Lois Jurgens appeared with her attorney Doug Thomson in Ramsey County Rekdahl thought that Lois speech betrayed a bit of cynicism. She was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison and was paroled in 1995. Try again later. [2] She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota . You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. From a newspaper notice of his death she had learned that the boys body bore multiple injuries and bruises. Matt McMillan, White Bear Lake true crime page-turner turns 30, White Bear Press Club, June 17, 2020. Lois Jurgens - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia 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. That was not binding on the prosecutor, but the defense attorney would zero in on this. However, he was in failing health and his autopsy results did not indicate poisoning.

The victim

Yes! Rekdahl was developing real doubts about this placement, but the Jurgenses decided to go see Dennis that afternoon. Our kids have fallen down steps and not died. 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. They had seen Lois pull Dennis ears so hard that blood flowed. He feared finding himself alone. The defense picked the doctor, and set parameters on what questions he could ask. Two hours before, sitting in his waterside home on the southeast shore of White Bear Lake, Sunday morning had seemed so promising. . 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. Lois and Harold Jurgens lived in a comfortable . He has no teeth yet, but they are coming. Jurgens was one of 16 children. They had just buried the body, and that was all. White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Thank you very much in advance. ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens Dennis Craig Jurgens was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. Adopted just after his first birthday, Dennis suffered years of abuse at the hands of his adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). A Death in White Bear Lake is a true crime book by journalist Barry Siegel, published in 1990, which recounts the murder of Dennis Jurgens. and Judith Ivey as The neighbors talked among themselves that afternoon. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. called, 'A Child Lost ). ``There is no justice. Rekdahl thought Lois Jurgens, then almost 37, to be a rather attractive woman, although she was short and a trifle on the chubby side. Whod listen? In 1984, Jurgens was the artist for the Sun Devils limited series (July 1984 - June 1985), with writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. They owed $6,000 on the house and $930 on the truck. Aside from the incident when Dennis was hospitalized with burns on his genitals, there were many other incidents of abuse which fell under the category of sexual sadism. Published by Bantam Books, 1990. He naps both in the forenoon and the afternoon. Dennis had died of peritonitis. In the decade preceding the adoption of Dennis, Lois Jurgens had suffered bouts of depression and psychosis, including an extended stay at a psychiatric institution where electroconvulsive therapy was administered. Lois Jurgens was sentenced to 25 years in the Shakopee women's correctional facility for third-degree murder. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. The first came now. He couldnt push Votel on this. Try again later. Gladys and Dorothy talked frequently to each other about what they had seen, not unaware that theyd recommended the Jurgenses to the welfare department caseworker. Rekdahl by now had quite a dim outlook on this placement. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. child abuse law.

Murder of Dennis Jurgens - Wikiwand Lois JURGENS - Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers 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. Lois Jurgens Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information . Lois is survived by her husband, Floyd Jurgens; children Gary Jurgens and Caron Klein (Bruce);. 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. 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. Notes [ edit] ^ "ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens". In the early 1980s, Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood, looked for Dennis, only to find out he had died in 1965. A Death in White Bear Lake: The True Chronicle of an All-American Town 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. . VanderWyst and Korolchuk had brought in the file themselves and lobbied for prosecution. 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.

 

+C $33.27 shipping estimate. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens to show support. They talked with more than a dozen relatives and neighbors of the Jurgenses. Mrs. Search above to list available cemeteries. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Their investments and savings totaled $2,200. The boy was obviously dead. From behind their curtains and blinds, the Jurgenses neighbors on Gardenette Drive had been watching the comings and goings all morning with mounting interest. 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. She did not want this to influence their decision, but in all truthfulness, that was the reality. . Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. We thought it would be no use.. DC artist Dan Jurgens shares an image of an unused Electric Blue Superman design from 1996, reminiscing about what might have been. All I could do was shake my head.. Dan Jurgens Returns to Death of Superman | DC In 1987, Jurgens was convicted of third-degree murder of Dennis.

