But Congdon was betting on the come. The officers who dropped her off found her quirky and engaging, a charming old lady. He would call it Glensheen after the ancestral home of the Congdon family in Sheen, England. Marjorie could not have been pleased. Paul Airport, were found in the Caldwells hotel rooms, authorities arrested Roger and charged him with the murders. So they made a deal. 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. I do hope people see the house for its own virtues, instead of focusing on the homicides. Roger Caldwell was identified by a Duluth cab driver who remembered taking him out to Glensheen on the night of the murders. Antabuse is a prescription drug that reacts badly with alcohol. The case went to trial in the searing summer of 1978. Your email address will not be published. "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. She eventually paid her lawyer out of the income from her $750,000 trust fund. Marjorie married Roger Caldwell of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 1976, in the Denver, Colorado, area and they lived in Golden, Colorado. The next morning Walter Hagen was found dead, the victim of an apparent suicide. In 1975 Marjorie Congdon met Roger Caldwell at a Parents Without Partners meeting in Colorado. Box 18438 | Minneapolis, MN 55418 | 612.455.6950, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license., * Please read before republishing * Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. The terms are not interchangeable. Tour lengths vary depending on the type of tour and the desired experience. I have had no contact with her for 40 years. Psychopaths are not shaped by their upbringing. Chester Adgate Congdon was a go-getter. Is she still living? She was released on October 19, 1986, and she and Wally moved to Ajo, Arizona. If she could not get it by lying, cheating and stealing, she would find some other way. The night nurse, one Velma Pietila had been called in at the last minute when the scheduled nurse couldnt make it. In addition, they are charming, charismatic and engaging. Caldwell was a bad alcoholic. She recently moved to a house. Donations made by check can be made out to MinnPost and mailed to us at PO Box 18438, Minneapolis, MN 55418. "She got no bulk sum after the murders she basically lost it all," Feichtinger said. 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. A tour guide shares historical facts and interesting details about the mansion and Congdon family. After the murders, someone stole Velma Pietilas car and left it at the airport, suggesting the killer had fled the city. "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. Twenty months later she was released for good behavior. On June 27, 1977 at 3:00am, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila (born April 26, 1911) were found murdered. No witnesses survive, and the cops in a small northern Minnesota city have to make their case based on purely circumstantial evidence. You cannot fault them for that, but neither should you give them sympathy. Glensheen Mansion is a five-story structure with several staircases. Congdon was the only surviving child of mining magnate Chester Congdon, who built the lavish mansion in 1909. Is there a movie about the Glensheen Mansion? They were set to inherit millions of dollars when Elisabeth died. But at the Congdon Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota they want to avoid discussing Marjorie. He now operates a consulting service doing organizational and facility assessments. Psychopaths are at their most dangerous when their manipulations are thwarted. Poling was recruited by Hatcher, who had been asked by History Theatre to write a play based on the Glensheen case; Hatcher told Poling he only wanted to do the play if it could be a musical. In 1991, she was caught trying to set fire to a neighbor's house. Eighty-one-year old Elisabeth Congdon refused to bail Marjorie out anymore. 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. What do ice crystals on a frozen food item indicate? Marjorie did not call the fire department. The news, analysis and community conversation found here is funded by donations from individuals. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen's son is a candidate for a state judge spot. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. 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. Yet she destroyed the lives of all those around her. An expert disputed a fingerprint that linked Roger to the crime. You find yourself not knowing what play youre in, Poling continues. 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. 15091511 E. Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota. How much does the Glensheen Mansion cost? Yet even now somebody is sitting down over a friendly cup of coffee with a psychopath somewhere. Born in 1853, the son of a Methodist minister, Chester showed ambition and drive at an early age. DeSanto charged Roger Caldwell first. I started out with a Gothic feel, really influenced by Cabaret, Chicago, and Sweeney Todd, he says. It was a pattern that would repeat itself throughout her life. At family reunions, we talk about history, and people knew a little bit, but so much about her was forgotten. Glensheens Daughter: The Marjorie Congdon Story. ", "I went on one of the early tours," he said, "and one of the first things the guide said, was, 'when Ms. Congdon passed away, she willed the estate to the university.' As a result, no autopsy was