And I whispered to the guide, 'You know she was brutally murdered, right?'". Tucson police wouldn't discuss what led to the charges, citing an ongoing investigation. In 1990, the Hagens moved to Ajo, Ariz. Everybody loves a murder mystery! When he drank, he turned violent. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. A wealthy woman is murdered in her bed, smothered with a pillow in the landmark lakeside mansion built by her parents. Dissatisfied, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota with $31 in his pocket, passed the Minnesota bar, and joined a law firm. Before the contract came due, she sold the house but didnt immediately vacate. At the age of nineteen she emerged as an engaging, charismatic young woman. Who wrote youll like my mother?Jo HeimsNaomi A. Hintze. But in the big picture a greater public service could be done by acknowledging the tragedy and handing out information on psychopathology. She taught me to give back. She wasnt there long. What does Louis Osbourne do for a living? Caldwell's conviction was. In 1991, she was caught trying to set fire to a neighbor's house. Feichtinger wouldn't go that far, noting that Marjorie is no longer on probation and being supervised. Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. For a woman whose motivation appeared to be greed, this might have come as a disappointment. Accordingly, when Marjorie was thirteen, Elisabeth bought Marjorie a horse she had been demanding. Marjorie had insisted she and Roger stay at Glensheen, but that request was refused since police still had to tie up loose ends. Its been 37 years since my grandmothers death, and its good to see the house is still a vital part of Duluth. Marjorie Caldwell served two prison terms for arson, and she's been linked to several mysterious deaths. At family reunions, we talk about history, and people knew a little bit, but so much about her was forgotten. Marjorie Congdon Hagen, 78, was placed on three years' intensive probation in March 2009 after she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery. She was seventy-one years old. Caldwell served only five years in prison; in 1983, he was released after confessing to the murders. One month before the murder Marjorie got a prescription for Antabuse. As before, she was not considered a flight risk, so she was permitted to visit her husband one last time before being escorted to prison. In 1983 Roger Caldwell confessed to the Glensheen killings, pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. When authorities called Marjorie to tell her what had happened, she said nonchalantly, It isnt our house. The marriage lasted twenty years and cost Dick LeRoy an estimated $1 million in debt and liabilities. People are drawn to psychopaths like moths to a flame. Is there a movie about the Glensheen Mansion? Marjorie Congdon Hagen admitted she endorsed and deposited an $11,000 check into a bank account she shared with Roger Sammis four days after Sammis died, said defense attorney Brick Storts.. Read this article as it appears in themagazine. 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. For the Standard Tour which includes the main floor, second floor and lower level. Its a significant part of the mansions history, even if it is a bit unsettling, especially in light of the fact that the likely murderer is still alive and not in prison. They cannot believe the things people say about her. That's because 40 years later, Hartman said, about 70 percent of visitors don't even know about the murders. 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. 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. The victims' families "were really hopeful that we would not have to retry the case with a chance of Roger walking free," DeSanto said. 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. Who lived in the Glensheen Mansion? As a result, no autopsy was possible. Psychopaths are without a conscience. How much does the Glensheen Mansion cost? If Marjorie couldnt have it, nobody would. So is she no longer a threat? It seemed clear to prosecutors that Roger could not have committed the murders alone. Marjorie and Caldwell were reportedly in heavy debt shortly after marrying in Colorado in 1976. It might help visitors better understand Marjories behavior, and raise awareness about these dangerous people among us. He worked in a lumber mill from the age of fifteen to support his family after his fathers death. "She was knitting at the defense table," said Kimball. She always seemed like a nice person. When Elisabeth was found murdered, it didnt take long for the investigation to zero in on the Caldwells. But too many people remember only that she was killed at home at Glensheen mansion, along with her nurse, Velma Pietila, in 1977. Marjorie Congdon became Marjorie LeRoy on June 30th, 1951. Caldwell served five years for the murder; Marjorie was acquitted. Marjorie Caldwell Hagen is convicted of arson and insurance fraud in connection with a 1982 fire at a house in Mound, MN. Better you should stay away from them. 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. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. After his wife mysteriously died after a visit from Marjorie, Wally Hagen became Marjories next husband. She was introverted and spent most of her time reading alone or playing by herself in the nooks and crannies of the vast mansion. ", "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.' "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 public needs to be educated. A satin pillow was lying over Elisabeths face. Marjorie kept on spending, writing bad checks and driving her new husband deeper and deeper into debt. 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. But psychopaths are different. On the morning of June 27th, 1977 the day nurse arrived at Glensheen to take over for the night staff. She saw Velmas legs hanging off the bench underneath the landings stained glass window. Marjorie did not call the fire department. Interesting. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. No witnesses survive, and the cops in a small northern Minnesota city have to make their case based on purely circumstantial evidence. 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. We hope Marjorie doesnt show up at the theater with a box of matches, Poling says. She was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. MinnPost: Although Glensheen is well known, your grandmother is not. DULUTH Trouble continued to follow Marjorie Caldwell after her 1979 trial and acquittal for murder conspiracy in the slayings of her mother and her mother's nurse at Glensheen. 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. 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. Eighty-nine-year-old Marjorie Congdon has been called both a sociopath and a psychopath. MP: In the book, you implicate her in numerous murders across the country, although she never served time for any. 