 

There was testimony from other officers that he impeded the investigation into the child's death. 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 walks past the TV cameras on her way to the courtroom on January 30, 1987, to plead not guilty to three counts of murder. Lois Jurgens, the sadistic baby torturer and killer! - Amino Harold (Harry) Jurgens Obituary - Tribute Archive They attempted to mind their own business and feared retribution from Lois, who was not above threatening the lives of her family members. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. The electric streetcar with overhead power lines, running as a spur off the main railroad tracks along Highway 61, would stop just three doors down. There were at least a dozen bruises on the face alone, some large and others small. 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. I was advised that the information was being obtained, that there was an ongoing investigation, Votel said recently. But this death didnt look as though it was from natural causes. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. 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. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. He wrote deferred in the box where he was to specify the manner of death, and put the certificate aside. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. There was testimony from other officers that he impeded the investigation into the child's death. 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. Dr. The volume of business coming down the pipeline doesnt allow for regrets. . There was a large, swollen scrape on the forehead.
That isnt an issue at all. Last week, Judge David Marsden sentenced. Homicide was not the issue at the hearing. Harold and Lois Jurgens, on the advice of their attorney, no longer would make themselves available for questioning. This story changed a lot about the Superman line of booksincluding introducing iconic '90s heroes like Superboy and Steeland DC Comics writ large.
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. conviction
Lois Jurgens. they figured. At that time, the battered-child syndrome was just beginning to be recognized. Instead the judge agonized, repeatedly expressing from the bench his sense of conflict and uncertainty. 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. 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. They covered the face, the head, the arms. The coroner noted in his report that Dennis had almost zero subcutaneous fat, at the level of a person who had died of starvation. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Lois Jurgens (134346102)? Top Rated Seller. A piano and bass fiddle occupied the living room. Meanwhile, Dennis was getting whirlpool baths every day. Lois Jurgens Obituary (1927 - 2019) | Petersburg, Illinois harold e bageant obituary visitation funeral information. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. At first, that seemed to be the conclusion that the official inquiry would also reach. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White . The hearing would prove to be a curious affair.

People were not then inclined to believe that middle-class families in suburban homes killed their children. Lois' remedy for the toddler wetting his diaper too frequently was to place a spring-action clothespin upon the end of his penis. So it was that Dennis Jurgens death resulted not in a murder prosecution but, rather, in a juvenile court hearing over custody of his brother, Robert. Superman Writer Confirms Which Villains Almost Killed the - ScreenRant Father Riser told her he definitely would. They wanted to do something, but felt it was none of their business. Sherwood eventually located Dennis's death certificate; because the death was categorized as "deferred", the case was still technically open. 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. Deferred, Votel had written. Active children that bruise easily . There was obviously going to be trouble, and he didnt want to get involved. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. 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. In 1987, testifying 22 years later, Peterson was questioned again about the bruises. 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 case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. 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. Resend Activation Email. To this end, she forced religious training on her young sons; reports had young Robert flawlessly reciting the Rosary at two. Lois had had a history of mental illnesses including depression and psychosis and was originally deemed . Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 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 . 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. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Learn more about merges. Read more about this topic: Murder Of Dennis Jurgens, But Ive heard mankind abuse thee;And perhaps its rather strange,But I thought that I would choose theeFor encomium, as a change.Charles Stuart Calverley (18311884), Mily: You must remember me! The mother was an unmarried 17-year-old, Jerry Ann Puckett, an attractive blonde of Danish-German extraction. I didnt examine him further.. Jurgens who says he still has the yellow legal pad on which he did his quick sketch was the victor. Lets not build up some fiction that now we have done everything we should do.. 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. all about me: Murder of Dennis Jurgens - Blogger A Death in White Bear Lake: Notorious crime in city history marks 50 Year should not be greater than current year. They would have to find out. The way Lindholm figured it, instead of prosecuting Lois Jurgens for murder, lets move to take Robert away.

 

You see, Gingold said, I didnt have to go that far. They felt sad, and also naggingly disturbed. State v. Jurgens :: 1988 :: Minnesota Court of Appeals Decisions 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. The word homicide remained unspoken. We wanted to tell someone, she said. On the other hand, he could not bring himself to embrace the notion that Lois Jurgens was a murderer. Donohue was not inclined to relax such controls. They owned a 1963 Chevrolet pickup and a 1960 Falcon station wagon. Well, I do, he replied. The house at 2148 South Gardenette Drive, White Bear Lake, where the Jurgenses lived from 1957 to 1967. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota.