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. From the beginning, the child was different. Member donations are crucial to the work of our nonprofit newsroom. EARLY LIFE There are a million little convoluted rivers that flow from that, he says. The LeRoys moved to an eight bedroom house at 4705 Fremont Ave. No. He worked in a lumber mill from the age of fifteen to support his family after his fathers death. Sadly, he was only able to enjoy his home for seven years. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. MinnPost thanks these generous donors: INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATI0NS Blandin FoundationOtto Bremer FoundationBush FoundationSage & John CowlesDavid . 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. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. 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. I thought that was kind of brilliant., Although hes best known for his work with The Suburbs, Poling is no stranger to the stage. There she became a suspect in a rash of fires. When Elisabeth was found murdered, it didnt take long for the investigation to zero in on the Caldwells. Psychopaths live in a world of their own, a world that is all about their wants and needs. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. She was arrested in Tucson, Arizona, at her residence at an assisted living facility on March 23, 2007, on charges of computer fraud and several other counts. DeSanto charged Roger Caldwell first. 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. SCL: I visited archives all over the country. The nurse picked up a corner and peeked underneath. SCL: Yes, I believe my life is a credit to my grandmother. Is she still living? Without divorcing Caldwell, she married Wallace Hagen in 1982 in North Dakota and was charged with bigamy a few months later. She was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. Feichtinger wouldn't go that far, noting that Marjorie is no longer on probation and being supervised. The killings were carried out by Roger Caldwell, allegedly at the urging of his wife, Congdon's adopted daughter Marjorie, though she was later acquitted of conspiracy to murder at a trial. Roger confessed to the murders, but was freed after serving just over five years in jail. Marjorie Caldwell Hagen, seen in a photo from when she was in Arizona prisons from late 1992 to early 2004, serving time for arsons in Ajo, Ariz. It happened because she lacked a conscience. 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. When she left, they told her they were going to miss her. 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). Marjorie had insisted she and Roger stay at Glensheen, but that request was refused since police still had to tie up loose ends. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. She was still in jail Saturday on $250,000 bond. The nurse hurried up the stairs to Elisabeths bedroom. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A civil suit filed by five of her seven children in 1979 to disinherit their mother from her inheritance on the grounds she was involved in the murders was settled out of court in 1983. 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. Chester Adgate Congdon accrued a fortune, How long is the tour? The Hagen family planned a memorial service in January 1996 at Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park. Congdon was the only surviving child of mining magnate Chester Congdon, who built the lavish mansion in 1909. During her lifetime, the Duluth mining heiress and philanthropist worked quietly to shape the community and culture of her northern town. No witnesses judged reliable by the police had seen Roger in Colorado on the night of the murders, and Marjorie offered investigators several inconsistent stories about her husbands whereabouts. I was only 9 years old when she had a stroke. Congdon's adopted daughter, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell, was acquitted in 1979 of charges that she helped plan the murders in what the prosecution called a scheme to get an early inheritance. 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. Clarity means quality, and , We cant fight it any longer. 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. Four years into his sentence, though, Roger Caldwell walked out of prison, never to return. Some psychopaths are highly successful, exercising wealth and power, but no less dangerous for all that. Glensheens Daughter: The Marjorie Congdon Story. He passed the bar and took a job as a high school principal in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. 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 case had all the ingredients of an old-fashioned whodunit wealth, greed, betrayal, even a mansion and a candlestick murder weapon. said Kimball. Whether or not he had taken the pills of his own volition was never determined. SCL: I always say, Mother Nature was the only mother I ever had. These days few Americans find it cynical to observe that our justice system is vulnerable to the influences of wealth and celebrity. In spite of the evidence, prosecutors did not pursue a case against her. 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? When he drank, he turned violent. Twenty months later she was released for good behavior. As early as 1966 when she was married to Dick LeRoy, the family garage mysteriously burned to the ground. SCL: She made a big difference for maternal and child health. From the outside, it may have looked like her spending was out of control. Hagen was arrested in 1977 in connection with the deaths of her mother, mining heiress Elisabeth Congdon, and her mother's nurse, Velma Pietila. If you can make a difference in even one life, its meaningful. Its wonderful to see their reactions. Congdon's son-in-law, Roger Caldwell, was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in 1978. 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. As the day nurse entered the house that morning, something seemed off, the mansion was unusually quiet. Everybody loves a murder mystery! The mansion itself is beautiful. 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. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for the arson fires in Ajo. Marjorie is now the same age her mother was when her mother was murdered. 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. Her nurse that night, 66-year-old Velma Pietila, had just retired and was looking forward to relaxing and traveling with her husband; shed been convinced to return to work for one more night because the regular nurse was on vacation. She served 21 months. Twelve years after the murders, he committed suicide. The night nurse, one Velma Pietila had been called in at the last minute when the scheduled nurse couldnt make it. She was so much more than the last day of her life. The next day, DeSanto charged Marjorie with conspiring to kill her mother. It is estimated that 1% of the population are psychopaths. Marjories mother and the rest of the Congdon family put their foot down and refused to send her money to bail her out. They are friendly and engaging. 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. In the world Marjorie Congdon grew up in, wealth was everything. 