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. Editor's note: This story originally appeared in the June 25, 2017, edition of the News Tribune. The next day, DeSanto charged Marjorie with conspiring to kill her mother. The news, analysis and community conversation found here is funded by donations from individuals. But she's not able to get around town like in the old days. The bedroom where Elisabeth Congdon was murdered. This was now two years after the murders and, as Kimball recalled, two new developments hurt the prosecution. Prone to arson, Marjorie was suspected of torching her home in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, but the matter was dropped. In 1992, Hagen pleaded no contest to a criminal damage charge in connection with a 1990 fire at an Ajo storage yard that was believed to have been set to support a fraudulent insurance claim. Marjorie Congdon has been diagnosed a psychopath. Marjories mother and the rest of the Congdon family put their foot down and refused to send her money to bail her out. Two years later, the town experienced a rash of forty-three fires, at least fifteen of which were attributed to arson. "We always believed, and the whole theory of the case was, that she was the woman behind the man," DeSanto said. She was arrested, tried and convicted. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. When did Irene Curie win the Nobel Prize? And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. 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. Make a gift of any amount today to support this resource for everyone. Poling is channeling these past experiences for Glensheen.. She warned Roger if he wouldnt do something about his drinking, she would. js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=180027192065175"; Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. You are here: Home How What happened Marjorie Congdon? Roger Caldwell, when he was arrested for the murders of heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse, in St. Louis County, on July 8, 1977. In 1883 at the age of thirty he started his own practice and traveled to Duluth on the shores of Lake Superior where he became interested in mining. She knew they were unlikely to front her the cash, so she sent Roger to make the plea. Also that year, she pleaded no contest in connection with arson fires at an Ajo storage yard believed set for a fraudulent insurance claim. Marjorie had a penchant for arson. How do you feel about the recent moves to open up the private areas of the house to the public? "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. St. Louis County Chief Prosecutor John DeSanto prosecuted the 1977 murders. With Roger out of prison under supervision and a retrial looming, authorities decided to strike a deal rather than risk an acquittal. 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 had been smothered to death. At the time, it was not possible to separate ore from sand, so the ore was worthless. Sure, there've been times over 40 years when I wished the whole thing. A traumatic childhood can turn a person into a sociopath. An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. The elderly Elisabeth Congdon did what she could to help lessen the damage by covering at least $350,000 of her daughters indebtedness, but it wasnt enough to prevent Dick LeRoy from being ruined. Back at home, her third husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. 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. [Elizabeth Congdon never fully recovered, and spent the last decade of her life unable to engage in many of her previous activities]. They didn't think they could prove the death was murder. She was so much more than the last day of her life. In a city that bears the Congdon name at nearly every turn (this week, when a fire damaged Duluths historic Traphagen House, it was even noted that the Congden family had lived there while their Glensheen mansion was being constructed), her legacy is long, yet her individual accomplishments have largely been forgotten. It has been lightly edited for today's readers. Required fields are marked *. She parted ways with her second husband, Roger Caldwell, after the trials. Relations between Marjorie and her family members were highly strained, and the Congdon estate closely monitored all communication between Marjorie and her mother. Her nurse is also killed, bludgeoned with a candlestick. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. Box 18438 | Minneapolis, MN 55418 | 612.455.6950, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license., * Please read before republishing *
Some call it Minnesotas Downton Abbey. Whats more, investigators found a dark hair near Velma Pietilas body. Compulsive spending was Marjorie Congdons modus operandi. [Its] a very rich Sondheim sound. "The big mystery still is, did Roger do it alone or with someone else there, and how involved if at all was Marjorie? Female psychopaths are rare, occurring at half the rate of men. The cause was arson, but her presence there could not be connected to the crime, and she was not arrested. But as soon as Marjorie got the horse she lost interest in it and told her mother she didnt want it. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. We were invited for dinner several times. Is that your grandmothers influence? 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. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell had enough notoriety as an heiress that she could hire one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Minnesota. Our 12-acre estate features gardens, bridges, and the famous, Chester A. Congdon, 1909. In 2005, the museum reversed course. There was a level of service and attention to detail we just cant fathom in todays world. She always told stories about her nursing training in World War I, and I was fascinated. In an act brazen for the time, Elisabeth traveled to New York City on a summer day in 1932 and adopted a child. 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. 2023 The Growler Magazine. In the early years of the twentieth century as the demand for iron ore increased, Chester Congdons wealth grew. But her mother, who was murdered in 1977, was not. Investigators quickly identify two suspects with a classic motive: struggling financially, the suspects stood to inherit millions upon the victims death. How do I setup my iPhone 13 for the first time? They care nothing about anyone else, although they are often good at making it seem as if they do. The Congdon story is one that is quite close to me literally. The Classic and Full Mansion tours are self-paced with most visitors spending. Candleholders on Elisabeth Congdons bedside table in Glensheen Mansion. 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. They are friendly and engaging. Velmas body was as cold as concrete. 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? 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