He couldnt comprehend anyone torturing a kid, Peterson would explain many years later. The only witness to Lois's final abuse of Dennis was Robert, who was 5 years old at the time. Adopted just after his first birthday, Dennis suffered years of abuse at the hands of his adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens. Peter Korolchuk yielded a good deal of information. Lois Jurgens Obituary (1930 - 2012) - Elkhorn, Wi, IA - the Des Moines Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. At that time, the battered-child syndrome was just beginning to be recognized. I remember very clearly the pathologist coming in and saying it had to be a blow, not a fall, but I think the prosecutor felt he couldnt prove it, and I was on the same wavelength as the prosecutor. The process of adopting Dennis was completed. In 1984, Jurgens was the artist for the Sun Devils limited series (July 1984 - June 1985), with writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. She was cleared of second-degree . He returned to the Jurgens home in time to meet the coroners investigator, Saveiro Pitera. The victim Murder of Dennis Jurgens - After The Murder Mrs. in the third degree and sent to prison. In the 1960s, the term child abuse had not yet been coined and no one, not even medical professionals and teachers, was required to report suspicions. He very strongly favored the Jurgenses getting another child. They talked with more than a dozen relatives and neighbors of the Jurgenses. Lt. Clarence (Buzz) Harvey at first did not know what to make of the blonde 42-year-old woman who appeared at the front desk of this towns solitary police station on the morning of Sept. 18, 1986. Though autopsy photos showed Dennis body was covered in bruises at the time of his death, the coroner never declared it an accidentor rather, what it really was: murder. From the patio off his living room and the balcony off his bedroom, he could look across the lake to Manitou Island, and beyond, to the town of White Bear. . It did not occur to him to question Robert. It would have been difficult at the time to prove that Lois Jurgens had committed murder. After seeing newspaper reports about the death, she was convinced that he had been beaten to death and demanded the case be re-opened. At the funeral home, Lois Jurgens brother, Lloyd Zerwas, came to pay his respects. Sherwood also told D'Angelo that Dana Ivey's interpretation of Lois Jurgens is eerily accurate. Many years later, he explained why: I was quite certain it was a homicide, quite certain, Gingold said recently in an interview. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. There appeared to be a number of discrepancies in the Jurgenses story, he noted. Other testimony and evidence was more troubling. He feared finding himself alone. Jerry Puckett was a Protestant by background, but at the time Dennis was born she was intending to take instruction in the Roman Catholic faith. Much of the testimony related to Dennis, not Robert. When Harold Jurgens called 10 days later to say they wanted to keep Dennis, the two agencies allowed that as well. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. +C $33.27 shipping estimate. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried.
She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. She said she had set Dennis in the sink to wash him after he had wet his diaper, then had gone into another room to get a clean diaper. . When they cleared land for his basement, theyd found old rolls of amusement park ticketsthree rides for a nickel. based on information from your browser. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. In 1992 A made-for-TV movie was made based on both Jerry's story and this case called, ' A Child Lost Forever ' w/ the remarkable Beverly D'Angelo as Jerry Sherwood and Judith Ivey as Lois Jurgens. In early December, 1963, Rekdahl paid her last postplacement visit to the Jurgenses. They had checked on him throughout the night. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. My clients have rights, he said. The way Lindholm figured it, instead of prosecuting Lois Jurgens for murder, lets move to take Robert away. He liked them. For a time, that appeared to be the end of the story. 0 cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. In the 1960s, the term child abuse had not yet been coined[citation needed][2] and no one, not even medical professionals and teachers, was required to report suspicions. There was testimony from other officers that he impeded the investigation into the child's death. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Man held is death of retarded foster child, Minneapolis Star, May 21, 1971. A family friend, Barbara Venney, saw the bruises through the flowers. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Year should not be greater than current year. A few wondered how the Jurgenses had ever been allowed to adopt children. He would testify that he had been suspicious enough to call the welfare department. The roller coaster had been just to the west of his lot, the water slide just to the east, and the dance pavilion exactly where his house now stood, the old foundation still there below his lawn and patio. During the early morning hours of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens.
