lois jurgens' death

Lois Jurgens released after serving eight years, The Winona Daily News, June, 7, 1995. 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. He found bruises running the length of the body--50 to 100 of them, he would say later, the exact number hard to judge because many were overlapped. It had always troubled her, more than any she handled before or since. she grew up and attended school in malvern, graduating in 1947. lois attended cosmetology school in des moines, iowa. Forever' w/ the ``I prayed for eight years that shed die in there. By this point, Lois' rage and mania had gone beyond her ability to maintain an appearance of normalcy, and she and Harold had relocated to rural Stillwater, Minnesota, possibly to escape the gossip of their former neighborhood where Dennis was killed. None of us knew about child abuse. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. So began a painstaking inquiry into the past--an inquiry that in recent months has pulled back the curtains on a decidedly uncomfortable vision. Lois Jurgens reaction to Dennis during the visit was less than enthusiastic. the Murderpedia project stay alive. The official cause of death was peritonitis due to perforation of the small bowel. Try again later. There were many fateful moments in Dennis brief life, moments in which his destiny could have been changed. There was enough evidence to sustain child abuse and neglect charges. This drove Lois further into madness, as she felt she needed children to complete the "perfect picture" of her life. Notes [ edit] ^ "ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens".

 

Jurgens, now 69, was convicted of third-degree murder in 1987 in what at the time was the oldest homicide to go to trial in Minnesota. The volume of business coming down the pipeline doesnt allow for regrets. We reached a point where we could not find any new leads or pick up any new information .

The threat of a criminal prosecution is way by the boards now. Lois is survived by her husband, Floyd Jurgens; children Gary Jurgens and Caron Klein (Bruce);.

Lois' remedy for the toddler wetting his diaper too frequently was to place a spring-action clothespin upon the end of his penis. . Lois Jurgens was disappointed about Dennis age. No one here is being punitive, Gingold told the Jurgenses and their attorney from the bench. In summer, Peterson caught little sunfish off his dock or from his motorboatthey had the loveliest taste, the fillet just the size of a half dollar, two good bites each. . Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. From a newspaper notice of his death she had learned that the boys body bore multiple injuries and bruises.

He returned to the Jurgens home in time to meet the coroners investigator, Saveiro Pitera. 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. She knew he had high school and one year of college behind him, and that he was an only child with strong bonds to his mother. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Peter Korolchuk yielded a good deal of information. They said it was from a fall down the basement stairs. HH at the best online prices at eBay! Rekdahl was a little concerned, since the accident actually had happened seven days before the phone call, but her main inclination was to soothe Lois Jurgens. In spite of extensive physical evidence pointing towards severe abuse, the medical examiner did not classify the death under any of the standard classifications of accident, suicide or murder; he simply marked it "deferred". So Robert, on a temporary but semiannually renewed basis, remained in county custody, living in foster homes. They were of varying colors--black and blue, yellowish green, reddish--which meant that some were fresh, some old. Family members immediately begin whispering "she killed him" , referring to his adoptive moth Rekdahl was developing real doubts about this placement, but the Jurgenses decided to go see Dennis that afternoon. Dennis had died of peritonitis. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. This is a story about respectable men and women of the middle class--doctors, lawyers, priests, social workers, policemen, neighbors and relatives--whose behavior, taken as a whole, led not to that milieus promised decency and justice but to a moral outrage, dark and hard to understand. Lois Jurgens, 62, of Stillwater, chewed gum impassively as the jury announced its verdict, finding her guilty of third-degree murder in the 1965 death of her adopted son, Dennis. When she was 17 and living in a juvenile home, she said, she gave birth to a boy, Dennis, who was quickly taken from her and eventually adopted by a family named Jurgens who lived in White Bear Lake. Initial placement was with a licensed, unrelated foster family, but Robert was then moved to his paternal grandparents at his parents' request. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Dennis Craig Jurgens was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. 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 1950 to 1970. The same day that she spoke to the priest--Aug. 30, 1962--Rekdahl informed the Jurgenses that they were going to be approved for a second adoption. The two also teased what's in store for readers .   Together they went into Dennis room to inspect the body. 0 cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. Due to this frequent starvation, Dennis gained only three pounds in a two and a half-year period as he aged from one year old to three and a half years old. We did not have enough evidence of any kind to deny them. 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. 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. Notification of death or terminal illness, Office of Revisor of Statues . We have set your language to It is fair to say that this finding raised considerable questions. DEATH OF SUPERMAN 30TH ANNIVERARY SPECIAL- 1:100 JURGENS & BREEDING FOIL VARIANT. Eventually Lois Jurgens was arraigned, and her identity released by the media. That isnt an issue at all. Lois obsessed about Dennis' weight, which according to medical records was appropriate for a child of his age and build at the point of his adoption. . At first, that seemed to be the conclusion that the official inquiry would also reach. Resend Activation Email. The Jurgenses returned to their house on Gardenette Drive, childless but free of any charge. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer[1] responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Many years later, he explained why: I was quite certain it was a homicide, quite certain, Gingold said recently in an interview. April 11, 1965. Years later, the attorney representing Roberts interests at the 1965 custody hearing would still remember those photos. Lois Jurgens agreed, but seemed scared that she would not be offered another child. 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. Votel went through living hell, one local judge said. To the casual observer, the Jurgens seemed to be a normal, church-going family with a perfectly maintained house and yard. And a Dr. Peterson called at 10:09 a.m. to report a DOA--dead on arrival--at 2148 Gardenette Drive. Why was there no disposition of this case? When they cleared land for his basement, theyd found old rolls of amusement park ticketsthree rides for a nickel. But how did such an infection occur in the first place? Failed to report flower. The defense picked the doctor, and set parameters on what questions he could ask. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). The perforation, he judged, had occurred one to two days before the childs death. This sort of thing happened back then.. There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. I didnt examine him further.. Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates). Though the specific cause of that fatal blow is not known, it is known that it was Lois who had given it to Dennis. The childs death occurred before there were state-mandated sentencing guidelines, and Thomson argued that she should have served less time. Still, she had never forgotten the case. .

