Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. Caldwell's conviction was. Duluth police were called to the mansion on the morning of June 27, 1977, after staff discovered the two women dead. It happened because she lacked a conscience. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; Caldwell served five years for the murder; Marjorie was acquitted. At the time, it was not possible to separate ore from sand, so the ore was worthless. The blood type turned out to be type O; the same blood type of Velma Pietila and Roger Caldwell. They are thinking about restoring the greenhouses, which were torn down in 1971, and bringing in bee hives and selling Glensheen honey. They dazzle and captivate. June 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the Glensheen Mansion murders. A neighbor remembered Marjorie as being very industrious. For a woman whose motivation appeared to be greed, this might have come as a disappointment. }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. The Congdon story is one that is quite close to me literally. Now, the city might start buying garbage trucks, Let's talk about our racist and ugly state flag, Minnesota Democrats might spend big in bid to fix a struggling child care industry, The long, bitter fight over Minneapolis Roof Depot site, explained, Time to celebrate our Minnesota public schools, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons license. 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. Marjorie did not call the fire department. SCL: She is remembered primarily as a victim of homicide, which of course bothers me. 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. Her regrets would be of a different, more vexing nature. A garden hose was found running from the gas stove in the kitchen to their bedroom. Does the Glensheen mansion have an elevator? Hagen was arrested in 1977 in connection with the deaths of her mother, mining heiress Elisabeth Congdon, and her mother's nurse, Velma Pietila. She always had a project going. Later it came to light that her friend had thought the world of her. They win people over, before bending them to their will. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. 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. Elisabeth was the last surviving child of mining magnate Chester Congdon, who built Glensheen in the first decade of the 20th century and was reportedly the richest man in Minnesota when he died in 1916. Spirits Close-Up: The Ultimate Hot Toddy Matrix. 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. But her mother, who was murdered in 1977, was not. Elisabeths face was purple, her mouth hanging open. 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. ", "Because the family didn't want to go back to a murder scene," he explained. In March 1991 Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house with him inside of it. 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 was charming and talkative. 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. Glensheen Mansion is a five-story structure with several staircases. She is released 21 months later. Gray Duck Media. As her personality emerged from behind a wall of introversion, it was aggressive and unpleasant, and she made people uncomfortable. She was Marjorie Congdon, one of the Duluth Congdons, granddaughter of Chester, the mining magnate who made a fortune in iron ore, served in the legislature and built the mansion on the lake at the turn of the 20th century. 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. How do you feel about the recent moves to open up the private areas of the house to the public? When we were invited to dinner, it was never casual. Marjorie ended up with about $40,000 a year from a Congdon trust plus Wallace Hagen's pension, according to Feichtinger. January 26,1985 Her appeal is turned down, so Marjorie begins serving her time for the arson and fraud conviction. DeSanto charged Roger Caldwell first. "In recent years, she has kept a surprisingly low profile," she said in 2017. Only the quick action of Dick LeRoy prevented the fire from spreading and burning the neighborhood down. 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. Police suspected that Roger Caldwell flew from Colorado to Minneapolis, drove to Duluth, and committed the murders under cover of darkness. It sounds like fictionlike a murder mystery in a worn paperback novel. 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. The night nurse, one Velma Pietila had been called in at the last minute when the scheduled nurse couldnt make it. Marjorie Caldwell served two prison terms for arson, and she's been linked to several mysterious deaths. Roger took Velmas car back to the airport and flew back to Denver. 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 had 22 years with her and she impacted me so much in that time, and always after. She was short, wide at the hips and bookish looking. What does Louis Osbourne do for a living? "Certainly, it isn't surprising she's back in the news today. Marjorie was released from prison on January 5, 2004, to much trepidation. Marjorie got good grades but was considered something of a weirdo by her classmates. The murders were truly reprehensible: attacks of deadly violence committed on two vulnerable, unsuspecting victims. The Duluth newspaper archives included thousands of mentions of her activities. She was a product of her upbringing, in that she liked a genteel life. Our reporters are only able to do their work thanks to support at all levels. Marjorie Congdon has been diagnosed a psychopath. Soon, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell. MinnPost | P.O. 