possible. What does it mean when someone is succumb? Suzanne is estranged from her mother, telling MinnPost interviewer Amy Goetzman in 2014 that the last shed heard, her mother was calling herself Marjorie Hagen and living in the Southwest. And a witness from the first trial changed her story to say she saw Roger elsewhere the day of the murder. Meanwhile, during all this legal back and forth, the Glensheen mansion had opened to the public. An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. The marriage lasted twenty years and cost Dick LeRoy an estimated $1 million in debt and liabilities. We sold it.. Suddenly his ore was worth a fortune. She had him cremated before police could determine a cause of death. MP: In your memoirs, your grandmother seems to be a much greater influence on you than your own parents were. Who wrote youll like my mother?Jo HeimsNaomi A. Hintze. 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. But she's not able to get around town like in the old days. Most Minnesotans know of Marjorie Congdon as the woman who was tried and acquitted of conspiring with her then husband, Roger Caldwell, to murder Marjorie's mother, heiress Elizabeth Congdon. While darkly comic elements pepper the musical, Poling emphasizes that he and Hatcher have been respectful of the victims. 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. What they did is public record.. Investigators quickly identify two suspects with a classic motive: struggling financially, the suspects stood to inherit millions upon the victims death. However, that didnt mean she didnt want children. Marjories mother and the rest of the Congdon family put their foot down and refused to send her money to bail her out. The case had all the ingredients of an old-fashioned whodunit wealth, greed, betrayal, even a mansion and a candlestick murder weapon. He was taken into custody and arraigned on charges of first degree murder. If Marjorie couldnt have it, nobody would. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. On March 4, 2009, she was sentenced to three years probation. Twelve years after the murders, he committed suicide. They are not creepy. Norman Bates, as depicted in the film, was a psychotic. And I have taken all the necessary precautions to keep myself safe. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. 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. They didn't think they could prove the death was murder. The mansion itself is beautiful. Psychopaths live in a world of their own, a world that is all about their wants and needs. No one had taken the time to write about what a remarkable woman my grandmother was. Partially paralyzed by a stroke for more than a decade, eighty-three-year-old Elisabeth Congdon required around the clock care. Marjorie pleaded guilty to the crime of forgery and was given probation. Alarmed, Elisabeth sent her away to a clinic in Topeka, Kansas for a psychological evaluation. This is especially , Clear ice isnt just for looks. Overnight, Congdon became a very wealthy man. Product details Publisher : Zenith City Press; 4th edition (May 1, 2009) After all, it should be part of a complete picture of the mansions history, which also includes the remarkable story of Chester Adgate Congdon, Elisabeths father and the builder of Glensheen. She was arrested, tried and convicted. How many of the Andes Survivors are still Alive? Marjorie is now 84 years old and shes still out there. Are any of Freddie and the Dreamers still alive? Police said they believed he was exposed to natural gas from the kitchen stove through a garden hose. 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. The book shop promotes books about the homicides and I didnt want this book to be with them. 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. 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. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. Marjorie Congdons sudden magnetic appeal to men is remarkable in light of the fact that she was in no way conventionally attractive. She never did move into assisted living and as of 2017, at 84, her health didn't seem as bad as her attorney had claimed, according to Feichtinger. 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. Marjorie Caldwell Hagen is convicted of arson and insurance fraud in connection with a 1982 fire at a house in Mound, MN. Developed by Prime Marketing Exposition, @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. What happened to them was a nightmare. Marjorie Caldwell served two prison terms for arson, and she's been linked to several mysterious deaths. They were soon up to their ears in debt and desperate for money. She wasnt there long. 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. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. Speech competition for high school girls in Minnesota welcomes applications through March, Duluth Polar Plunge makes a splash for Special Olympics. Soon, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell. MP: Your book includes two riveting and fairly disturbing courtroom dramas the murder trial [starring a sneering Ron Meshbesher] and the settlement of your grandmothers estate. At the time, it was not possible to separate ore from sand, so the ore was worthless. Sociopaths have a conscience, but their moral compass is weak. A stroke had left her mobility and speech seriously impaired, requiring full-time medical supervision. In spite of the fact that it came to light during the trial that Marjorie had attempted to poison her mother on a previous occasion, Marjorie was acquitted. Elisabeth Mannering Congdons legacy is long, yet her individual accomplishments have largely been forgotten. These days few Americans find it cynical to observe that our justice system is vulnerable to the influences of wealth and celebrity. In this light, Marjories difficulty in making friends at school can be seen as trial and error, a long learning curve that resulted in her emerging as an engaging, charismatic young woman at the age of nineteen, enough to snare a man like Dick LeRoy. Also that year, she pleaded no contest in connection with arson fires at an Ajo storage yard believed set for a fraudulent insurance claim. 