Throughout the years of frequent abuse, it has been reported that while Harold Jurgens made little effort to curb his wife's abuse of young Dennis, he personally never mistreated the boy. home On Feb. 11, 1964, the commissioner of public welfare, as legal guardian for Dennis, consented to his formal adoption by Harold and Lois Jurgens. There was also pressure from supervisors to place, especially because there were so few Catholic children. 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 wanted to tell someone, she said. The topic under consideration was the possible placement of Dennis Puckett with the Jurgens family. We reached a point where we could not find any new leads or pick up any new information . She believed that Lois Jurgens was accepting and embracing Dennis, and he seemed healthy and adjusted. They wanted an infant under a year old, and they wanted a Catholic child. 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. Brand New.
The doctors eyes slid to a corner of the room. At first, that seemed to be the conclusion that the official inquiry would also reach. He does not sound very well behaved, she said. In early December, 1963, Rekdahl paid her last postplacement visit to the Jurgenses. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Her attorney Doug Thomson (left) follows, and Harold Jurgens is behind him. Those in the station familiar with the downtown strip joints in nearby St. Paul might have recognized Jerry Ann Sherwood from her earlier tenure at Alarys Club Bar. The trial of Lois Jurgens for the murder of 3-year-old Dennis made national . This was a murder. 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. From the bench, he said he hoped that they could find something to explain the mistreatment of Dennis. . They were informed they would not be allowed to foster or adopt any additional children. 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. Then there was the coroners report. He felt that she needed psychiatric help very badly and, without it, might become psychotic. The term is relative. I think my son is dying, Harold Jurgens had told the doctor on the phone that morning. It would have been difficult at the time to prove that Lois Jurgens had committed murder. Retrieved 12 February 2015. In 1987, testifying 22 years later, Peterson was questioned again about the bruises. Sadly, the mother-son reunion was not meant to be; Jerry's child had died just before his fourth birthday. As the laws were then interpreted, he believed that he would have to link a specific action taken by Lois Jurgens to the precise cause of death. GREAT NEWS! When the White Bear Lake police called her a year ago, she knew immediately whom they were talking about. If you throw up, you are going to eat it. He feared finding himself alone. But neither the judge nor anyone else was willing to face the implications of such findings. They had a son--a 2-year-old named Robert, whom they had adopted at birth through private channels. They attempted to mind their own business and feared retribution from Lois, who was not above threatening the lives of her family members. Two or three couples signed written statements. Martin fritz obituary. None of this, however, was what had killed Dennis. That will make you swallow, Lois had said. They attempted to mind their own business and feared retribution from Lois, who was not above threatening the lives of her family members. Active children that bruise easily . Heroes abound now in White Bear Lake, visible and proud of their roles in unraveling the mystery of Dennis death. That was not binding on the prosecutor, but the defense attorney would zero in on this. After seeing newspaper reports about the death, she was convinced that he had been beaten to death and demanded the case be re-opened. She committed one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. The defense attorney was still thinking about a criminal prosecution--even if no one else was. The author's ability to set the scene of a tranquil. so its not unusual.. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. The childs death occurred before there were state-mandated sentencing guidelines, and Thomson argued that she should have served less time. of Lois Jurgens are considered landmarks in the history of The mother was an unmarried 17-year-old, Jerry Ann Puckett, an attractive blonde of Danish-German extraction. Lois Jurgens appeared with her attorney Doug Thomson in Ramsey County Instead, Dorothy Engfer began telling others in the neighborhood what shed seen. It looked to her as if the roses were placed there to cover up the dark blue markings. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota. She had talked about this with the whole family, but not with the authorities. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013.
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. She thought Dennis was sloppy fat. This particularly surprised Rekdahl. . Top Rated Seller. The Jurgenses were delighted. The specter of homicide hovered, but would not land in this hearing room in 1965. Deferred, Votel had written. 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. Jurgens and Weeks joined CBR to discuss launching Lois & Clark 2 and spoilers for its first installment. Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast | a podcast by murdershelfbookclub charles edward ed holland memorial park funeral homes and cemeteries. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens I found on Findagrave.com. It is fair to say that this finding raised considerable questions. This browser does not support getting your location. On the other hand, he could not bring himself to embrace the notion that Lois Jurgens was a murderer. ``If she had been convicted of this in 1965 she probably would have done about three years, Thomson said. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Then he began to look terrible--his face so old, like a little old man. Rekdahl thought that Lois speech betrayed a bit of cynicism. 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. There is no evidence we are dealing with any people here who have any demon-like motives. No prosecution was taken at that time. Rekdahl suggested that if she had negative feelings, it would be best for them not to take the child. Star Tribune photo by Donald Black. People were not then inclined to believe that middle-class families in suburban homes killed their children. The first few days of the police investigation by VanderWyst and Sgt. He liked them. . Donna Mae, about 5 feet away, watched in horror as Lois force-fed that vomit to him, made him eat it. Clothing retains the heat. Dennis had died of peritonitis. The volume of business coming down the pipeline doesnt allow for regrets. Lois Jurgens served only eight years of her sentence, released early for good behavior, and lived a secluded life in Stillwater, Minnesota, until her death in 2013.