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. The next owner of this house remembered Marjorie well. She was charged with murder in his death, but the charges were dropped. In 1995 an Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes must be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie. Is that your grandmothers influence? Elisabeth Mannering Congdon, Chester Congdons third daughter, didnt prefer the company of men, at least not to the extent that she would marry one. SCL: Very much so. On June 27, 1977 at 3:00am, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila (born April 26, 1911) were found murdered. As a single woman, this bordered on the scandalous, but Elisabeths regrets would have little to do with the social opprobrium her action invited. Part of the reason is the woman who would drive her died a year ago.". 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. 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. In November 2008, Marjorie pled guilty to fraud after illegally taking funds from the bank account of Roger Sammis, who had been under her care before his death. Despite prosecution having only circumstantial evidence to present, Roger was convicted and handed two consecutive life sentences. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. Marjorie is now 84 years old and shes still out there. Guests are constantly , The term craft is ambiguous at best. In 1975 Marjorie Congdon met Roger Caldwell at a Parents Without Partners meeting in Colorado. Marjorie Caldwell, as Hagen was then known, was instantly considered a suspect in her mother's murder. The shores of Lake Superior near Glensheen Mansion. [Its] a very rich Sondheim sound. 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. 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. Then in 1951 Marjorie became someone elses problem. It is famous for. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. At the same time, she essentially only comes after people she can get something from, and none of my siblings or myself have anything for her. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. May 17, 1988 Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen's son is a candidate for a state judge spot. "It was clear she was then on a path to wanting to speed up her inheritance," said DeSanto, who's a judge now and co-author of a book on the case, "Will to Murder.". Review by @JayGabler: http://t.co/CcvqPvprgr pic.twitter.com/2ygWFh7Jj6, Local Current (@LocalCurrent) October 11, 2015. Because psychopaths are unable to experience genuine human emotions like love and empathy, their emotions are impersonations informed by observation, essentially a performance perfected by years of practice and study. She was arrested, tried and convicted. A traumatic childhood can turn a person into a sociopath. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. 40 years later, Glensheen murders still grip Duluth, Glensheen, home museums rethink rules to lure visitors. In an act brazen for the time, Elisabeth traveled to New York City on a summer day in 1932 and adopted a child. It is so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it. Marjorie Caldwell and her attorney, Ron Meshbesher, walked to the Dakota County Courthouse in Hastings on April 3, 1979. Her nurse is also killed, bludgeoned with a candlestick. Shop for marjorie congdon caldwell hagen wall art from the world's greatest living artists. She was a role model and a mentor and laid a foundation not only about conduct and responsibility but about how to approach life. They know exactly what theyre doing. The next day the house caught fire. In the late 1960s, the Congdon family decided to donate the estate to the University of Minnesota Duluth, although not until Elizabeth died. We see that you have javascript disabled. This post is riddled with false statements about both the mansion and the family. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. "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. The Associated Press and Arizona Daily Star contributed to this report. How can I tell how big my Cockapoo will be? So is she no longer a threat? Product details Publisher : Zenith City Press; 4th edition (May 1, 2009) They married on August 7, 1981, in North Dakota; Marjorie had not bothered to divorce Roger and is still wanted for bigamy in North Dakota. Paul Airport, were found in the Caldwells hotel rooms, authorities arrested Roger and charged him with the murders. But too many people remember only that she was killed at home at Glensheen mansion, along with her nurse, Velma Pietila, in 1977. The bottle in question was some type of clear spirit, , Bartenders everywhere know that people hate vermouth. She added that she hasnt had contact with her for 40 years. Marjorie Caldwell Hagen is convicted of arson and insurance fraud in connection with a 1982 fire at a house in Mound, MN. The man who actually committed the murder was Roger Caldwell, the second husband of Elisabeth Congdon's adopted daughter, Marjorie, according to MinnPost. The Classic and Full Mansion tours are self-paced with most visitors spending. The blood type turned out to be type O; the same blood type of Velma Pietila and Roger Caldwell. Nancy and her brother Tom were always curious about their mother's rich friend, Marjorie Congdon. She warned Roger if he wouldnt do something about his drinking, she would. Marjorie Caldwell served two prison terms for arson, and she's been linked to several mysterious deaths. I have had no contact with her for 40 years. Psychopaths are not shaped by their upbringing. }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. In 1979, she was acquitted in the smothering of her adoptive mother and the beating death of a night nurse. 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. 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. She decided to ask the trustees of her estate to lend her $750,000 to buy a horse ranch in Colorado. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. They dazzle and captivate. The Great Debate: Should A Craft Distillery Purchase Already-Made Spirits? But in the big picture a greater public service could be done by acknowledging the tragedy and handing out information on psychopathology. They were soon up to their ears in debt and desperate for money. [She served time for arson.] In his will Chester Congdon bequeathed his home and fortune to his wife and children, and by succession to his grandchildren. Interesting. 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. 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. 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. An additional note: The History Theatre musical, "Glensheen" is on stage starting July 6 and runs through July 30, 2017. Avoid being drawn in. In 1991, she was caught trying to set fire to a neighbor's house. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. Eighty-one-year old Elisabeth Congdon refused to bail Marjorie out anymore. An autopsy subsequently revealed Walter Hagen had died of a drug overdose. She appealed, was let free on bond and, after a year of setbacks and delays, she was finally remanded to Shakopee Womens Prison in Shakopee, Minnesota. Elisabeth Congdon's funeral was to be held at Glensheen on Thursday June, 30. On January 13, 1984, Marjorie was given 21 months in the Shakopee Womens Prison for burning down her and Wallys home in Mound, Minnesota. 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. 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