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. 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. If you can make a difference in even one life, its meaningful. Back at home, her third husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return. 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.
He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Avoid being drawn in. Even her attorney Ronald Meshbesher couldnt get her off. He now operates a consulting service doing organizational and facility assessments. It really is part of a bygone era. On Jan. 6, 2004, Hagen left prison in Perryville, Ariz., after serving 10 years of the 15-year sentence for arson. Within hours of their return, Hagen was dead. 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. They care nothing about anyone else, although they are often good at making it seem as if they do. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. The Congdons are notable for many things, and the docents dont want those accomplishments overshadowed by the taint of Marjorie Congdons behavior. In 1975 Marjorie Congdon met Roger Caldwell at a Parents Without Partners meeting in Colorado. How do I create a group in Contacts on iPhone? Interesting. "She's still doing crafts.". They are friendly and engaging. Details could be released next week. There was a level of service and attention to detail we just cant fathom in todays world. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. 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. But in reality it was just the opposite. When authorities called Marjorie to tell her what had happened, she said nonchalantly, It isnt our house. She was a product of her upbringing, in that she liked a genteel life. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. What happened Marjorie Congdon? Velmas body was as cold as concrete. 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. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. The bottle in question was some type of clear spirit, , Bartenders everywhere know that people hate vermouth. At least three books have been written about Hagen, including, "Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes & Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings," by former News Tribune crime reporter Gail Feichtinger, retired Duluth police detective Gary Waller and DeSanto. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. She went up to the prone figure. Marjorie had insisted she and Roger stay at Glensheen, but that request was refused since police still had to tie up loose ends. Marjorie Congdon Hagen, 78, was placed on three years' intensive probation in March 2009 after she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery. The nurse picked up a corner and peeked underneath. Suddenly his ore was worth a fortune. Psychopaths are without a conscience. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; MinnPost thanks these generous donors: INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATI0NS Blandin FoundationOtto Bremer FoundationBush FoundationSage & John CowlesDavid . The police investigation quickly focused on Elisabeth's daughter by adoption, Marjorie Caldwell, 44, and Marjorie's husband, Roger, 43, in a murder-for-inheritance plot. She was accused of attempting to deposit his $11,181 inheritance into her account after he died. Yet even now somebody is sitting down over a friendly cup of coffee with a psychopath somewhere. He worked in a lumber mill from the age of fifteen to support his family after his fathers death. Without divorcing Caldwell, she married Wallace Hagen in 1982 in North Dakota and was charged with bigamy a few months later. Twelve years after the murders, he committed suicide. In March 1991 Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house with him inside of it. "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. Eighty-nine-year-old Marjorie Congdon has been called both a sociopath and a psychopath. The Gateway to Hell in Tagus, North Dakota. 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. The stables at Glensheen Mansion where Marjorie was discovered trying to poison a horse. The lawyers tell you that you and your siblings would be set for life. Yet you became a nurse a very demanding, difficult profession. 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. Nancy and her brother Tom were always curious about their mother's rich friend, Marjorie Congdon. Is she still living? "She was knitting at the defense table," said Kimball. One other big difference stands out. It has been lightly edited for today's readers. The family has written some letters, and weve had discussions. In January 2004 Marjorie Congdon was released from prison after serving ten years of her fifteen year sentence for arson. After the murders, someone stole Velma Pietilas car and left it at the airport, suggesting the killer had fled the city. In 1986, he was elected St. Louis County Sheriff; he retired in 1999. You find yourself not knowing what play youre in, Poling continues. The next owner of this house remembered Marjorie well. They are not creepy. Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house. The research was a wonderful process, and I felt privileged to discover so many things about her I didnt know. He died in 1916. She was accused of murdering her third husband, although those charges were dropped. 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. Before she was arrested, Marjorie arranged to have the body of her friend cremated. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Chester Adgate Congdon accrued a fortune, How long is the tour? My GM made all the difference for me. On June 27, 1977 at 3:00am, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila (born April 26, 1911) were found murdered. A deposit of iron ore had been found sixty miles to the north in the Mesabi range, and Pittsburgh steel magnate Andrew Carnegie had shown an interest in it. They consider the legacy of Chester Congdon and his family too important to be tainted by the troubling story of her atrocious behavior. When Marjorie was three, Elisabeth adopted a second daughter who she named Jennifer. I started out with a Gothic feel, really influenced by Cabaret, Chicago, and Sweeney Todd, he says. And I have taken all the necessary precautions to keep myself safe. Developed by Prime Marketing Exposition, @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. Roger confessed to the murders, but was freed after serving just over five years in jail. said Kimball. A nineteenth century masterpiece of hand-carved oak, stained glass, damask wall coverings and handmade rugs, it sits on twelve acres of land that slopes gently to the shores of Lake Superior. Does the Glensheen mansion have an elevator? 