Dan Jurgens on how The Death of Superman has "withstood that test of time" By Grant DeArmitt published 27 July 2022 The creator best known for The Death of Superman explains its impact 30. 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 3+12 years. Dennis had fallen and hit his head on the wet basement floor the day before, the Jurgenses said, and he also had been suffering from a bad cold. Rekdahl was developing real doubts about this placement, but the Jurgenses decided to go see Dennis that afternoon. . he told the grand jury last year. Lois A. Jurgens (92) of Petersburg passed away September 25, 2019. State v. Jurgens :: 1988 :: Minnesota Court of Appeals Decisions new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. How could a little boy not scream out in pain as soon as he was burned? Rekdahl by now had quite a dim outlook on this placement. Lois had a question: Would Father Riser write a letter in support of their present effort to adopt another child, a third child? In our family you dont dare say much.. 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? Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Lois walks past the TV cameras on her way to the courtroom on January 30, 1987, to plead not guilty to three counts of murder. DC artist Dan Jurgens shares an image of an unused Electric Blue Superman design from 1996, reminiscing about what might have been. They also caught crappies and smallmouth bass and northern pike, but the sunfish were the best. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. This was the situation that Gerane Rekdahl, a Ramsey County welfare case worker, found when she visited the Jurgens home on March 1, 1962.He felt that Lois mental breakdown was not extremely serious and that she had completely recovered. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. He attended Olney Rural Elementary School and graduated from Filley High School in 1959. Pitera stared at the body. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. To him, that was close to frightening. Ive been doing this job too long. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. Failed to delete memorial. Toddler murdered by abusive adoptive mother - Horror History .net A woman was convicted Friday of third-degree murder in Add to your scrapbook. She remembered the names, the faces--she particularly remembered Dennis. Only 5% to 10% of the bruises on Dennis could have been caused by such a fall. He has had all his baby shots. remarkable Beverly D'Angelo as Jerry Sherwood
The case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. They had shocked James Nelson. Petersons house sat precisely on the site of the old Wildwood Amusement Park. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. 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. 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. . He would testify that he had been suspicious enough to call the welfare department. Korolchuk would never get the chance to answer such questions.
Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. . The Death of Superman By Jurgens, TPB, DC Comics 1993, New, Sealed. HH The just announced 80-page Death of Superman 30 th Anniversary Special will find Superman, his friends and his family revisiting his death, while dealing with a destructive new threat known as Doombreaker. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. 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. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. This sort of thing happened back then.. Last week, Judge David Marsden sentenced. He has no teeth yet, but they are coming. Sherwood's tenacity, along with the tragedy of her personal loss, kept the story in the public eye. Over the course of several visits to the Jurgens home, Rekdahl saw the matter differently. There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head. Published by Bantam Books, 1990. angelizdsplace.com/. Nine months earlier, on Dec. 6, 1961, Dennis Craig Puckett, 8 1/2 pounds, had been born at St. Michaels Hospital in Sauk Centre, in nearby Scott County. There was no community pressure back then. The official cause of death was peritonitis due to perforation of the small bowel. Thirty years later, writer and artist Dan Jurgens is revisiting the storyline that gripped the world. A dead boy, though, was something else. If hes notified there would be fifty people at her house, and she didnt want that many people around. 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. The hole had allowed a fifth of a quart of infectious, purulent fecal material to flow into the abdominal cavity. Soon after, Jerry Puckett dropped her plan to convert--but by then Dennis was already registered as Catholic on the adoption rolls. There was a time when White Bear Lake was an exclusive watering hole for people from Chicago as well as the Twin Cities. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really Then there were the neighbors and relatives who had seen incidents and evidence of abuse. When the wind was up, Peterson would take out his sixteen-foot sailboat and glide toward Manitou Island and the town of White Bear. What had happened--and how--and why? There was obviously going to be trouble, and he didnt want to get involved. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. Sorry! We didnt believe it was possible in nice, middle-class suburban families.. She was 61 when she went to prison and served eight years before being paroled.. The only witness to Lois's final abuse of Dennis was Robert, who was 5 years old at the time. Lois Jurgens (born 1925) is an American convicted murderer. The prosecutor wasnt getting help from the White Bear Lake police--her brother was on the force. We have many Clayton Robinson Jr., a former prosecutor in the case, said Jurgens should not have been released yet. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Dan Jurgens Returns to Death of Superman | DC She was the adoptive mother of six children in the 1960s and 1970s, and brutally abused them all, killing one of them, 3-year-old Dennis Jurgens, in 1965. [citation needed][3]. Los Angeles, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; 1 arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. The psychiatrist thought it fortunate that Lois Jurgens could not get pregnant because a child would only compound and complicate her emotional disturbances.