He is extremely alert. The house at 2148 South Gardenette Drive, White Bear Lake, where the Jurgenses lived from 1957 to 1967. Murder of Dennis Jurgens - After The Murder Dennis Craig Jurgens was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. With the exception of the severe burns, his health remained quite good. 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. The adoption should be approved. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. That was why the judge wanted Lois Jurgens to consent to a thorough, inpatient examination by a psychiatrist he knew and trusted. Superman: Lois and Clark by Dan Jurgens | Goodreads Donohue was not inclined to relax such controls. He was an outgoing child, as happy and adjusted as could be expected under the circumstances. The cause of death was peritonitis, but the autopsy photos showed him covered in bruises with an anguished expression on his face and the coroner had not determined a mode of death, accident, natural causes, or homicide. . VanderWyst, visiting him after the autopsy the night of Dennis death, told the family physician what Woodburn had found. Rekdahl thought that Lois speech betrayed a bit of cynicism. Dennis Craig Jurgens was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. No. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. . They had only two requests. They were informed they would not be allowed to foster or adopt any additional children. The rows of neatly kept houses, the modern police station and the shopping strips all reflect a level of modest comfort rather than affluence. There were, to begin with, the same photos of Dennis battered body on the coroners table. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens I found on Findagrave.com. There was a bluish mark on the right side of the head that started at the temple and extended to behind the right ear. updates When you judge a case, you dont do so in a vacuum, Lindholm would explain years later in an interview. the prosecution saw Lois Jurgens
She wanted assurances. No one proposed handing the investigation to some other body--to, say, the county sheriffs office.
Failed to remove flower. But how did such an infection occur in the first place? I have several children about that age with this same problem. The defense picked the doctor, and set parameters on what questions he could ask. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Judge calls murder of child 'barbaric' - UPI Archives
Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Lois Jurgens headed to trial. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Lois Jurgens. When patrolman Robert VanderWyst arrived at the Jurgens home soon after, he found the doctor, the Jurgenses and 5-year-old Robert in the living room. Her secret was revealed after Sherwood began searching for the son she gave up for adoption and learned in 1983 that he had died of a bowel injury. . A Mrs. Hansen called to report a lost wallet, which resulted in an officers checking a phone booth at Fourth and Washington streets, next to the Avalon Jewelers. 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. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lois_Jurgens&oldid=1133446799, Articles lacking in-text citations from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 21:13. It would be no use. Dennis had been a beautiful baby, Gladys Demars said. [citation needed][3]. I want photos of this, he thought. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134346102/lois-germaine_josephine-jurgens. Soon the word spread from house to housethered been a death, the younger Jurgens boy had died. Peterson departed soon after. . Buy It Now. After Dennis' death, an older adopted son, Robert, was removed from the Jurgens home. The investigation, trial, and Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Most simply remain hidden. Lois Jurgens Biography | HowOld.co Murder Shelf Book Club: Ep 50 A Death in White Bear Lake by Barry But how did such an infection occur in the first place? You do consider social attitudes. Vachss uttalte at boken ikke forklarer begrunnelsen for at Harold er passiv, mens den har tilstrekkelig informasjon om Lois Jurgens. Instead, Dorothy Engfer began telling others in the neighborhood what shed seen. DENNIS JURGENS WAS ONLY 3-YEARS-0LD WHEN HIS LIFE ENDED AT THE CRUEL HANDS OF HIS MOTHER LOIS JURGENS AND SHE WOULD HAVE GOT AWAY WITH IT, BUT HIS BIOLOGICAL MOTHER JERRY SHERWOOD STARTED. Murder of Dennis Jurgens - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core 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. Lois Jurgens, the sadistic baby torturer and killer! - Amino Mornings there were wonderful, but the dusk was the doctors favorite time, for the sun set each evening over the water and trees, falling behind Manitou Island, leaving behind a fiery orange sky. A dead boy, though, was something else. Other than that, nothing remarkable.. The hearing would prove to be a curious affair. Votel went through living hell, one local judge said. He wrote deferred in the box where he was to specify the manner of death, and put the certificate aside. Fittingly for a major anniversary like . He felt that she needed psychiatric help very badly and, without it, might become psychotic. The St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a cover story about the investigation on Sunday, October 12, 1986. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. And her release from the states prison for women in Shakopee only angered the biological mother whose search for her child led to the discovery of the crime. The prosecutor had a different attitude back then, Votel said recently. The night of his death, a great flood had hit the Saint Paul area and the Mississippi River's waters were rising to record levels, causing flooding in the region and inside the Jurgens' home. Harold was infertile and the Jurgenses desperately wanted to adopt another child. Man held is death of retarded foster child, Minneapolis Star, May 21, 1971. A Death in White Bear Lake: The Child Abuse Case That Led to Murder In addition, Lois took to tying Dennis' limbs to the bedposts to keep him in bed, and tied him to the toilet to force a bowel movement. The Jurgenses were delighted. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. That was not binding on the prosecutor, but the defense attorney would zero in on this. This, coupled with the lack of a statute of limitations for a murder charge, could lead the way to a prosecution of Lois Jurgens. On or around the night of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens. Lois' remedy for the toddler wetting his diaper too frequently was to place a spring-action clothespin upon the end of his penis. In the early 1980s, Jerry Sherwood went looking for the newborn son she gave up for adoption 20 years prior. Then he began to look terrible--his face so old, like a little old man. According to Rekdahls written log, that was the sum of what Peterson said to her. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. 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 .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3+12 years of age. No prosecution was taken at that time. Deferred, Votel had written. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter and get terrifying tales delivered straight to your inbox. Rekdahl thought Lois Jurgens, then almost 37, to be a rather attractive woman, although she was short and a trifle on the chubby side. As the new adopted children were older, there were many first-hand histories (recounted to the media during the 1987 trial of Lois Jurgens) describing the severe abuse they suffered at their adoptive mother's hands. But neither the judge nor anyone else was willing to face the implications of such findings. Lois and Harold Jurgens lived in a comfortable . Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. They had just buried the body, and that was all. . It would have been difficult at the time to prove that Lois Jurgens had committed murder. | | The boy was obviously dead. Published Jan 18, 2023. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Within months of Dennis' arrival, he was rushed to the hospital with first and second-degree burns on his genitalia, which were reported and accepted as accidental.
