victims' families "were really hopeful that we would not have to retry the case with a chance of Roger walking free," DeSanto said. Her trustees earlier had cut Marjorie off from the Congdon millions, after the. After other evidence was discovered at their home in Denver, Marjorie tried to poison Roger, but he was sent to Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park on July 5, and was ready to be handed over to Duluth police on July 7, 1977. The family has written some letters, and weve had discussions. She professed her innocence in the Ajo fire at trial. But it didnt stop there. "In recent years, she has kept a surprisingly low profile," she said in 2017. How do I setup my iPhone 13 for the first time? The day after she was convicted, Wally Hagen was found dead of a drug overdose. My GM made all the difference for me. Psychopaths are in complete control of reality. Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. 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. ", "Because the family didn't want to go back to a murder scene," he explained. It took the authorities less than two weeks to arrest Roger Caldwell, but not before he wound up in the hospital after having collapsed at breakfast with seizures. The staff rarely saw her. I have had no contact with her for 40 years. I found her yacht, the Hesperia, in Lloyds Register of Ships. DeSanto charged Roger Caldwell first. "Then went upstairs and smothered the 83-year-old heiress in her bed with a satin pillow.". Make a gift of any amount today to support this resource for everyone. In 1979, she was acquitted in the smothering of her adoptive mother and the beating death of a night nurse. 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. 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. St. Louis County Chief Prosecutor John DeSanto prosecuted the 1977 murders. With her history of arson, she was immediately a suspect. Marjorie Hagen was again arrested on a murder charge but it was dropped for lack of evidence. In 2007, Marjorie was charged with fraud, theft, forgery and computer tampering after befriending a man in his 70s and becoming his power of attorney. Their manipulation of others is symptomatic of that need. MP: You have a hard time calling Marjorie Caldwell your mother. Marjorie Congdons sudden magnetic appeal to men is remarkable in light of the fact that she was in no way conventionally attractive. "I think also a downside of the murder is that people always viewed it from that lens, even in the history community," he said, "that they kind of forget it's actually this incredibly important historic site for our state. A stroke had left her mobility and speech seriously impaired, requiring full-time medical supervision. Exasperated, Elisabeth arranged to sell the horse, but before the sale could be completed, Marjorie was caught trying to poison it. Marjorie used her inheritance to acquit her of the murder of the person who controlled her inheritance. [Its] a very rich Sondheim sound. The book shop promotes books about the homicides and I didnt want this book to be with them. Is there a movie about the Glensheen Mansion? All marjorie congdon caldwell hagen artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. She taught me to give back. The case had all the ingredients of an old-fashioned whodunit wealth, greed, betrayal, even a mansion and a candlestick murder weapon. In the late 1960s, the Congdon family decided to donate the estate to the University of Minnesota Duluth, although not until Elizabeth died. You think youre in a Gothic murder mystery, and then humorous elements come in and you end up popping into different worlds.. SCL: Yes, I believe my life is a credit to my grandmother. Police alleged it was a crime of greed, saying Marjorie Caldwell and her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were desperate for money and wanted to speed up their $8 million inheritance. The evidence pointed toward Marjorie. An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. In 1985, she was imprisoned. Required fields are marked *. Dissatisfied, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota with $31 in his pocket, passed the Minnesota bar, and joined a law firm. Marjorie was a compulsive spender and liar, and eventually Dick LeRoy had enough and divorced her on April 29, 1971. Your email address will not be published. (function(d, s, id) { At the age of nineteen she emerged as an engaging, charismatic young woman. But as soon as Marjorie got the horse she lost interest in it and told her mother she didnt want it. 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. The nurse hurried up the stairs to Elisabeths bedroom. Its one of Americas great houses. My interest in travel, education, nature and nursing all come from her. You want to raise your hand and draw attention to it, even if it might be considered a bit crass. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. Today, the University of Minnesota-Duluth operates the mansion, tours and events that take place inside and on the mansion's grounds. "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. Her adopted daughter Marjorie LeRoys mother along with her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were accused of murdering Congdon in an attempt to inherit her fortune. On March 24, 1992, she was arrested for burning down her neighbors house. And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. A neighbor remembered Marjorie as being very industrious. The case went to trial in the searing summer of 1978. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); [She served time for arson.] Alarmed, Elisabeth sent her away to a clinic in Topeka, Kansas for a psychological evaluation. 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