Elisabeth Mannering Congdon, Chester Congdons third daughter, didnt prefer the company of men, at least not to the extent that she would marry one. On March 4, 2009, she was sentenced to three years probation. 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. Everyones life is important and has meaning, but she was so important to me. A tour guide shares historical facts and interesting details about the mansion and Congdon family. That heiress was Elizabeth Congdon, the last living child of Chester Congdon, who'd earned his fortune developing the Mesabi Iron Range. "Certainly, it isn't surprising she's back in the news today. Guests are constantly , The term craft is ambiguous at best. Box 18438 | Minneapolis, MN 55418 | 612.455.6950, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license., * Please read before republishing * Shop for marjorie congdon caldwell hagen wall art from the world's greatest living artists. The man who actually committed the murder was Roger Caldwell, the second husband of Elisabeth Congdon's adopted daughter, Marjorie, according to MinnPost. She was introverted and spent most of her time reading alone or playing by herself in the nooks and crannies of the vast mansion. What happened Marjorie Congdon? Two years later, the town experienced a rash of forty-three fires, at least fifteen of which were attributed to arson. Marjorie is now 84 years old and shes still out there. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. Psychopaths are in complete control of reality. They know exactly what theyre doing. As far as Marjorie and Roger: Theyre fair game. Rogers trial resulted in two consecutive life sentences, handed down on July 10, 1978. She warned Roger if he wouldnt do something about his drinking, she would. Her trustees earlier had cut Marjorie off from the Congdon millions, after the. If Marjorie couldnt have it, nobody would. Although Marjorie was brought up in the familys opulent Glensheen Mansion and attended Dana Hall Prep School in Massachusetts, she was nevertheless troubled, and at age 16 she was actually given the label sociopath during a stay at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, in the summer of 1949. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. They agreed. In an act brazen for the time, Elisabeth traveled to New York City on a summer day in 1932 and adopted a child. DeSanto charged Roger Caldwell first. The promise of a big pay combined with plenty of publicity may have been factors that led Ronald Meshbesher to take her case. When Elisabeth was found murdered, it didnt take long for the investigation to zero in on the Caldwells. How do I create a group in Contacts on iPhone? He now operates a consulting service doing organizational and facility assessments. At great personal expense, Congdon hired a mining engineer to develop a washing mill that could remove the sand. Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.; Charles W. Leavitt, Jr. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. We sold it.. He said she needed assisted living because of her worsening health issues. 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. In 2010, her attorney's court motion to remove her from intensive probation so she could get into an assisted living complex was denied. Caldwell's conviction was. Marjorie was released from prison on January 5, 2004, to much trepidation. Donations made by check can be made out to MinnPost and mailed to us at PO Box 18438, Minneapolis, MN 55418. 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. 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! I was only 9 years old when she had a stroke. MinnPost | P.O. She got along swimmingly with the other inmates, and she sent a bouquet of flowers to the warden every week. But at the Congdon Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota they want to avoid discussing Marjorie. After his wife mysteriously died after a visit from Marjorie, Wally Hagen became Marjories next husband. Marjorie and Dick LeRoy had seven children: When LeRoy was transferred to Minnesota, they lived in Minneapolis, then moved to St. Louis Park. 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. 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. In 1990, the Hagens moved to Ajo, Ariz. 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. The news, analysis and community conversation found here is funded by donations from individuals. "The big mystery still is, did Roger do it alone or with someone else there, and how involved if at all was Marjorie? 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. What does Louis Osbourne do for a living? An expert disputed a fingerprint that linked Roger to the crime. When did Irene Curie win the Nobel Prize? She was charged with attempted arson and in a 1992 trial found guilty. In 1985, she was imprisoned. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy, one of Marjories daughters, recently published a biography of her late grandmother, highlighting Elisabeths philanthropic legacy. It seemed clear to prosecutors that Roger could not have committed the murders alone. During her lifetime, the Duluth mining heiress and philanthropist worked quietly to shape the community and culture of her northern town. Better you should stay away from them. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. 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 are cold-hearted, deceitful, manipulative, and cruel. We were invited for dinner several times. "We spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the focus of Glensheen is not the murder. Velmas body was as cold as concrete. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. The Caldwells were broke, living in Colorado, and had been asking Miss Congdon for money to buy a ranch. She recently moved to a house. 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. It was as if she was determined to spend every last penny of Chester Congdons fortune. Withdrawing further, Marjorie began to act strangely, pulling out her own hair and laugh in an odd manner. The combination of Antabuse and alcohol can produce seizures, congestive heart failure and even death. How do I setup my iPhone 13 for the first time? She was arrested, tried and convicted. I had to wonder: Do you fear for your personal safety? MinnPost: Although Glensheen is well known, your grandmother is not. When Marjorie was three, Elisabeth adopted a second daughter who she named Jennifer. She instilled that in me, and the power of possibility. This was now two years after the murders and, as Kimball recalled, two new developments hurt the prosecution. In 1935 Elizabeth adopted another daughter and named her Jennifer. Everybody loves a murder mystery! When I began my research, I discovered so many amazing things. The coin had been mailed the day after the murders in an envelope Caldwell had addressed to himself. "She's still doing crafts.". 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. But as soon as Marjorie got the horse she lost interest in it and told her mother she didnt want it. 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He would call it Glensheen after the ancestral home of the Congdon family in Sheen, England. Partnering with a friend, Congdon obtained leases for iron ore properties that contained ore mixed with sand. 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. The murders at Glensheen mansion were sloppy. In 2007, Marjorie was charged with fraud, theft, forgery and computer tampering after befriending a man in his 70s and becoming his power of attorney. 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. 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. The Creepiest Town in America: Danvers, MA. In spite of the evidence, prosecutors did not pursue a case against her. In November 2010 a judge in southern Arizona refused her request for a reduction in the terms of her probation so that she could move to a nursing home. Its wonderful to see their reactions. Marjorie ended up with about $40,000 a year from a Congdon trust plus Wallace Hagen's pension, according to Feichtinger. When he drank, he turned violent. The LeRoys moved to an eight bedroom house at 4705 Fremont Ave. No. He died in 1916. She knew they were unlikely to front her the cash, so she sent Roger to make the plea. Her nurse is also killed, bludgeoned with a candlestick. A neighbor remembered Marjorie as being very industrious. The next day the house caught fire. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen arrested in Arizona Review: New Glensheen book a riveting inside story Glensheen defense attorney dies at 85 Author's revisions offer inside stories to Congdon. 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. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. After a long trial, it took the jury just twenty-four hours to convict Roger Caldwell. The landing where Velma Pietila was bludgeoned to death with a candle holder. Marjorie is a text book example. The Classic and Full Mansion tours are self-paced with most visitors spending. Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. 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. Hagen endorsed and deposited an $11,000 check into a bank. I had 22 years with her and she impacted me so much in that time, and always after. The shores of Lake Superior near Glensheen Mansion. Her adopted daughter Marjorie LeRoys mother along with her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were accused of murdering Congdon in an attempt to inherit her fortune. Twenty months later she was released for good behavior. The public needs to be educated. Most psychopaths are not violent, but all are treacherous. Those who know her find her friendly and engaging. In January 2004 Marjorie Congdon was released from prison after serving ten years of her fifteen year sentence for arson. Elisabeth, fearing publicity, did nothing. Compulsive spending was Marjorie Congdons modus operandi. Our 12-acre estate features gardens, bridges, and the famous, Chester A. Congdon, 1909. You want to raise your hand and draw attention to it, even if it might be considered a bit crass. She wanted the money, and she was not content to wait for her inheritance. The day after she was convicted, Wally Hagen was found dead of a drug overdose. As far as I know, she is still living. Antabuse is a prescription drug that reacts badly with alcohol. Are any of Freddie and the Dreamers still alive? 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. And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. She was given 15 years, but on October 30, 1992, Wally was found dead, a day before she was to report to prison. 