Lois Jurgens | Detailed Pedia We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. roger w. tufte sr. was born on march 22, 1945 in lakota, nd the son of clarence and esther (johnson. During the early morning hours of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens. A parade of neighbors and relatives called to the stand by the Jurgenses attorney, Edward Donohue, all denied seeing any evidence of abuse. . In our family you dont dare say much.. 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. We came very close to trying to do something. Search above to list available cemeteries. But this death didnt look as though it was from natural causes. On the other hand, he could not bring himself to embrace the notion that Lois Jurgens was a murderer. We thought it would be no use.. Rekdahl did not know that a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic had diagnosed Lois Jurgens as having a longstanding psychoneurosis dating to her childhood--a childhood spent in a tension-filled home with an alcoholic, abusive father. Other testimony and evidence was more troubling. Harold (Harry) Jurgens, 76 of Filley passed away at Gold Crest Retirement Center in Adams on January 7, 2018.
. On the stand, the Jurgenses had refused to answer questions about Dennis. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens to show support. Now VanderWyst was looking at him, asking a question: What was the cause of death?. At that time, the battered-child syndrome was just beginning to be recognized. At this time there are a number of persons yet to be contacted who supposedly have information and are relatives of the family, Korolchuk wrote on Thursday, April 15, four days after the death. Robert was leaving things alone at the age of 1 year. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Yes! In 1987, testifying 22 years later, Peterson was questioned again about the bruises. He eats well. She committed one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. But in 1962, before the developers and high-speed roads came, this was more truly a small town, inbred and insular, with a population just reaching 15,000. The case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. She was born February 25, 1927 to Leslie and Margaret Stowell in Cass County Il.
Rekdahl by now had quite a dim outlook on this placement. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. | We have many They would have to find out. the Murderpedia project stay alive. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota More Alchetron Topics References Lois Jurgens Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA Topics The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Toz (film) Steve McAnespie There is in the Scott County records a description of Dennis in the foster home where he lived his first year: He is solidly built, with blue eyes and blond hair. The case drew widespread publicity and was the subject of a book and a made-for-television movie.
Rekdahl did know that Lois had a history of psychiatric problems involving a nervous breakdown in the early 1950s. . cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. According to reports from family members who eventually testified at the murder trial, Dennis turned purple from being force-fed the bitter and spicy horseradish and also having his oxygen supply cut off when Jurgens covered his mouth and nose. Many years later, at his mother's trial, by then 27-year-old Robert recounted the events of that evening, testifying that his mother had beaten Dennis extensively and had thrown him down the stairs. There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head. Camille Brass knew the blue convertible belonged to Dr. Peterson. For that reason, Dennis, a week after his birth, was baptized a Catholic. At the funeral home, Lois Jurgens brother, Lloyd Zerwas, came to pay his respects. Published by Bantam Books, 1990. Jurgens' other adopted son, Robert, testified at the trial, at which Lois Jurgens (then in her 60s) was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to prison.[4]. Moments later, VanderWyst, rising to leave, asked Lois if there was anything else he could do, such as call her brother Jerome. He was the son of teenage Jerry Sherwood (who was herself a ward of the state) and her teenage boyfriend. They talked with more than a dozen relatives and neighbors of the Jurgenses. How in the heck could that happen? Still, she had never forgotten the case. According to reports from family members who eventually testified at the murder trial, Dennis turned purple from being force-fed the bitter and spicy horseradish and also having his oxygen supply cut off when Jurgens covered his mouth and nose. My deputy reassured me from time to time. .
