Glensheen, the Historic Congdon Estate is a 20,000 square foot mansion in Duluth, Minnesota, United States, operated by the University of Minnesota Duluth as a historic house museum.Glensheen sits on 12 acres of waterfront property on Lake Superior, has 39 rooms and is built in the Jacobean architectural tradition, inspired by the Beaux-Arts styles of the era. Conger, shocked by what she just heard, leaned on Garvue for support. After helping move Elisabeth into the house and laying her down on a sofa, she returned to the car to unload two suitcase wicker baskets. Because of the notoriety of the crime, it makes sense that a few other rumors cropped up along with it. When asked if he knew of any enemies his wife may have had, he said he was not sure. On June 27, 1977, the aged heiress to a vast mining fortune is killed along with her night nurse at Glensheen, a posh mansion perched on the Lake Superior coast. Elisabeth had out lived her brothers and sisters and therefore had control over the famous Congdon fortune. During the time of her autopsy, police learned the small puncture wounds on Pietila’s face, forearm and finger most likely was caused by nails. Elisabeth Congdon, the owner spent winters in Tuscon so the film crew filmed during that time period. History Theatre’s popular musical “Glensheen,” about an infamous Minnesota murder case in a Duluth mansion in 1977, was due to return to the St. Paul theater’s stage for the… Garvue, terrified, ran down the stairs to the first floor where Conger was waiting to bring the tray. Though no direct evidence linked her son-in-law to the crime, circumstantial evidence -- the $8 million his wife would inherit -- made him the … You make MPR News possible. Justice on Fire is OConnor’s detailed account of the terrible explosion that led to the firefighters’ deaths and the terrible injustice that followed. Thinking Pietila must have forgotten, Conger continued on. … She had actually retired the month before and was looking forward to playing golf, traveling and spending more time with her husband. From Will to Murder: The True Story behind the Crimes and Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings by Gail Feichtinger, John DeSanto, and Gary Waller (Zenith City Press, 2003). The county medical examiner, Dr. Goldschmidt, arrived around 8:45 a.m. and examined Velma Pietila’s body first. Elisabeth herself was rather plain and did not flaunt her wealth. Leaving Congdon’s room, Waller and the Inspector went across the hall to the nurse’s room. Jul 7, 2016 - Explore Deanna's board "Glensheen Mansion", followed by 314 people on Pinterest. Today we’ll work on remembering Glensheen Historic Estate, better known as Glensheen Mansion. On many nights she would fall asleep watching TV, but that night she “needed a good night’s rest.” She said her goodbyes to Klosowsky and fell asleep. May 12, 2017. After settling in to the nurses room, Pietila propped open the window with her thermos and read her book I Didn’t Come Here to Argue by Peg Bracken. The victims' families "were really hopeful that we would not have to retry the case with a chance of Roger walking free," DeSanto said. While the dogs and some police were searching the grounds, Detective Waller began the difficult task of photographing the bodies and processing evidence. 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. See more ideas about glensheen mansion, glensheen, duluth. The next day, DeSanto charged Marjorie with conspiring to kill her mother. One last toot for Duluth, Minnesota's Glensheen murders. The book—called “The definitive book, the story behind the story of the Congdon-Pietila Murders”—is the only volume on the subject of the murders available for sale at Glensheen. While making rounds, she was to unlock the front door so the arriving day nurse could enter and not have to ring the doorbell and disturb Elisabeth. Elisabeth Congdon laid face up with her bare legs exposed and the sheets pulled back. That's in part because of what happened afterward — when the story gets even crazier. The fight had been over treatment of Elisabeth Congdon. Police were sent to the airport and after a brief search, the abandon car was found in the parking lot. He noted she was beaten almost beyond recognition. There is another book that features many pictures and much history. On receiving this news, Roger Caldwell appealed his conviction due to the lack of evidence presented at his wife’s trial. Roger Caldwell, the second husband of Elisabeth's adopted daughter, Marjorie Congdon LeRoy Caldwell Hagen, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and received two life sentences. And I whispered to the guide, 'You know she was brutally murdered, right?'". The mystery became a media sensation. Thousands have toured it since it opened as a museum in 1979. Is it a real haunting, or is it just an urban legend? Covering Elisabeth’s face was a pink blood-flecked satin pillow. Rather than risk an acquittal or a hung jury, officials struck a deal with Caldwell, allowing him to plead guilty to two, John Wayne Gacy Confessed to Killing Dozens (December 22, 1978). Klosowsky left Elisabeth’s bedroom and went to the nurse’s room to watch for the oncoming night nurse, Velma Pietila. The Caldwell’s remained in Minnesota for several days following Elisabeth’s funeral, waiting for the reading of Elisabeth’s will. When Detective Waller and Inspector Gram entered Congdon’s room, they noticed the lamp next to her bed was on. "She brought a birthday cake in for one of the lawyers one day. And a witness from the first trial changed her story to say she saw Roger elsewhere the day of the murder. 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. Apr 29, 2020 - Photos and videos of the Glensheen mansion in the past. Glensheen at the time was owned by the Congdon family. Police Officer Chris Kucera was the first to reach the Congdon estate at 7:03 a.m. Marjorie’s case began right after her husband's conviction. Garvue was able to see Pietila’s face was covered in dried blood, her jaw also appeared broken. Explore the mansion digitally with a guide. On the night of November 29, 1988, near the impoverished Marlborough neighborhood in south Kansas City, an explosion at a construction site killed six of the city’s firefighters. Was paroled on July 5, 1977 removed and taken to a murder scene, '' Kimball! 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