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. And a witness from the first trial changed her story to say she saw Roger elsewhere the day of the murder. While darkly comic elements pepper the musical, Poling emphasizes that he and Hatcher have been respectful of the victims. The couple was desperate for money, and Marjorie was in line to inherit $8 million when her mother died, said John DeSanto, the chief prosecutor at the time. Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. Cable Publishing, 2014, Mansion with blood red sky, by Toa Heftiba, Glensheen Mansion exterior, Public domain, Glensheen bedroom where murder took place, Damien Enwhistle, Chester Congdon by Daniel Haas, CC by-SA 4.0, Hallway in Glensheen mansion, Damien Enwhistle, Elisabeth Condon in her eighties, Popular Bio, Staircase landing at Glensheen, Damien Enwhistle, Roger Caldwell mugshot, John DeSanto, Zenith City Press, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell walking with attorney, Art Hagen, Minneapolis Start Tribume, Candleholders on nightstand in murder bedroom, Hansen Family blog, Marjorie Congdon mug shot, Pima County Sheriffs Office, Smiling Marjorie in her seventies, Arizona Department of Corrections, Lake Superior shoreline, by Taylor Friehl. Investigators quickly identify two suspects with a classic motive: struggling financially, the suspects stood to inherit millions upon the victims death. The Congdon story is one that is quite close to me literally. When jewelry matching that taken from Glensheen, and a convenience store receipt from the morning of the crime printed in the MinneapolisSt. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. Elisabeths face was purple, her mouth hanging open. The book shop promotes books about the homicides and I didnt want this book to be with them. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. Box 18438 | Minneapolis, MN 55418 | 612.455.6950, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license., * Please read before republishing *
Hare, Robert D. Phd. Then in 1951 Marjorie became someone elses problem. How much does the Glensheen Mansion cost? Marjorie and Caldwell were reportedly in heavy debt shortly after marrying in Colorado in 1976. On January 13, 1984, Marjorie was given 21 months in the Shakopee Womens Prison for burning down her and Wallys home in Mound, Minnesota. When she left, they told her they were going to miss her. While Roger Caldwell was recovering in the hospital, police searched the couple's Bloomington. MP: What sources did you consult in your research? Marjories mother and the rest of the Congdon family put their foot down and refused to send her money to bail her out. I had 22 years with her and she impacted me so much in that time, and always after. 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. Caldwell served five years for the murder; Marjorie was acquitted. I found her yacht, the Hesperia, in Lloyds Register of Ships. In the world Marjorie Congdon grew up in, wealth was everything. Marjorie pleaded guilty to the crime of forgery and was given probation. My interest in travel, education, nature and nursing all come from her. Although police suspected he had been gassed, tests showed he died of a drug overdose. Eighty-one-year old Elisabeth Congdon refused to bail Marjorie out anymore. 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. 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 many bedrooms are in the Glensheen Mansion? 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. Everyones life is important and has meaning, but she was so important to me. Review by @JayGabler: http://t.co/CcvqPvprgr pic.twitter.com/2ygWFh7Jj6, Local Current (@LocalCurrent) October 11, 2015. MP: In the book, you implicate her in numerous murders across the country, although she never served time for any. In 1984, Marjorie was convicted of arson in the burning of the Mound, Minn., home she had just sold but remained an insurance beneficiary. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. That's because 40 years later, Hartman said, about 70 percent of visitors don't even know about the murders. Back in Minnesota for the funeral, police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room. It was an honor and a privilege to find out more about her. Soon, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell. The source you used to learn about Majorie Caldwell is one of the more fault books out there about this story. As her personality emerged from behind a wall of introversion, it was aggressive and unpleasant, and she made people uncomfortable. It looked like justice was finally catching up with her. During her lifetime, the Duluth mining heiress and philanthropist worked quietly to shape the community and culture of her northern town. This post is riddled with false statements about both the mansion and the family. This time Marjorie had overplayed her hand. 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. Velma was covered in blood. 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. When did Irene Curie win the Nobel Prize? SCL: I always say, Mother Nature was the only mother I ever had. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy: Yes. Member donations are crucial to the work of our nonprofit newsroom. When Marjorie was sixteen, Elisabeth sent her away to a boarding school in New England. This was now two years after the murders and, as Kimball recalled, two new developments hurt the prosecution. Marjorie could not have been pleased. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. 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. 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