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. "She's still doing crafts.". Only the quick action of Dick LeRoy prevented the fire from spreading and burning the neighborhood down. She won. Marjorie Hagen was again arrested on a murder charge but it was dropped for lack of evidence. In 1990, the Hagens moved to Ajo,. Psychopaths are in complete control of reality. She was sentenced two and a half years in prison and fined $10,000. Its wonderful to see their reactions. Feichtinger wouldn't go that far, noting that Marjorie is no longer on probation and being supervised. 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. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. And they ended up acquitting her. Clarity means quality, and , We cant fight it any longer. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. She told the new buyers she wanted to do some work on the house before handing it over to them. Spirits Close-Up: The Ultimate Hot Toddy Matrix. But too many people remember only that she was killed at home at Glensheen mansion, along with her nurse, Velma Pietila, in 1977. "Then went upstairs and smothered the 83-year-old heiress in her bed with a satin pillow.". Condgon was found smothered with a satin pillow. Sadly, Marjories mother neglected to mention Marjories psychological problems to her new husband before he married her. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We are largest Know-How Listing website, total [total_posts] questions already asked and get answers instantly! 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? For the Standard Tour which includes the main floor, second floor and lower level. On January 13, 1984, Marjorie was given 21 months in the Shakopee Womens Prison for burning down her and Wallys home in Mound, Minnesota. "She brought a birthday cake in for one of the lawyers one day. She was accused of attempting to deposit his $11,181 inheritance into her account after he died. When authorities called Marjorie to tell her what had happened, she said nonchalantly, It isnt our house. 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. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. There was a level of service and attention to detail we just cant fathom in todays world. As her personality emerged from behind a wall of introversion, it was aggressive and unpleasant, and she made people uncomfortable. Saturday, Aug. 23, 12 p.m., Village Bookstore, Grand Rapids, Minn. MinnPost's in-depth, independent news is free for all to access no paywall or subscriptions. 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. It is famous for. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; We see that you have javascript disabled. Their manipulation of others is symptomatic of that need. Sympathy is a dangerous emotion in the hands of a psychopath. The combination of Antabuse and alcohol can produce seizures, congestive heart failure and even death. He did a masterful job. Back in Minnesota for the funeral, police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room. On June 27, 1977, the aged heiress to a vast mining fortune is killed along with her night nurse at Glensheen, a posh mansion perched on the Lake Superior coast. 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. 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. She worked very hard to support her community and church, and wherever she saw a need, she worked to fill it. Curiously, he never said who did. Despite prosecution having only circumstantial evidence to present, Roger was convicted and handed two consecutive life sentences. The cause was arson, but her presence there could not be connected to the crime, and she was not arrested. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy, one of Marjories daughters, recently published a biography of her late grandmother, highlighting Elisabeths philanthropic legacy. 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. Back at home, her third husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return. To control that wealth mustve been very enticing to someone like Marjorie. I was only 9 years old when she had a stroke. When Elisabeth was found murdered, it didnt take long for the investigation to zero in on the Caldwells. House for its own virtues, instead of focusing on the homicides from spreading burning... Investigation to zero in on the type of tour and the Dreamers still Alive the book promotes! And forth, the victim of an apparent suicide much about her was forgotten and wherever she saw need. To make their case based on purely circumstantial evidence to present, Roger was convicted and handed two life! Witness from the first trial changed her story to say she saw elsewhere... 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