Just past one year of age, Dennis was placed in the Jurgens' home in 1962, in anticipation of an adoption after spending much of his first year in foster care. Lois is survived by her. Woman Tortures Adoptive Son To Death Lois Jurgens (40) was variously described as both short-tempered and vindictive by her neighbours and others who encountered her in the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and it was well known that she experienced bouts of severe depression and psychosis. While he waited for the coroners investigator to arrive, he asked Lois Jurgens if there was anything he could do--such as take Robert to his own home, to be cared for by his wife. Lois Jurgens had been sentenced to up to 25 years for the 1965 slaying of 3-year-old Dennis Jurgens. They covered the legs, the arms, the hands, the head, the shoulders, the back of the head, the buttocks, the small of the back, the middle of the back, the back of the left leg. Harold and Lois Jurgensa middle-class, churchgoing couple who had been unable to have children of their ownhad adopted Sherwoods son, Dennis, in 1962. The psychiatrist also observed that Lois had an obsession about order and cleanliness. White Bear Lake, a picturesque American town where kids freely ride bikes, play two-square and parents throw neighborhood BBQsand where 3 year old Dennis Jurgens died on Palm Sunday 1965. GREAT NEWS! of Lois Jurgens are considered landmarks in the history of Some had seen or heard Dennis being beaten. This, coupled with the lack of a statute of limitations for a murder charge, could lead the way to a prosecution of Lois Jurgens. In 1987, Jurgens was convicted of third-degree murder of Dennis. Paul Lindholm, the assistant county attorney, considered it. This was the first child-abuse case he had handled. In fact, they remain strangely forgotten. Murder of Dennis Craig Jurgens | Mystery & Crime Amino To him, that was close to frightening. He doesnt look like a tiny little kid, he thought. Lois Jurgens headed to trial. Then there were the neighbors and relatives who had seen incidents and evidence of abuse. There is a problem with your email/password. It had always troubled her, more than any she handled before or since. Toddler murdered by abusive adoptive mother - Horror History .net There was enough evidence to sustain child abuse and neglect charges. What had happened--and how--and why? They wanted an infant under a year old, and they wanted a Catholic child. By all accounts, Lois was obsessed with abusing Dennis, and she wanted the world to know he was a "bad child"; she made no apologies about the inappropriate way she was disciplining him. The rows of neatly kept houses, the modern police station and the shopping strips all reflect a level of modest comfort rather than affluence. Thank you for supporting our partners, who make it possible for The Lineup to continue publishing the terrifying stories you love. Now the town is most frequently described as middle class. . I did my best.. VanderWyst and Korolchuk had brought in the file themselves and lobbied for prosecution. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The hole had allowed a fifth of a quart of infectious, purulent fecal material to flow into the abdominal cavity. Dennis Craig Jurgens (December 6, 1961 April 11, 1965) was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. By the second week, the investigation began to encounter obstacles. When Harold took him to the bathroom at about 7:30 or 8 in the morning, Dennis had seemed fine. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. If I had it to do over again--well, in 1987 I wouldnt approve, but if it were 1965, I dont know what I would do.
There was also talk years earlier of her having started the fire at her in-laws' home which killed her mother-in-law, with whom she never got along. They were independent of each other. all about me: Murder of Dennis Jurgens - Blogger We would like to have done something, but it was none of our business. C $186.13. . Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens to show support. Years later, Peterson would say much the same to the police who were reopening the case, but he did not do so in 1965. Nonetheless, when Harold Jurgens called three days later and asked when they could get their boy, Rekdahl and the Scott County officials allowed the Jurgenses to take Dennis for a preplacement visit. They owed $6,000 on the house and $930 on the truck. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. A condition of neglect did exist. [2] She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota . Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. That will make you swallow, Lois had said. Because they were Catholic and there were very few Catholic babies on the register, it was likely that they would have to wait quite a long time, she explained. Yes! Others promised that they would do so. Lois Jurgens - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia I didnt look after that; I couldnt, she said. Lois Jurgens had a reputation amongst her extended family and neighbors as an intense, angry woman with a short and volatile temper, but Dennis' arrival in her home provoked sadistic rages that targeted Dennis as he aged from one to three-and-a-half years of age. Rekdahl, who graduated from St. Pauls Hamline University in 1957 with a bachelors degree in social work, had been in adoption services for less than one year. They had just buried the body, and that was all. You consider how well you can sell this to 12 people in the jury box. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Ivan and Gladys Demars, neighbors who had served as references when Dennis was adopted, over the fence had seen the boy with bruises, black eyes, split lips. She also describes him as a clown, always laughing at himself or other people when they are around. In her effort to make Dennis "right" in her eyes, Lois embarked on a series of sadistic and corporal punishments: Angered at Dennis for rejecting certain foods, she responded by placing horseradish on the food and then force-fed it to him. Lois considered herself a devout Catholic and believed she was doing "God's work" by making Dennis "perfect" in her eyes. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Lois Jurgens (134346102)?