 

It is essentially unconceivable to me, without a protruding object above the floor, that he could have been injured in this way, Woodburn said. I was young then, just out of college, the social worker said recently in an interview. A common belief amongst witnesses and neighbors at the time of the murder, and among the investigators who eventually re-opened the case, is that he interfered with the investigation and destroyed incriminating evidence. . he told the grand jury last year. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota. There are a lot of dead babies in the ground who were killed.. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens was an American convicted murderer. She was a good dozen years younger than the Jurgenses. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print.

 

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. Theres nothing worse, Peterson had thought, than seeing a dead child. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. There he had been loved and well cared for by an experienced foster mother. Homicide was not the issue at the hearing. Problems arose within the police department as well. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Walter Moore, a co-worker of Harold Jurgens, also came to the funeral. Lois was born on March 4, 1930, in Iowa the daughter of the late Axel and Lena. We didnt believe it was possible in nice, middle-class suburban families.. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. According to sworn testimony by both Korolchuk and VanderWyst before a grand jury last year, Zerwas at the time warned the investigating officers that he would do everything in his power to keep his sisters name clear. Years later, Peterson would say much the same to the police who were reopening the case, but he did not do so in 1965. Lois had had a history of mental illnesses including depression and psychosis and was originally deemed . Harold Jurgens had converted a breezeway off the kitchen into a large, open family, dining and cooking area. Dennis struggled with such training and was forced to pray and recite his Rosary kneeling on a broomstick for extended periods, until he did it correctly. Jerry took her case to the White Bear Lake police department and then to the local media. Lois had a question: Would Father Riser write a letter in support of their present effort to adopt another child, a third child? In talking to the county attorney and the chief of police, we had gone as far as we could and we were told that was it, wed have to terminate the investigation.. 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. 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. GREAT NEWS!

 

Do you have a camera in the car, he asked VanderWyst. We have many I tried to assure her that these things happen in any family.. She thought Dennis too aggressive, his wild behavior quite unlike Roberts. Buy It Now. You do consider social attitudes. Learn more about managing a memorial . That will require a juvenile hearing on neglect. The next day, Dennis brother, Robert, was picked up and taken to a local hospital, on order of Juvenile Court Judge Archie Gingold. As he viewed the body, he thought: This boy has been murdered. To receive the type of severe burns he suffered, Dennis would have had to be exposed to steaming-hot water for a significant length of time. Her mother having long ago disappeared, Jerry Puckett had bounced among assorted relatives and county homes for girls. Years later, Dr. Lynn Solem, the present director of the burn center at St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital, would explain that though this type of burn is now regarded as a sign of child abuse, in 1963 it would have been accepted as accidental. You see, Gingold said, I didnt have to go that far. Try again. and Judith Ivey as Stanley Wiatros was one of them. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He assured that it was going on, that this would be his responsibility to get the information, bring it back to me so I could complete the certificate. They had shocked James Nelson. They were independent of each other. Several relatives now told the investigators they would not sign statements. A parade of neighbors and relatives called to the stand by the Jurgenses attorney, Edward Donohue, all denied seeing any evidence of abuse. To keep creating She believed that Lois Jurgens was accepting and embracing Dennis, and he seemed healthy and adjusted. 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. Lois' remedy for the toddler wetting his diaper too frequently was to place a spring-action clothespin upon the end of his penis. They carried assorted life insurance polices worth $10,000. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 12 reasons why Sycamore Avenue is L.A.s coolest new hangout, Best coffee city in the world? During the early morning hours of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens. The investigation, trial, and conviction are considered landmarks in the history of child abuse law. They also caught crappies and smallmouth bass and northern pike, but the sunfish were the best. Their investments and savings totaled $2,200. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 - May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. 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. English Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter and get terrifying tales delivered straight to your inbox. the prosecution saw Lois Jurgens
Add to your scrapbook. They owned a 1963 Chevrolet pickup and a 1960 Falcon station wagon. The word homicide remained unspoken. In 1965, it was a private general practitioner, Dr. Thomas Votel, who handled the coroners duties on a part-time basis for $6,300 a year. Lois Jurgens.

