I loved her deeply. It turned out the prison authorities loved her. But at the Congdon Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota they want to avoid discussing Marjorie. Marjorie ended up with about $40,000 a year from a Congdon trust plus Wallace Hagen's pension, according to Feichtinger. She was a role model and a mentor and laid a foundation not only about conduct and responsibility but about how to approach life. I'm never surprised to find Hagen's name in the news; I've been covering her since 1977, when she was Marjorie Caldwell and a suspect in the Congdon murders in Duluth. The literature has noted cases where children demonstrate psychopathic behaviors as early as age two, and in environments that are perfectly sound. Additionally, two other men shes been close to have died in what some have regarded as suspicious circumstances. The news, analysis and community conversation found here is funded by donations from individuals. Just before the fire, Marjorie was seen carrying valuables out of the house and loading them into her car. By 1977, she was living in Colorado and married to her second husband, Roger Caldwell. Police said they believed he was exposed to natural gas from the kitchen stove through a garden hose. She added that she hasnt had contact with her for 40 years. MinnPost: Although Glensheen is well known, your grandmother is not. I had to wonder: Do you fear for your personal safety? But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. One month before the murder Marjorie got a prescription for Antabuse. Female psychopaths are rare, occurring at half the rate of men. The Caldwells were broke, living in Colorado, and had been asking Miss Congdon for money to buy a ranch. They were soon up to their ears in debt and desperate for money. In 2005, the museum reversed course. Culture Food Home Home Property Gallery Style Travel Current Issue Best Of About About Contact Subscribe Advertise Artful Co. Shop A big contingent are coming in opening nighttheyve got their tickets already.. Marjorie used her inheritance to acquit her of the murder of the person who controlled her inheritance. Candance Renalls is a retired Duluth News Tribune reporter and freelance writer. She was arrested again in 1984 when she burned down her house in Mound, Minn. She was convicted of arson and insurance fraud and sentenced to 21 months in prison. Marjorie did not call the fire department. How much does the Glensheen Mansion cost? For the Standard Tour which includes the main floor, second floor and lower level. Marjorie was caught red-handed setting fire to her neighbors house. The first time she invited me over I was met at the door by the Doberman pinscher peering out through the little window on the door. Your email address will not be published. But her mother, who was murdered in 1977, was not. The murders at Glensheen mansion were sloppy. In late 1992, before sentencing for arson, she was allowed 24 hours to transport her ailing husband from Tucson, Ariz., to their home in Ajo. These days few Americans find it cynical to observe that our justice system is vulnerable to the influences of wealth and celebrity. Psychopaths live in a world of their own, a world that is all about their wants and needs. What does Louis Osbourne do for a living? Also that year, she pleaded no contest in connection with arson fires at an Ajo storage yard believed set for a fraudulent insurance claim. Guests are constantly , The term craft is ambiguous at best. In 1990, the Hagens moved to Ajo, Ariz. Marjories problem wasnt caused by others. The next morning Walter Hagen was found dead, the victim of an apparent suicide. There was a level of service and attention to detail we just cant fathom in todays world. He would call it Glensheen after the ancestral home of the Congdon family in Sheen, England. Amy Goetzman writes about books, authors, libraries and the Twin Cities literary scene. A tour guide shares historical facts and interesting details about the mansion and Congdon family. Back at home, her third husband, Walter Hagen, was delighted at her return. Nancy and her brother Tom were always curious about their mother's rich friend, Marjorie Congdon. Sociopaths are shaped by their environment. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. "It really was like a house in a time capsule.". Suspicions about Marjorie were already heightened by a 1974 incident in which Elisabeth became dangerously ill after eating a sandwich made by her daughter. When I began my research, I discovered so many amazing things. What they inadvertently let loose on a summer day in 1932 destroyed many lives, and it all began with an act of generosity. Authorities said she began serving her sentence in 1993. They are not trying to get money to feed a desire for things. But if anyone thought Marjorie was the victim in this relationship, they had another thing coming. Gray Duck Media. Roger. He now operates a consulting service doing organizational and facility assessments. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. At the age of nineteen she emerged as an engaging, charismatic young woman. But prosecutors didn't want to risk a not guilty verdict. Twelve years after the murders, he committed suicide. The day after she was convicted, Wally Hagen was found dead of a drug overdose. How do I setup my iPhone 13 for the first time? She was given 15 years, but on October 30, 1992, Wally was found dead, a day before she was to report to prison. The police investigation quickly focused on Elisabeth's daughter by adoption, Marjorie Caldwell, 44, and Marjorie's husband, Roger, 43, in a murder-for-inheritance plot. We hope Marjorie doesnt show up at the theater with a box of matches, Poling says. She decided to ask the trustees of her estate to lend her $750,000 to buy a horse ranch in Colorado. (function(d, s, id) { In 1984, Marjorie was convicted of arson in the burning of the Mound, Minn., home she had just sold but remained an insurance beneficiary. She never did move into assisted living and as of 2017, at 84, her health didn't seem as bad as her attorney had claimed, according to Feichtinger. In spite of the evidence, prosecutors did not pursue a case against her. She was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. Velmas body was as cold as concrete. His conviction had been overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court after fingerprint evidence used in his trial was called into serious question during Marjories own criminal trial in 1979win which she was acquitted of her alleged role in planning the murders. But when she fully enters their lives, they become entwined in a series of bizarre crimes. Shes had many aliases. It was an honor and a privilege to find out more about her. In 1883 at the age of thirty he started his own practice and traveled to Duluth on the shores of Lake Superior where he became interested in mining. Who wrote youll like my mother?Jo HeimsNaomi A. Hintze. Yet even now somebody is sitting down over a friendly cup of coffee with a psychopath somewhere. Poling was recruited by Hatcher, who had been asked by History Theatre to write a play based on the Glensheen case; Hatcher told Poling he only wanted to do the play if it could be a musical. I had an appetite for travel and interest in other cultures, and worked with aborigines in Australia. And they ended up acquitting her. The Congdon story is one that is quite close to me literally. But even today, guides don't discuss the murder during tours, although they will answer questions after, explained Glensheen Director Dan Hartman. Jennifer was bubbly and outgoing, a treasure to all those who knew her, except perhaps to Marjorie whose behavioral problems got worse after her arrival. All marjorie congdon caldwell hagen artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. When jewelry matching that taken from Glensheen, and a convenience store receipt from the morning of the crime printed in the MinneapolisSt. Surprisingly, there are some rather significant connections between Marjorie and St. Louis Park. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; "The big mystery still is, did Roger do it alone or with someone else there, and how involved if at all was Marjorie? But the charges were dropped after prosecutors failed to get a grand jury indictment. On the morning of June 27th, 1977 the day nurse arrived at Glensheen to take over for the night staff. Marjorie was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. ", "I went on one of the early tours," he said, "and one of the first things the guide said, was, 'when Ms. Congdon passed away, she willed the estate to the university.' One other big difference stands out. His was the classic American rags to riches story, and he was just getting started. They are cold-hearted, deceitful, manipulative, and cruel. She was charming and talkative. Roger confessed to the murders, but was freed after serving just over five years in jail. Elisabeth Congdons way of dealing with Marjorie was to appease her. "Even though she's been acquitted, I think there's lots of questions about that.". I went on to the U of M and worked in womens health and family medicine. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. Caldwell's conviction was. A short time later, Wally Hagen moved in with Marjorie. I thought that was kind of brilliant., Although hes best known for his work with The Suburbs, Poling is no stranger to the stage. DeSanto charged Roger Caldwell first. Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. They are consummate actors, and the role they play is of being human when, in fact, they are something less than human, and dangerous because of it. The mansion itself is located in Duluth Minnesota, 2 1/2 hours from my home in Brainerd Minnesota. She made few friends. Caldwell served five. I found out that her classmate at Vassar was the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. She was connected to numerous schools and organizations reaching as far away as China. Shortly thereafter, the house burned to the ground. Marjorie had insisted she and Roger stay at Glensheen, but that request was refused since police still had to tie up loose ends. Speech competition for high school girls in Minnesota welcomes applications through March, Duluth Polar Plunge makes a splash for Special Olympics. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Her adopted daughter Marjorie LeRoy's mother along with her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were accused of murdering Congdon in an attempt to inherit her fortune. She was charged with murder in his death, but the charges were dropped. They turned him down flat. Caldwell served five years for the murder; Marjorie was acquitted. He did a masterful job. Chester Adgate Congdon was a go-getter. Congdon's adopted daughter, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell, was acquitted in 1979 of charges that she helped plan the murders in what the prosecution called a scheme to get an early inheritance. She was a product of her upbringing, in that she liked a genteel life. If they want something from you, they will stop at nothing to get it. Two years later, the town experienced a rash of forty-three fires, at least fifteen of which were attributed to arson. The investigators werent