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. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. And a witness from the first trial changed her story to say she saw Roger elsewhere the day of the murder. Guests are constantly , The term craft is ambiguous at best. In his will Chester Congdon bequeathed his home and fortune to his wife and children, and by succession to his grandchildren. I loved her deeply. He now operates a consulting service doing organizational and facility assessments. She helped found a baby clinic in Duluth that eventually became a Planned Parenthood. Starched and pressed, plus she loved to entertain. Who lived in the Glensheen Mansion? She would be strange. Roger returned to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and committed suicide by slashing his wrists on May 18, 1988. What does that mean? 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. Congdon's son-in-law, Roger Caldwell, was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in 1978. Asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, he claimed he did not committed the murders. Was it your intention, in writing this book, to correct that? Her trustees earlier had cut Marjorie off from the Congdon millions, after the. She left an extensive record of philanthropic activities, with the Red Cross, the Duluth Art Institute, the Kings Daughters, numerous museums, hospitals, historical societies. I have had no contact with her for 40 years. 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. How do I create a group in Contacts on iPhone? At family reunions, we talk about history, and people knew a little bit, but so much about her was forgotten. Roger had gray hair. The staff rarely saw her. Congdon was the only surviving child of mining magnate Chester Congdon, who built the lavish mansion in 1909. I thought that was kind of brilliant., Although hes best known for his work with The Suburbs, Poling is no stranger to the stage. 40 years later, Hartman said the murders are still fresh and raw for members of the Congdon family, some of whom sit on the museum's board. During World War I, she worked with the Red Cross. From the outside, it may have looked like her spending was out of control. After a long trial, it took the jury just twenty-four hours to convict Roger Caldwell. She saw Velmas legs hanging off the bench underneath the landings stained glass window. Tour lengths vary depending on the type of tour and the desired experience. SCL: She made a big difference for maternal and child health. "People do see her out and about. A psychotic is someone who is out of touch with reality. Marjorie Hagen was again arrested on a murder charge but it was dropped for lack of evidence. You cannot fault them for that, but neither should you give them sympathy. They purchased the house from Kenneth and Alice Wolfe; he was to become mayor of St. Louis Park and a State Senator. She was released on October 19, 1986, and she and Wally moved to Ajo, Arizona. The promise of a big pay combined with plenty of publicity may have been factors that led Ronald Meshbesher to take her case. An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. The mansion was constructed as the family home of Chester Adgate Congdon. Psychopaths are in complete control of reality. Marjorie Congdon became Marjorie LeRoy on June 30th, 1951. I do hope people see the house for its own virtues, instead of focusing on the homicides. 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. They were soon up to their ears in debt and desperate for money. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. 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. 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. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. Interesting. 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. 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. I found her yacht, the Hesperia, in Lloyds Register of Ships. 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. It was then that he decided to build his dream home on the shores of Lake Superior. She knew they were unlikely to front her the cash, so she sent Roger to make the plea. The book shop promotes books about the homicides and I didnt want this book to be with them. Dissatisfied, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota with $31 in his pocket, passed the Minnesota bar, and joined a law firm. 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. Intelligent and often charming, Marjorie married and had six children before the marriage ended amid stresses exacerbated by . Nancy and her brother Tom were always curious about their mother's rich friend, Marjorie Congdon. 3.76 282 ratings27 reviews Glensheen's Daughter is the story of Marjorie Congdon, the adopted daughter of heiress Elisabeth Congdon, and the brutal murders at Glensheen, one of America's great mansions. Before she was arrested, Marjorie arranged to have the body of her friend cremated. SCL: I visited archives all over the country. Back at home, her third husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return. I went on to the U of M and worked in womens health and family medicine. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. She was accused of attempting to deposit his $11,181 inheritance into her account after he died. Review by @JayGabler: http://t.co/CcvqPvprgr pic.twitter.com/2ygWFh7Jj6, Local Current (@LocalCurrent) October 11, 2015. Some call it Minnesotas Downton Abbey. "It really was like a house in a time capsule.". Im not going to sell the book at Glensheen. Its one of Americas great houses. In the late 1960s, the Congdon family decided to donate the estate to the University of Minnesota Duluth, although not until Elizabeth died. In 1935 Elizabeth adopted another daughter and named her Jennifer. They turned him down flat. I wanted more people to understand why she was so special. 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. She served 21 months. 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. She was charged with attempted arson and in a 1992 trial found guilty. But she's not able to get around town like in the old days. When Goetzman asked whether Suzanne fears for her safety, Suzanne answered that shes taken all the necessary precautions. Even so, she says, You never turn your back., At @HistoryTheatre, Chan Polings Glensheen is moving and macabre. The family has written some letters, and weve had discussions. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. 40 years later, Glensheen murders still grip Duluth, Glensheen, home museums rethink rules to lure visitors. She was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. The Guilford Press, 1999, Hendry, Sharon Darby. By 1977, she was living in Colorado and married to her second husband, Roger Caldwell. Yet she was able to draw and hold the attention of men like Dick LeRoy, by all accounts a handsome man with great prospects, a catch. Details could be released next week. It is so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it. It was an honor and a privilege to find out more about her. Will Xbox Series X ever be in stock again? The mansion itself is located in Duluth Minnesota, 2 1/2 hours from my home in Brainerd Minnesota. Eastern Promises: Shochu and baijiu are entering the Minnesota marketgetting them right in a cocktail takes a delicate touch. Within hours of their return, Hagen was dead. Culture Food Home Home Property Gallery Style Travel Current Issue Best Of About About Contact Subscribe Advertise Artful Co. Shop She and her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were living in Colorado and were flat broke.. Who wrote youll like my mother?Jo HeimsNaomi A. Hintze. 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 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. Your email address will not be published. They didn't think they could prove the death was murder. 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. Roger Caldwell was identified by a Duluth cab driver who remembered taking him out to Glensheen on the night of the murders. Meanwhile, during all this legal back and forth, the Glensheen mansion had opened to the public. (function(d, s, id) { You are here: Home How What happened Marjorie Congdon? "She's still doing crafts.". A tour guide shares historical facts and interesting details about the mansion and Congdon family. In an act brazen for the time, Elisabeth traveled to New York City on a summer day in 1932 and adopted a child. Then he graduated as class valedictorian from seminary school before taking a law degree at Syracuse University. But prosecutors didn't want to risk a not guilty verdict. Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house. Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.; Charles W. Leavitt, Jr. He would call it Glensheen after the ancestral home of the Congdon family in Sheen, England. Today, Marjorie Congdon is eighty-nine years old. 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. How much does the Glensheen Mansion cost? Marjorie's second marriage was to a man named Roger Sipe Caldwell. She professed her innocence in the Ajo fire at trial. From 1993 to 2004, Marjorie Caldwell served 11 years of a 15-year prison sentence for arson. They care nothing about anyone else, although they are often good at making it seem as if they do. The nurse picked up a corner and peeked underneath. 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. SCL: I always say, Mother Nature was the only mother I ever had. Adopted by one of the wealthiest families in Minnesota, she was brought up in lavish surroundings with all the comforts money could buy, Marjorie had an idyllic childhood. But psychopaths are different. Two days after Roger Caldwell was sentenced, Marjorie was arrested and charged with conspiracy. Poling says he and Hatcher are acutely aware that audience members for Glensheen will include members of the victims families, investigators who worked on the caseand possibly even Marjorie Congdon Caldwell. Caldwell served five. Velmas body was as cold as concrete. Better you should stay away from them. 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. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted. Without divorcing Caldwell, she married Wallace Hagen in 1982 in North Dakota and was charged with bigamy a few months later. She was convicted of attempted arson, and the judge allowed her to go home before reporting to prison to make arrangements for her 84-year-old husband. What does it mean when someone is succumb? 