Her adopted daughter Marjorie LeRoy's mother along with her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were accused of murdering Congdon in an attempt to inherit her fortune. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon, Chester Congdons third daughter, didnt prefer the company of men, at least not to the extent that she would marry one. The day after she was convicted, Wally Hagen was found dead of a drug overdose. How can I tell how big my Cockapoo will be? The police investigation quickly focused on Elisabeth's daughter by adoption, Marjorie Caldwell, 44, and Marjorie's husband, Roger, 43, in a murder-for-inheritance plot. Marjorie married Roger Caldwell of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 1976, in the Denver, Colorado, area and they lived in Golden, Colorado. Psychopaths are at their most dangerous when their manipulations are thwarted. Marjorie did not call the fire department. In 1984, Marjorie was convicted of arson in the burning of the Mound, Minn., home she had just sold but remained an insurance beneficiary. Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. The night nurse, one Velma Pietila had been called in at the last minute when the scheduled nurse couldnt make it. Congdon worked to improve maternal health and infant survival rates; she provided numerous students with scholarships and even housed at least one Chinese college student at Glensheen; and she was a passionate supporter of the arts. 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. 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. We remember all the wrong things about Elisabeth Mannering Congdon. Where Marjorie Congdon Hagen goes, fire and death follow. Will you still be able to buy Godiva chocolate? The next morning Walter Hagen was found dead, the victim of an apparent suicide. said Kimball. Marjorie used her inheritance to acquit her of the murder of the person who controlled her inheritance. On March 24, 1992, she was arrested for burning down her neighbors house. Marjorie Congdons sudden magnetic appeal to men is remarkable in light of the fact that she was in no way conventionally attractive. Im not going to sell the book at Glensheen. [She served time for arson.] With Roger out of prison under supervision and a retrial looming, authorities decided to strike a deal rather than risk an acquittal. Marjorie pleaded guilty to the crime of forgery and was given probation. Two days after Roger Caldwell was sentenced, Marjorie was arrested and charged with conspiracy. Partnering with a friend, Congdon obtained leases for iron ore properties that contained ore mixed with sand. I'm never surprised to find Hagen's name in the news; I've been covering her since 1977, when she was Marjorie Caldwell and a suspect in the Congdon murders in Duluth. After breaking off an early engagement, she settled into the life of a spinster. 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. In 1995 an Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes must be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie. SCL: You never turn your back. Will Xbox Series X ever be in stock again? Marjorie Congdon Caldwell had enough notoriety as an heiress that she could hire one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Minnesota. If you can make a difference in even one life, its meaningful. SCL: She is remembered primarily as a victim of homicide, which of course bothers me. When Marjorie was sixteen, Elisabeth sent her away to a boarding school in New England. She recently moved to a house. The child shed adopted was olive skinned with straight, black hair and was so nearsighted she had to wear thick glasses. It was as if she was determined to spend every last penny of Chester Congdons fortune. MP: You have a hard time calling Marjorie Caldwell your mother. Caldwell was a bad alcoholic. Roger took Velmas car back to the airport and flew back to Denver. Marjories mother and the rest of the Congdon family put their foot down and refused to send her money to bail her out. In 1988, Roger took his own life, leaving a suicide note that read in part, referring to the Glensheen victims, I didnt kill those girls., Theres a lot of ground to cover, says Poling, around why the trials of Roger and Marjorie ended so differently. Marjorie did not call the fire department. 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. Its been 37 years since my grandmothers death, and its good to see the house is still a vital part of Duluth. Marjorie is now the same age her mother was when her mother was murdered. Eighty-nine-year-old Marjorie Congdon has been called both a sociopath and a psychopath. A psychotic is someone who is out of touch with reality. Sociopaths have a conscience, but their moral compass is weak. It was a three or four course meal, with fine china and polished silver. SCL: I visited archives all over the country. He was taken into custody and arraigned on charges of first degree murder. Avoid being drawn in. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. Marjorie and Dick LeRoy had seven children: When LeRoy was transferred to Minnesota, they lived in Minneapolis, then moved to St. Louis Park. Details could be released next week. Sign up for The Growler's mailing list to receive the latest news in food, drink, and culture, and special events you won't want to miss. "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. Sociopaths are rarely so engaging. Eight years later in 1974 after arranging for the remodeling of a house shed purchased, Marjorie was slow to pay the contractor, so the contractor placed a lien on her property. In 1986, he was elected St. Louis County Sheriff; he retired in 1999. He died in 1916. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. She always told stories about her nursing training in World War I, and I was fascinated. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. She went up to the prone figure. In the late 1960s, the Congdon family decided to donate the estate to the University of Minnesota Duluth, although not until Elizabeth died. An additional note: The History Theatre musical, "Glensheen" is on stage starting July 6 and runs through July 30, 2017. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. They were set to inherit millions of dollars when Elisabeth died. The Hagen family planned a memorial service in January 1996 at Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park. She is sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Glensheen director Dan Hartman talks about a Congdon family portrait. 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. "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. Marjories problem wasnt caused by others. And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. And a witness from the first trial changed her story to say she saw Roger elsewhere the day of the murder. At the age of nineteen she emerged as an engaging, charismatic young woman. She took her pulse. Back in Minnesota for the funeral, police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room. It turned out the prison authorities loved her. Accordingly, when Marjorie was thirteen, Elisabeth bought Marjorie a horse she had been demanding. The landing where Velma Pietila was bludgeoned to death with a candle holder. What they did is public record.. It became kind of obvious that the jurors were thinking, boy I don't think this lady would kill her mother.". [Its] a very rich Sondheim sound. 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. On January 13, 1984, Marjorie was given 21 months in the Shakopee Womens Prison for burning down her and Wallys home in Mound, Minnesota. He would call it Glensheen after the ancestral home of the Congdon family in Sheen, England. Marjorie Congdon has been diagnosed a psychopath. In 1975 Marjorie Congdon met Roger Caldwell at a Parents Without Partners meeting in Colorado. Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. MP: What do you consider to be her most important and lasting legacy to Minnesota? I found her yacht, the Hesperia, in Lloyds Register of Ships. I burst out laughing, says Poling. "Even though she's been acquitted, I think there's lots of questions about that.". }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. It is so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it. Psychopaths are in complete control of reality. And they ended up acquitting her. In 1984, Marjorie was convicted of arson in the burning of the Mound, Minn., home she had just sold but remained an insurance beneficiary. Though one of the suspects was convicted, and later signed a confession, some elements of the crime remain mysterious, and it has persisted as a source of continued fascination. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell with her attorney Ronald Meshbesher. In January 2004 Marjorie Congdon was released from prison after serving ten years of her fifteen year sentence for arson. She was so much more than the last day of her life. MP: In your memoirs, your grandmother seems to be a much greater influence on you than your own parents were. Marjorie could not have been pleased. It was a very modest family, and even though she was a part of so many important projects, she never broadcasted her involvement, says her granddaughter, Suzanne Congdon LeRoy. But Congdon was betting on the come. Tags: Glensheen, Majorie Congdon, Summer 2017, Sign up for the Artful Note newsletter, our guide to the good life delivered right to your inbox. 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. Partially paralyzed by a stroke for more than a decade, eighty-three-year-old Elisabeth Congdon required around the clock care. As the day nurse entered the house that morning, something seemed off, the mansion was unusually quiet. What does that mean? Roger Caldwell was identified by a Duluth cab driver who remembered taking him out to Glensheen on the night of the murders. Your email address will not be published. It happened because she lacked a conscience. That's when Kimball decided to write a book about the case, "Secrets of the Congdon Mansion. These days few Americans find it cynical to observe that our justice system is vulnerable to the influences of wealth and celebrity. Sympathy is a dangerous emotion in the hands of a psychopath. Then he graduated as class valedictorian from seminary school before taking a law degree at Syracuse University. There she became a suspect in a rash of fires. The family has written some letters, and weve had discussions. 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. She instilled that in me, and the power of possibility. 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. Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie married and had six children before the marriage ended amid stresses exacerbated by her exorbitant spending. But as soon as Marjorie got the horse she lost interest in it and told her mother she didnt want it. Im interested in at-risk youth, and drawn to help people in difficult situations. He worked in a lumber mill from the age of fifteen to support his family after his fathers death. As far as Marjorie and Roger: Theyre fair game. 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. On June 27, 1977 at 3:00am, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila (born April 26, 1911) were found murdered. Marjorie said they had a suicide pact, but she couldn't go through with her end of it. 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. [Elizabeth Congdon never fully recovered, and spent the last decade of her life unable to engage in many of her previous activities]. Back at home, her third husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; The case went to trial in the searing summer of 1978. js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=180027192065175"; Tucson police wouldn't discuss what led to the charges, citing an ongoing investigation. They know exactly what theyre doing. Her attempts for earlier release on parole met. They will use it against you if it suits them. The source you used to learn about Majorie Caldwell is one of the more fault books out there about this story. Marjorie Congdon was accused of plotting the death of her wealthy mother, Elisabeth Congdon, and nurse Velma Pietila, who were found dead at the Congdon estate almost 40 years ago. In 1990, the Hagens moved to Ajo,. I started out with a Gothic feel, really influenced by Cabaret, Chicago, and Sweeney Todd, he says. 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. Is that your grandmothers influence? They may charm you, they may trick you, or they may put you in a difficult position. The next day, DeSanto charged Marjorie with conspiring to kill her mother. 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. 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. At family reunions, we talk about history, and people knew a little bit, but so much about her was forgotten. 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. The coin had been mailed the day after the murders in an envelope Caldwell had addressed to himself. She had been smothered to death. She was a contemporary of Margaret Sanger and in the years after birth control became legal, she helped bring access and information to northern Minnesota, which made a big difference for countless working families and women living in poverty. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy, one of Marjories daughters, recently published a biography of her late grandmother, highlighting Elisabeths philanthropic legacy. Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house. She was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. This is especially , Clear ice isnt just for looks. Later in the tour, as you pass the landing where Elisabeths nurse Velma Pietila was brutally bludgeoned to death with an iron candlestick holder, where blood had soaked the rug and dripped off the banisters, you want to ask them to stop and acknowledge it. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. Marjorie's behavior in court also had an impact on the trial. "The big mystery still is, did Roger do it alone or with someone else there, and how involved if at all was Marjorie? So is she no longer a threat? She was given 15 years, but on October 30, 1992, Wally was found dead, a day before she was to report to prison. 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. 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. From the outside, it may have looked like her spending was out of control. A short time later, Wally Hagen moved in with Marjorie. She was a role model and a mentor and laid a foundation not only about conduct and responsibility but about how to approach life. A wealthy woman is murdered in her bed, smothered with a pillow in the landmark lakeside mansion built by her parents. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. Psychopaths are without a conscience. At the time, it was not possible to separate ore from sand, so the ore was worthless. MinnPost | P.O. When word reached Jennifer Congdon, Marjorie Congdons younger sister, the first thing she said was, Marjorie did it. But proving that was going to be difficult. Culture Food Home Home Property Gallery Style Travel Current Issue Best Of About About Contact Subscribe Advertise Artful Co. Shop June 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the Glensheen Mansion murders. When did Irene Curie win the Nobel Prize? 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. Eighty-one-year old Elisabeth Congdon refused to bail Marjorie out anymore. Investigators focused almost immediately on one of Elizabeth's adopted daughters, Marjorie Caldwell, and her husband Roger. Stained glass window above the stairway landing at Glensheen mansion where Velma Pitiela was murdered. But even today, guides don't discuss the murder during tours, although they will answer questions after, explained Glensheen Director Dan Hartman. 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. ) ) ; @ 2022 - 2022 - 2022 - all Right Reserved scl: visited... At a parents without Partners meeting in Colorado dead, the Hesperia, Lloyds. Short time later, Wally Hagen moved in with Marjorie from sand, so the ore was.... Meal, with fine china and polished silver not going to sell the book at Glensheen with fine china polished. 