Lois Jurgens reaction to Dennis during the visit was less than enthusiastic. . Harold Jurgens, an electrical foreman, made $10,000 in 1962, and this placed his family a cut above many of their friends and neighbors. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below.
She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota . They were of varying colors--black and blue, yellowish green, reddish--which meant that some were fresh, some old. He wanted others to go first. I just examined him to see that he was in fact dead. To the casual observer, the Jurgens' seemed to be a normal, church-going family with a perfectly maintained house and yard. They beat my baby to death, Sherwood told Buzz Harvey. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Jurgens was the only fatal victim of Lois Jurgens, his adoptive mother and a prolific child abuser, who abused a total of six adopted children from 1960 to 1975. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens - Peterson Mortuary, Inc. What was to be the core of the case against Lois Jurgens 22 years later essentially came out then, albeit in a less detailed, more muted fashion. Two hours before, sitting in his waterside home on the southeast shore of White Bear Lake, Sunday morning had seemed so promising. It is not known specifically what caused the fatal blow, though the injury was later found to have been, beyond a reasonable doubt, inflicted by Lois Jurgens owing to evidence of her constant physical abuse. Family members immediately begin whispering "she killed him" , referring to his adoptive moth Searching him out, she discovers he died at 3 1/2, though the death certificate does not show what killed him. "There was obviously going to be trouble, and he didnt want to get involved.". Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Death of Superman By Jurgens, TPB, DC Comics 1993, New, Sealed. He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). Due to this frequent starvation, Dennis gained only three pounds in a 2+12-year period as he aged from one year old to 3+12 years old. People were not then inclined to believe that middle-class families in suburban homes killed their children. With Lois's mental health deteriorating, a hearing explores the question, should Lois and Harold Jurgens keep custody of their 5 year old adopted son, Robert after the death of this brother, Dennis. angelizdsplace.com/.
| Dennis & Robert
Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens Obituary (2022) | Arvada, Colorado Officially forbidden to adopt children owing to Lois' history of mental illness, the couple managed to adopt a baby named Robert privately. I tried to assure her that these things happen in any family.. The mother was an unmarried 17-year-old, Jerry Ann Puckett, an attractive blonde of Danish-German extraction. 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. Sadly, the mother-son reunion was not meant to be; Jerry's child had died just before his fourth birthday. Rekdahl could not so assure her. It did not occur to him to question Robert. Dan Jurgens, one of the chief minds at DC who spearheaded the Man of Steel's death and rebirth in the '90s, took to Twitter to share an unused design of Electric Superman -- sometimes called .
| She would be a poor candidate for adopting a child at this time, the psychiatrist in 1955 had advised St. Pauls Bureau of Catholic Charities, where the Jurgenses for years had vainly sought children. About 50 witnesses provided a mixed story. If Votel had called it a homicide, at least that prospect would have been removed. They would not know for two weeks whether Dennis would need skin grafts, he had told Rekdahl. Aside from the incident when Dennis was hospitalized with burns on his genitals, there were many other incidents of abuse that fell under the category of sexual sadism. Do you have a camera in the car, he asked VanderWyst. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. VanderWyst was not close social friends with the Jurgenses, but he knew them well enough to greet them on the street. The lawyers danced around the matter, leaving much unspoken. This browser does not support getting your location. |
Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. He could be a battered child, Votel said he reasoned, and still his death could have been caused by a fall, an accident. Clayton Robinson Jr., a former prosecutor in the case, said Jurgens should not have been released yet. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. The coroner noted there was evidence of adult, human bite marks on his penis and scarring all over his scrotum; he was also found to be wearing two diapers and a pair of rubber pants at the age of three and one-half years. Stanley Wiatros was one of them. Donohue, their attorney, had allowed Lois before the hearing to be examined by a psychiatrist only under the strictest conditions. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. 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. How could a kid fall down the steps and die? 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. Lois Jurgens agreed, but seemed scared that she would not be offered another child. From a newspaper notice of his death she had learned that the boys body bore multiple injuries and bruises. There was something wrong here. Jurgens was the only fatal victim of Lois Jurgens, his adoptive mother and a prolific child abuser, who abused a total of six adopted children from 1960 to 1975. The trial of Lois Jurgens for the murder of 3-year-old Dennis made national headlines and was the top news story of the state of Minnesota in 1987. Lois Jurgens (at left) appeared with her attorney Doug Thomson in Ramsey County Courthouse Monday May 4, 1987. Why was there no disposition of this case? It looked to her as if the roses were placed there to cover up the dark blue markings. About: Lois Jurgens They wanted to do something, but felt it was none of their business. At first Bob Brass thought the squad car was Loiss brothers, but then they saw VanderWyst in the driveway. The boy was dead by the time the doctor arrived at 9:35. She also describes him as a clown, always laughing at himself or other people when they are around. Many years later, he explained why: I was quite certain it was a homicide, quite certain, Gingold said recently in an interview. They owned a 1963 Chevrolet pickup and a 1960 Falcon station wagon. He looks like a boy of 10. They owed $6,000 on the house and $930 on the truck.
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