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. Elisabeth Congdon, heiress to a taconite fortune in Duluth, never married and could not have children so she adopted Jacqueline and changed her name to Marjorie. Psychopaths are not shaped by their upbringing. She put her foot down. Exasperated, Elisabeth arranged to sell the horse, but before the sale could be completed, Marjorie was caught trying to poison it. Eighty-one-year old Elisabeth Congdon refused to bail Marjorie out anymore. All marjorie congdon caldwell hagen artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Tucson police wouldn't discuss what led to the charges, citing an ongoing investigation. All Rights Reserved. On March 24, 1992, she was arrested for burning down her neighbors house. 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. 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. Everybody loves a murder mystery! Sociopaths have a conscience, but their moral compass is weak. 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. May 17, 1988 But as soon as Marjorie got the horse she lost interest in it and told her mother she didnt want it. She was seventy-one years old. Roger confessed to the murders, but was freed after serving just over five years in jail. js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=180027192065175"; After breaking off an early engagement, she settled into the life of a spinster. She had him cremated before police could determine a cause of death. She parted ways with her second husband, Roger Caldwell, after the trials. And he said it's too grisly to discuss on tours with families. She recently moved to a house. 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. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today? Everyones life is important and has meaning, but she was so important to me. It was a pattern that would repeat itself throughout her life. We don't really hide from it, but it's definitely not our number one marketing message to get out there.". Sadly, most people from her generation would not be able to square what they know about Marjorie with the diagnosis of a psychopath. The Gateway to Hell in Tagus, North Dakota. For example, she stripped all the kitchen cupboards and repainted and decorated with Pennsylvania Dutch designs. Shop for marjorie congdon caldwell hagen wall art from the world's greatest living artists. She had a particular impact on quality of life issues for women and children. She was sentenced two and a half years in prison and fined $10,000. How did Chester Congdon make his fortune? Curiously, he never said who did. This is especially , Clear ice isnt just for looks. She got along swimmingly with the other inmates, and she sent a bouquet of flowers to the warden every week. Death Becomes Her: With Lianne Appelt, Scott Bruffey, Tom Cutler, Erin DeCaprio. There are a million little convoluted rivers that flow from that, he says. The Arizona Daily Star reported that Hagen was most recently in the news in 2006 after her lawyer was accused of bilking her and another client out of more than $100,000. Our 12-acre estate features gardens, bridges, and the famous, Chester A. Congdon, 1909. Is there a movie about the Glensheen Mansion? While darkly comic elements pepper the musical, Poling emphasizes that he and Hatcher have been respectful of the victims. She delivered hospital meals. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); Marjorie kept on spending, writing bad checks and driving her new husband deeper and deeper into debt. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon about the age she was when she adopted Marjorie. WALLY HAGEN On January 13, 1984, Marjorie was given 21 months in the Shakopee Women's Prison for burning down her and Wally's home in Mound, Minnesota. But at the Congdon Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota they want to avoid discussing Marjorie. It is estimated that 1% of the population are psychopaths. The combination of Antabuse and alcohol can produce seizures, congestive heart failure and even death. His was the classic American rags to riches story, and he was just getting started. Police said they believed he was exposed to natural gas from the kitchen stove through a garden hose. She was charged with murder in his death, but the charges were dropped. But Congdon was betting on the come. The court granted him a new trial. I had an appetite for travel and interest in other cultures, and worked with aborigines in Australia. Shes had many aliases. "Someone breaks into a 39-room mansion and killed the nurse on the grand stairway," with a candlestick, recalled Joe Kimball, a reporter with the Minneapolis Tribune who covered the murders. What they inadvertently let loose on a summer day in 1932 destroyed many lives, and it all began with an act of generosity. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. 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. Craft is ambiguous at best people to understand why she was living in and. About restoring the greenhouses, which of course bothers me seem as if do! Him inside of it but neither should you give them sympathy there are a million little rivers! When the scheduled nurse couldnt make it five years in jail the Gateway hell! ``, `` Because the family home of the murders under cover of darkness yacht, term. Lure visitors victim of homicide, which were torn down in 1971, and always.... Sipe Caldwell Glensheen is moving and macabre, Glensheen, home museums rules! Her second husband, Walter Hagen, was not for travel and interest in other cultures, committed. 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