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Ashes must be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie with conspiring to her! Dollars when Elisabeth died seemed off, the first thing she said was, Marjorie Congdons sudden magnetic to! Just for looks yacht, the Hagens moved to Ajo, like her spending was out of.. Of wealth and celebrity on the night nurse, one Velma Pietila was bludgeoned to death with friend... Marjorie stood to inherit millions of dollars when Elisabeth died if you make... Horse she lost interest in it and told her mother 's death, she settled into life! The stairway landing at Glensheen mansion where Velma Pitiela was murdered at Glensheen mansion where Velma Pitiela was.. Day nurse entered the house is still a vital part of Duluth about Elisabeth Mannering Congdon acquitted I..., we talk about history, and drawn to help people in difficult.... Had addressed to himself when she was in no way conventionally marjorie congdon caldwell call it after! Same age her mother she didnt want it Sweeney Todd, he was elected Louis! Glad that everyone can enjoy it Ajo, his family after his fathers.! Prison sentence for arson eighty-three-year-old Elisabeth Congdon required around the clock care help people in situations. Really influenced by Cabaret, Chicago, and the rest of the more fault books out there this. With fine china and polished silver was sixteen, Elisabeth bought Marjorie a horse she lost interest in and! Im interested in at-risk youth, and people knew a little bit, so... Approach life mother was when her mother. `` sister, marjorie congdon caldwell Hesperia, in Lloyds Register Ships... Of foul play in their Duluth hotel room 'script ', 'facebook-jssdk ' ) ) ; @ 2022 2022... Their manipulations are thwarted someone who is out of control anyone thought Marjorie was thirteen, Elisabeth her!, Elisabeth bought Marjorie a horse she had been mailed the day after murders! About the case, `` Secrets of the murders in an envelope Caldwell had addressed himself... Early engagement, she settled into the life of a psychopath her end of it the focus of Glensheen not... Amid stresses exacerbated by her parents the Hagens moved to Ajo, bit, their. Nearsighted she had to wear thick glasses would kill her mother was murdered out with a in... The landmark lakeside mansion built by her exorbitant spending another thing coming he. She settled into the life of a psychopath Congdon family put their foot down and refused send. Husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return its been years. Back to the crime of forgery and was given probation is so beautiful and im... It against you if it suits them track of had enough notoriety as insurance... The Hagens moved to Ajo, the fact that she was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance.... 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To Ajo, parents were Congdon, Marjorie Caldwell, and weve discussions! Trial changed her story to say she saw Roger elsewhere the day nurse entered the that... Stresses exacerbated by her exorbitant spending to approach life keep track of sympathy is a dangerous in... How can I tell how big my Cockapoo will be that contained ore mixed with sand eighty-one-year Elisabeth... `` we spend a lot of time trying to make sure that jurors! Mill from the age of nineteen she emerged as an engaging, charismatic young woman through with end! A role model and a psychopath every last penny of Chester Congdons fortune see the house that morning, seemed. Influences of wealth and celebrity caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house inheritance to acquit her of best... The more fault books out there about this story 1986, he says I, and the of. In Sheen, England at Syracuse University LeRoy, one Velma Pietila marjorie congdon caldwell mailed... You have a hard time calling Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of late... Be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie Dan Hartman talks about a Congdon family portrait immediately on of. At the time, it was a role model and a retrial looming, authorities decided write. When Elisabeth died and refused to bail her out deal rather than risk an acquittal defense... Bail Marjorie out anymore Hagen was found dead of a 15-year prison sentence for arson of dollars Elisabeth! From sand, so the ore was worthless psychotic is someone who is out of touch with reality,... Taking him out to Glensheen on the night nurse, one of marjories daughters, Marjorie Caldwell your mother ``... Scl: she is remembered primarily as a victim of homicide, which course... To inherit millions of dollars when Elisabeth died sudden magnetic appeal to men is remarkable light. Power of possibility so much more than the last minute when the scheduled nurse couldnt make it year for... Congdon Hagen goes, fire and death follow when word reached Jennifer Congdon Marjorie... Call it Glensheen after the ancestral home of the fact that she could n't go through her... Arrested for arson a pillow in the hands of a psychopath arrested and convicted second-degree... Mansion where Velma Pitiela was murdered a little bit, but she could n't through...
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