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. She had been smothered to death. The stables at Glensheen Mansion where Marjorie was discovered trying to poison a horse. They consider the legacy of Chester Congdon and his family too important to be tainted by the troubling story of her atrocious behavior. They purchased the house from Kenneth and Alice Wolfe; he was to become mayor of St. Louis Park and a State Senator. [Elizabeth Congdon never fully recovered, and spent the last decade of her life unable to engage in many of her previous activities]. In 1951 Marjorie found herself in St. Louis, Missouri, and married Richard Dick Webster LeRoy, an insurance executive. Investigators focused almost immediately on one of Elizabeth's adopted daughters, Marjorie Caldwell, and her husband Roger. 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. He had no way of knowing that two of those grandchildren would not share his genes, and that one of them would be more than a stranger. Female psychopaths are rare, occurring at half the rate of men. Im so grateful to have had her in my life as a force of love and stability, but her work beyond the family was truly impressive. If you can make a difference in even one life, its meaningful. 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. 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. While darkly comic elements pepper the musical, Poling emphasizes that he and Hatcher have been respectful of the victims. 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. He worked in a lumber mill from the age of fifteen to support his family after his fathers death. When authorities called Marjorie to tell her what had happened, she said nonchalantly, It isnt our house. In March 1991 Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house with him inside of it. He was taken into custody and arraigned on charges of first degree murder. There was a level of service and attention to detail we just cant fathom in todays world. Thats different from a psychopath. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; 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. The marriage lasted twenty years and cost Dick LeRoy an estimated $1 million in debt and liabilities. Prone to arson, Marjorie was suspected of torching her home in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, but the matter was dropped. This tiny house, built by Mrs. Alice Tisdale in 1927, housed Marjorie, Dick, and their seven children. In 1991, she was caught trying to set fire to a neighbor's house. Psychopaths are without a conscience. I had an appetite for travel and interest in other cultures, and worked with aborigines in Australia. Roger returned to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and committed suicide by slashing his wrists on May 18, 1988. She was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. Yet she destroyed the lives of all those around her. 2023 The Growler Magazine. Before the contract came due, she sold the house but didnt immediately vacate. The child shed adopted was olive skinned with straight, black hair and was so nearsighted she had to wear thick glasses. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted. Alarmed, Elisabeth sent her away to a clinic in Topeka, Kansas for a psychological evaluation. Soon, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell. Where Marjorie Congdon Hagen goes, fire and death follow. Sociopaths are shaped by their environment. Within hours of their return, Hagen was dead. [Its] a very rich Sondheim sound. 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. Marjorie did not call the fire department. She is sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. But the charges were dropped after prosecutors failed to get a grand jury indictment. She was sentenced to fifteen years in an Arizona prison. 15091511 E. Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota. Our reporters are only able to do their work thanks to support at all levels. With Roger out of prison under supervision and a retrial looming, authorities decided to strike a deal rather than risk an acquittal. As the nurse climbed the stairs, she stopped dead in her tracks. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She delivered hospital meals. Its been 37 years since my grandmothers death, and its good to see the house is still a vital part of Duluth. They cannot believe the things people say about her. The killings were carried out by Roger Caldwell, allegedly at the urging of his wife, Congdon's adopted daughter Marjorie, though she was later acquitted of conspiracy to murder at a trial. A garden hose was found running from the gas stove in the kitchen to their bedroom. An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. Elisabeth Mannering Congdons legacy is long, yet her individual accomplishments have largely been forgotten. commissioned gospel group members, is millville cereal vegan, Estate features gardens, bridges, and married Richard Dick Webster LeRoy, insurance... Javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news is funded by donations from individuals of to. 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