At the time, it was not possible to separate ore from sand, so the ore was worthless. Some call it Minnesotas Downton Abbey. We see that you have javascript disabled. "It really was like a house in a time capsule.". But too many people remember only that she was killed at home at Glensheen mansion, along with her nurse, Velma Pietila, in 1977. The evidence pointed toward Marjorie. She was introverted and spent most of her time reading alone or playing by herself in the nooks and crannies of the vast mansion. In spite of the evidence, prosecutors did not pursue a case against her. 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. After breaking off an early engagement, she settled into the life of a spinster. 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. 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 seventy-one years old. MP: In your memoirs, your grandmother seems to be a much greater influence on you than your own parents were. It was then that he decided to build his dream home on the shores of Lake Superior. She saw Velmas legs hanging off the bench underneath the landings stained glass window. Sadly, Marjories mother neglected to mention Marjories psychological problems to her new husband before he married her. I had an appetite for travel and interest in other cultures, and worked with aborigines in Australia. He befriended the US District Attorney in St. Paul and got a job as his assistant. Culture Food Home Home Property Gallery Style Travel Current Issue Best Of About About Contact Subscribe Advertise Artful Co. Shop I wanted more people to understand why she was so special. In 2005, the museum reversed course. Guests are constantly , The term craft is ambiguous at best. After a long trial, it took the jury just twenty-four hours to convict Roger Caldwell. With Roger out of prison under supervision and a retrial looming, authorities decided to strike a deal rather than risk an acquittal. Details could be released next week. Caldwell's conviction was. It happened because she lacked a conscience. June 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the Glensheen Mansion murders. She was accused of murdering her third husband, although those charges were dropped. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. Marjorie was charged with murder but charges were dropped. Spirits Close-Up: The Ultimate Hot Toddy Matrix. When you tour Glensheen Mansion, the 39-room Congdon family home on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, the docents try to avoid talking about the murders. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy: Yes. For the Standard Tour which includes the main floor, second floor and lower level. 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. Eighty-one-year old Elisabeth Congdon refused to bail Marjorie out anymore. 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. In March 1991 Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house with him inside of it. She left an extensive record of philanthropic activities, with the Red Cross, the Duluth Art Institute, the Kings Daughters, numerous museums, hospitals, historical societies. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. I had 22 years with her and she impacted me so much in that time, and always after. 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'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. It really is part of a bygone era. Caldwell was a bad alcoholic. What does that mean? The mansion itself is beautiful. He was found guilty and given two life sentences. A tour guide shares historical facts and interesting details about the mansion and Congdon family. Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie married and had six children before the marriage ended amid stresses exacerbated by her exorbitant spending. Four years into his sentence, though, Roger Caldwell walked out of prison, never to return. Marjorie kept on spending, writing bad checks and driving her new husband deeper and deeper into debt. Then in 1951 Marjorie became someone elses problem. They care nothing about anyone else, although they are often good at making it seem as if they do. Thats when Marjorie got an idea. 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. She got along swimmingly with the other inmates, and she sent a bouquet of flowers to the warden every week. Box 18438 | Minneapolis, MN 55418 | 612.455.6950, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license., * Please read before republishing * Who lived in the Glensheen Mansion? I found her yacht, the Hesperia, in Lloyds Register of Ships. She served 21 months. Asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, he claimed he did not committed the murders. This tiny house, built by Mrs. Alice Tisdale in 1927, housed Marjorie, Dick, and their seven children. Death Becomes Her: With Lianne Appelt, Scott Bruffey, Tom Cutler, Erin DeCaprio. 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. To celebrate they bought an Airstream trailer and traveled the country, eventually settling in Ajo, Arizona, a town of 2,500 persons near the Mexican border. 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. The case went to trial in the searing summer of 1978. When he drank, he turned violent. The last I heard, she was calling herself Marjorie Hagen and living in the Southwest. The Gateway to Hell in Tagus, North Dakota. 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. But prosecutors didn't want to risk a not guilty verdict. That's because 40 years later, Hartman said, about 70 percent of visitors don't even know about the murders. Marjorie is now 84 years old and shes still out there. I was only 9 years old when she had a stroke. 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 was a three or four course meal, with fine china and polished silver. 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 staff rarely saw her. He did a masterful job. Your email address will not be published. In 1986, he was elected St. Louis County Sheriff; he retired in 1999. 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. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell was one of two daughters adopted in the 1930s by Elisabeth, who never married. If todays Duluth is an unusually lively and progressive city for its size, that is in part due to Congdons passions. But psychopaths are different. Marjorie Hagen, then known as Marjorie Caldwell, was accused of conspiring with her then-husband, Roger Caldwell, to kill Elisabeth Congdon, 83, and hernight nurse in the Congdon mansion in Duluth . Meanwhile, during all this legal back and forth, the Glensheen mansion had opened to the public. Interesting. What happened to them was a nightmare. But she's not able to get around town like in the old days. Marjorie Congdon became Marjorie LeRoy on June 30th, 1951. 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. He now operates a consulting service doing organizational and facility assessments. From the outside, it may have looked like her spending was out of control. On Jan. 6, 2004, Hagen left prison in Perryville, Ariz., after serving 10 years of the 15-year sentence for arson. As the day nurse entered the house that morning, something seemed off, the mansion was unusually quiet. Elisabeths face was purple, her mouth hanging open. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. 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. Is there a movie about the Glensheen Mansion? I visit anonymously and join tours to see what they say, and see how people react. In 1983 Roger Caldwell confessed to the Glensheen killings, pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. 