Failed to delete memorial. She was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison and was paroled in 1995. One day, Zerwas walked into the squad room and found the two officers investigating Dennis death. Lois Jurgens was convicted in May 1987 of murder (by abuse) in the death 22 years earlier of her adopted son, Dennis. Three-year-old Dennis Jurgens is murdered by his adoptive mother. In 1984, Jurgens was the artist for the Sun Devils limited series (July 1984 - June 1985), with writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens Obituary We are sad to announce that on June 13, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens of Arvada, Colorado. There appeared to be a number of discrepancies in the Jurgenses story, he noted. It was harder to believe that Dennis had been awake and talking normally an hour and a half before he died. He wrote deferred in the box where he was to specify the manner of death, and put the certificate aside. My God, he thought, looking at the body. Her attorney Doug Thomson (left) follows, and Harold Jurgens is behind him. 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 . I want photos of this, he thought. The hole had allowed a fifth of a quart of infectious, purulent fecal material to flow into the abdominal cavity. Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood.

She demanded to know the truth about her son's death. I did my best.. Free shipping for many products! . That this was much more a question for doctors than for the police did not sway Votel. This month is the 30th anniversary of the release of "A Death in White Bear Lake," a book by then-Los Angeles Times reporter Barry Siegel. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she lived at the time. Lois considered herself a devout Catholic and believed she was doing "God's work" by making Dennis "perfect" in her eyes. Placement with the paternal grandparents ended due to a house fire that occurred at a time when Robert was hospitalized with pneumonia, and his grandmother burned to death. Harold and Lois Jurgensa middle-class, churchgoing couple who had been unable to have children of their ownhad adopted Sherwood's son, Dennis, in 1962. There is no evidence we are dealing with any people here who have any demon-like motives. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Harold was infertile and the Jurgenses desperately wanted to adopt another child. She talked about it all the time, in fact. The victim One of Lois Jurgens responses was to call Father Riser, the priest who had so warmly recommended them to the county welfare worker. On January 13, 2000, she was initially suspected of poisoning her husband, Harold. To all appearances, they were a normal midwestern family, but Jerry suspected that something sinister had happened in the Jurgens household. C $186.13. Woodburn could find no subcutaneous fat at all, something everyone normally has in varying degrees. Jurgens was one of 16 children. harold e bageant obituary visitation funeral information. He liked them. . Rekdahl found him friendly and talkative--perhaps too much so, for he often strayed widely from the subject at hand. She knew that Lois had finished only the eighth grade. Lois Jurgens was the infamous subject of one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota.She was the adoptive mother of six children in the 1960s and 1970s, and brutally abused them all, killing one of them, three-year-old Dennis Jurgens, in 1965.. Jurgens was one of sixteen children. Lois A. Jurgens (92) of Petersburg passed away September 25, 2019. Rekdahl did know that Lois had a history of psychiatric problems involving a nervous breakdown in the early 1950s. 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. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. He looks like a boy of 10. The lawyers danced around the matter, leaving much unspoken. Mrs. Officially forbidden to adopt children owing to Lois' history of mental illness, the couple managed to adopt a baby named Robert privately.

Dennis and Robert Jurgens, 1965.

The doctor did not want to be there. Three-year-old Dennis Craig (Puckett) Jurgens was tortured to death in the wee hours of April 11th, 1965.

 

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. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Though there was an investigation, society and law enforcement of the mid-1960s did not accept the concept that a child in a middle-class home could be the target of abuse. . Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Even so, doctors do not usually see third-degree burns in an area that isnt covered by clothing. A Mrs. Charles reported a car blocking a driveway at 823 5th St. A Mrs. Krugger reported that children were damming the street at Elm and Ebba (there had been heavy rain the night before). He could never forget how Lois Jurgens looked at those photos stoically, showing no emotion. As Peterson followed Wildwood Avenue west along the lakes shore toward Gardenette Park, hed rehearsed in his mind the resuscitation techniques he knew from the rescue squad. Soon after, Jerry Puckett dropped her plan to convert--but by then Dennis was already registered as Catholic on the adoption rolls. In the early 1980s, Jerry Sherwood went looking for the newborn son she gave up for adoption 20 years prior. He would later learn much more, would attend seminars and organize a county task force on the problem, but it cannot be said that Gingold knew nothing in 1965 about the battered-child syndrome. Lois Jurgens (at left) appeared with her attorney Doug Thomson in Ramsey County Courthouse Monday May 4, 1987. They had checked on him throughout the night.