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. "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. Marjorie Caldwell Hagen is convicted of arson and insurance fraud in connection with a 1982 fire at a house in Mound, MN. She loved nature and history, and taught her children and grandchildren to protect them. Speech competition for high school girls in Minnesota welcomes applications through March, Duluth Polar Plunge makes a splash for Special Olympics. I thought that was kind of brilliant., Although hes best known for his work with The Suburbs, Poling is no stranger to the stage. (function(d, s, id) { They were soon up to their ears in debt and desperate for money. Police suspected that Roger Caldwell flew from Colorado to Minneapolis, drove to Duluth, and committed the murders under cover of darkness. Eighty-nine-year-old Marjorie Congdon has been called both a sociopath and a psychopath. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. Later, I became interested in infectious disease and HIV. Marjorie was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Then at the age of thirteen she did something that wouldve been a warning sign to any criminal psychologist, had there been such a thing in 1945. She recently moved to a house. Those who know her find her friendly and engaging. They are not trying to get money to feed a desire for things. The public needs to be educated. Elisabeth named her Marjorie. Jennifer was bubbly and outgoing, a treasure to all those who knew her, except perhaps to Marjorie whose behavioral problems got worse after her arrival. Editor's note: This story originally appeared in the June 25, 2017, edition of the News Tribune. He worked in a lumber mill from the age of fifteen to support his family after his fathers death. We sold it.. 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. The day after she was convicted, Wally Hagen was found dead of a drug overdose. In fact, LeRoy herself learned about many of her grandmothers projects only when she began to research her new book, Nightingale: A Memoir of Murder, Madness, and the Messenger of Spring, Kitai Press. How can I tell how big my Cockapoo will be? January 26,1985 Her appeal is turned down, so Marjorie begins serving her time for the arson and fraud conviction. She served 21 months. The lawyers tell you that you and your siblings would be set for life. Yet you became a nurse a very demanding, difficult profession. "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. Only the quick action of Dick LeRoy prevented the fire from spreading and burning the neighborhood down. Marjorie and Dick LeRoy had seven children: When LeRoy was transferred to Minnesota, they lived in Minneapolis, then moved to St. Louis Park. She was charged with murder in his death, but the charges were dropped. 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. A psychotic is someone who is out of touch with reality. The reason why they dont talk about the murders on the tour isnt because they are trying to hide it, its because murder is a horrendous thing to happen and not everyone wants to hear about it. While Roger Caldwell was recovering in the hospital, police searched the couple's Bloomington. What does Louis Osbourne do for a living? In 1991, she was caught trying to set fire to a neighbor's house. Sociopaths are rarely so engaging. He was taken into custody and arraigned on charges of first degree murder. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon about the age she was when she adopted Marjorie. 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. Was it your intention, in writing this book, to correct that? What does it mean when someone is succumb? Marjorie pleaded guilty to the crime of forgery and was given probation. A portrait of Chester Congdon looks over visitors to the Glensheen Mansion's library on Wednesday. Everybody loves a murder mystery! Female psychopaths are rare, occurring at half the rate of men. Your email address will not be published. Psychopaths are at their most dangerous when their manipulations are thwarted. In a 2009 plea agreement, she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery and was sentenced to three years of intensive probation. Im not going to sell the book at Glensheen. The bedroom where Elisabeth Congdon was murdered. At family reunions, we talk about history, and people knew a little bit, but so much about her was forgotten. How do I setup my iPhone 13 for the first time? 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. Also that year, she pleaded no contest in connection with arson fires at an Ajo storage yard believed set for a fraudulent insurance claim. 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. She always seemed like a nice person. Suddenly his ore was worth a fortune. He was treated for a possible heart attack but released after doctors couldnt determine the cause of his illness. In 1979, she was acquitted in the smothering of her adoptive mother and the beating death of a night nurse. The Marjorie Congdon Story: A Timeline | Artful Living Magazine A timeline outlining the alleged crimes committed by infamous Minnesota criminal Marjorie Congdon, the suspected mastermind behind the Glensheen murders. Psychopaths are in complete control of reality. When it opened two years after the murders, tour guides were instructed not to talk about them, because of the sensational nature of the crimes, and because it was still so raw and emotional for the families. It was a pattern that would repeat itself throughout her life. She was still in jail Saturday on $250,000 bond. Marjories mother and the rest of the Congdon family put their foot down and refused to send her money to bail her out. Marjorie Congdon was born Jacqueline Barnes on July 14, 1932, to an unwed mother in Tarboro, North Carolina. They married two months later. It might help visitors better understand Marjories behavior, and raise awareness about these dangerous people among us. The Caldwells were broke, living in Colorado, and had been asking Miss Congdon for money to buy a ranch. 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. When Elisabeth was found murdered, it didnt take long for the investigation to zero in on the Caldwells. "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.". An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. It appears someone can be born a psychopath, and it also appears that psychopathology can run in families. On June 27, 1977 at 3:00am, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila (born April 26, 1911) were found murdered. Authorities said she began serving her sentence in 1993. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. 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. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. Additionally, two other men shes been close to have died in what some have regarded as suspicious circumstances. The crime immediately attracted national attention. When authorities called Marjorie to tell her what had happened, she said nonchalantly, It isnt our house. You find yourself not knowing what play youre in, Poling continues. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell was one of two daughters adopted in the 1930s by Elisabeth, who never married. She professed her innocence in the Ajo fire at trial. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. And they ended up acquitting her. 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