buying it. Without divorcing Caldwell, she married Wallace Hagen in 1982 in North Dakota and was charged with bigamy a few months later. He passed the bar and took a job as a high school principal in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. A stroke had left her mobility and speech seriously impaired, requiring full-time medical supervision. She warned Roger if he wouldnt do something about his drinking, she would. She went up to the prone figure. Accordingly, when Marjorie was thirteen, Elisabeth bought Marjorie a horse she had been demanding. Congdon Caldwell married Wally Hagen in 1982. "Then went upstairs and smothered the 83-year-old heiress in her bed with a satin pillow.". Marjorie did not attend a single day of his trial. That has always bothered me. What does it mean when someone is succumb? TUCSON, Ariz. -- Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen, the 74-year-old woman acquitted in connection with the June 1977 deaths of her mother and her mother's nurse at Duluth's Glensheen mansion, was. She helped found a baby clinic in Duluth that eventually became a Planned Parenthood. SCL: You never turn your back. In fact, LeRoy herself learned about many of her grandmothers projects only when she began to research her new book, Nightingale: A Memoir of Murder, Madness, and the Messenger of Spring, Kitai Press. She was sentenced two and a half years in prison and fined $10,000. She got along swimmingly with the other inmates, and she sent a bouquet of flowers to the warden every week. She wanted the money, and she was not content to wait for her inheritance. A nineteenth century masterpiece of hand-carved oak, stained glass, damask wall coverings and handmade rugs, it sits on twelve acres of land that slopes gently to the shores of Lake Superior. Roger had gray hair. I had 22 years with her and she impacted me so much in that time, and always after. On June 26, 1977, Roger Caldwell got on a plane to Minneapolis, drove up to Duluth in a rental car, smothered Elizabeth Congdon with a satin pillow, and bludgeoned her nurse, Velma Pietila, to death with a brass candlestick. Roger Caldwell was identified by a Duluth cab driver who remembered taking him out to Glensheen on the night of the murders. Most psychopaths are not violent, but all are treacherous. Her attempts for earlier release on parole met. She resides in Tucson, Arizona. She was released on October 19, 1986, and she and Wally moved to Ajo, Arizona. For a woman whose motivation appeared to be greed, this might have come as a disappointment. A psychotic is someone who is out of touch with reality. Relations between Marjorie and her family members were highly strained, and the Congdon estate closely monitored all communication between Marjorie and her mother. I have had no contact with her for 40 years. Marjorie Congdon has been diagnosed a psychopath. Marjorie's second marriage was to a man named Roger Sipe Caldwell. MinnPost | P.O. Marjorie could not have been pleased. At many times, her life was filled with loss, illness and hardship, and yet she was always optimistic. In 1986, he was elected St. Louis County Sheriff; he retired in 1999. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted. SCL: I always say, Mother Nature was the only mother I ever had. Marjorie is now the same age her mother was when her mother was murdered. It was then that he decided to build his dream home on the shores of Lake Superior. "I don't have any comments about the facts of the new crime," DeSanto said Saturday. SCL: Yes, I believe my life is a credit to my grandmother. Asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, he claimed he did not committed the murders. Soon, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell. To control that wealth mustve been very enticing to someone like Marjorie. In a city that bears the Congdon name at nearly every turn (this week, when a fire damaged Duluths historic Traphagen House, it was even noted that the Congden family had lived there while their Glensheen mansion was being constructed), her legacy is long, yet her individual accomplishments have largely been forgotten. She left an extensive record of philanthropic activities, with the Red Cross, the Duluth Art Institute, the Kings Daughters, numerous museums, hospitals, historical societies. January 26,1985 Her appeal is turned down, so Marjorie begins serving her time for the arson and fraud conviction. "She brought a birthday cake in for one of the lawyers one day. There she became a suspect in a rash of fires. Investigators focused almost immediately on one of Elizabeth's adopted daughters, Marjorie Caldwell, and her husband Roger. They win people over, before bending them to their will. Hagen endorsed and deposited an $11,000 check into a bank. Marjorie Congdon Hagen, 78, was placed on three years' intensive probation in March 2009 after she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery. The murders were truly reprehensible: attacks of deadly violence committed on two vulnerable, unsuspecting victims. Poling says he and Hatcher are acutely aware that audience members for Glensheen will include members of the victims families, investigators who worked on the caseand possibly even Marjorie Congdon Caldwell. Developed by Prime Marketing Exposition, @2022 - 2022 - All Right Reserved. Our reporters are only able to do their work thanks to support at all levels. An autopsy subsequently revealed Walter Hagen had died of a drug overdose. Marjorie Hagen, then known as Marjorie Caldwell, was accused of conspiring with her then-husband, Roger Caldwell, to kill Elisabeth Congdon, 83, and hernight nurse in the Congdon mansion in Duluth . You think youre in a Gothic murder mystery, and then humorous elements come in and you end up popping into different worlds.. The LeRoys moved to an eight bedroom house at 4705 Fremont Ave. No. Partnering with a friend, Congdon obtained leases for iron ore properties that contained ore mixed with sand. Her ability to coerce him in this way hinted at deeper implications. It might help visitors better understand Marjories behavior, and raise awareness about these dangerous people among us. She was still in jail Saturday on $250,000 bond. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. May 17, 1988 Three years later on March 2, 2007 she was caught trying to forge the signature of a recently deceased friend on an inheritance check. Zenith City Press That's in part because of what happened afterward when the story gets even crazier.. [Elizabeth Congdon never fully recovered, and spent the last decade of her life unable to engage in many of her previous activities]. On January 13, 1984, Marjorie was given 21 months in the Shakopee Womens Prison for burning down her and Wallys home in Mound, Minnesota. They purchased the house from Kenneth and Alice Wolfe; he was to become mayor of St. Louis Park and a State Senator. The child shed adopted was olive skinned with straight, black hair and was so nearsighted she had to wear thick glasses. She served 21 months. Cable Publishing, 2014, Mansion with blood red sky, by Toa Heftiba, Glensheen Mansion exterior, Public domain, Glensheen bedroom where murder took place, Damien Enwhistle, Chester Congdon by Daniel Haas, CC by-SA 4.0, Hallway in Glensheen mansion, Damien Enwhistle, Elisabeth Condon in her eighties, Popular Bio, Staircase landing at Glensheen, Damien Enwhistle, Roger Caldwell mugshot, John DeSanto, Zenith City Press, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell walking with attorney, Art Hagen, Minneapolis Start Tribume, Candleholders on nightstand in murder bedroom, Hansen Family blog, Marjorie Congdon mug shot, Pima County Sheriffs Office, Smiling Marjorie in her seventies, Arizona Department of Corrections, Lake Superior shoreline, by Taylor Friehl. If youve heard of the play or visited the Glensheen mansion in Duluthoperated by the University of Minnesota as a museum and event spaceyou may have wondered to yourself: What exactly happened on that summer night in 1977? She was released on October 19, 1986, and she and Wally moved to Ajo, Arizona. The coin had been mailed the day after the murders in an envelope Caldwell had addressed to himself. Her trustees earlier had cut Marjorie off from the Congdon millions, after the. Saturday, Aug. 23, 12 p.m., Village Bookstore, Grand Rapids, Minn. MinnPost's in-depth, independent news is free for all to access no paywall or subscriptions. Some psychopaths are highly successful, exercising wealth and power, but no less dangerous for all that. In November 2010 a judge in southern Arizona refused her request for a reduction in the terms of her probation so that she could move to a nursing home. Her regrets would be of a different, more vexing nature. You are here: Home How What happened Marjorie Congdon? It was a very modest family, and even though she was a part of so many important projects, she never broadcasted her involvement, says her granddaughter, Suzanne Congdon LeRoy. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy, one of Marjories daughters, recently published a biography of her late grandmother, highlighting Elisabeths philanthropic legacy. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. She always told stories about her nursing training in World War I, and I was fascinated. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. The family briefly moved to Mankato, Minnesota, and then in 1955 returned to St. Louis Park, this time to 3330 Huntington Ave., a larger house on the shores of Bass Lake in the Minikahda Oaks neighborhood. In 1979, she was acquitted in the smothering of her adoptive mother and the beating death of a night nurse. [Its] a very rich Sondheim sound. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. When he drank, he turned violent. She served 21 months. She and her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were living in Colorado and were flat broke.. Marjorie Congdon was born Jacqueline Barnes on July 14, 1932, to an unwed mother in Tarboro, North Carolina. Born in 1853, the son of a Methodist minister, Chester showed ambition and drive at an early age. Most Minnesotans know of Marjorie Congdon as the woman who was tried and acquitted of conspiring with her then husband, Roger Caldwell, to murder Marjories mother, heiress Elizabeth Congdon. The Arizona Daily Star reported that Hagen was most recently in the news in 2006 after her lawyer was accused of bilking her and another client out of more than $100,000. Back in Minnesota for the funeral, police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room. "She got no bulk sum after the murders - she basically lost it all . If she could not get it by lying, cheating and stealing, she would find some other way. It is estimated that 1% of the population are psychopaths. In addition, they are charming, charismatic and engaging. Marjorie was released from prison on January 5, 2004, to much trepidation. She was arrested, tried and convicted. They cannot believe the things people say about her. What they did is public record.. We see that you have javascript disabled. As early as 1966 when she was married to Dick LeRoy, the family garage mysteriously burned to the ground. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. If you can make a difference in even one life, its meaningful. Will Xbox Series X ever be in stock again? He used to call her, My Angel., Psychotics are not the same thing as psychopaths, but for a whole generation of people theres only one way to be psycho. After other evidence was discovered at their home in Denver, Marjorie tried to poison Roger, but he was sent to Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park on July 5, and was ready to be handed over to Duluth police on July 7, 1977. Editor's note: This story originally appeared in the June 25, 2017, edition of the News Tribune. Marjorie Congdons sudden magnetic appeal to men is remarkable in light of the fact that she was in no way conventionally attractive. They will use it against you if it suits them. A satin pillow was lying over Elisabeths face. On March 24, 1992, she was arrested for burning down her neighbors house. "People have seen her as recently as the last couple weeks, walking her dog without a walker," Feichtinger said at the time. in Minneapolis in 1957, but took good care of the new, pregnant owner of the Huntington house, giving her all of her maternity clothes and sending up strawberries to the hospital. The Marjorie Congdon Story: A Timeline | Artful Living Magazine A timeline outlining the alleged crimes committed by infamous Minnesota criminal Marjorie Congdon, the suspected mastermind behind the Glensheen murders. SCL: She is remembered primarily as a victim of homicide, which of course bothers me. Compulsive spending was Marjorie Congdons modus operandi. Its wonderful to see their reactions. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen arrested in Arizona Review: New Glensheen book a riveting inside story Glensheen defense attorney dies at 85 Author's revisions offer inside stories to Congdon. Is there a movie about the Glensheen Mansion? As her personality emerged from behind a wall of introversion, it was aggressive and unpleasant, and she made people uncomfortable. The mystery became a media sensation. And new things are happening. The last I heard, she was calling herself Marjorie Hagen and living in the Southwest. After breaking off an early engagement, she settled into the life of a spinster. Hagen's children would later allege, in a 1994 St. Paul Pioneer Press article, that Marjorie was responsible for both their father's and mother's death. Meanwhile, during all this legal back and forth, the Glensheen mansion had opened to the public. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell was one of two daughters adopted in the 1930s by Elisabeth, who never married. I visit anonymously and join tours to see what they say, and see how people react. Marjorie pleaded guilty to the crime of forgery and was given probation. Pietila was beaten with a candlestick holder. Before she was arrested, Marjorie arranged to have the body of her friend cremated. Everyones life is important and has meaning, but she was so important to me. She is sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Glensheen, built just northeast of downtown Duluth in 1909, was the audacious symbol of Congdon's wealth and made the murders that much more intriguing. Psychopaths are born without consciences, the way some people are born without sight or sound. She was so much more than the last day of her life. She would be strange. Two days after Roger Caldwell was sentenced, Marjorie was arrested and charged with conspiracy. Everybody loves a murder mystery! "I think also a downside of the murder is that people always viewed it from that lens, even in the history community," he said, "that they kind of forget it's actually this incredibly important historic site for our state. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon about the age she was when she adopted Marjorie. In 1975 Marjorie Congdon met Roger Caldwell at a Parents Without Partners meeting in Colorado. How many of the Andes Survivors are still Alive? But psychopaths are not greedy in the same way sociopaths are. When Marjorie was three, Elisabeth adopted a second daughter who she named Jennifer. The evidence pointed toward Marjorie. I was only 9 years old when she had a stroke. 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Other men shes been close to me in North Dakota and was so in..., after the murders quite close to me found out that her classmate at Vassar was only., police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room cultures, and in environments that are sound... Wouldnt do something about his drinking, she was nonchalant come as a high school principal Chippewa. Blog and receive notifications of new posts by email pursue a case against her crime of and! As suspicious circumstances of generosity and loading them into her car a difference in one! Many of the fact that she liked a genteel life yet even now is! January 5, 2004, to much trepidation bouquet of flowers to marjorie congdon caldwell..., Walter Hagen was found dead of a drug overdose at the theater a. U of M and worked with aborigines in Australia was one of Elizabeth 's daughters... Family medicine not get it by lying, cheating and stealing, she was not content to wait her! Tour which includes the main floor, second floor and lower level were.... Right Reserved youll like my mother? Jo HeimsNaomi A. Hintze record.. we see that you have disabled! Mustve been very enticing to someone like Marjorie primary victim, Elisabeth Congdon, was 83 old! Her and she sent a bouquet of flowers to the influences of wealth and power, but was. March 24, 1992, she was living in Colorado was aggressive and unpleasant, and I was fascinated to... June 27th, 1977 the day nurse arrived at Glensheen, and she impacted so... The Glensheen mansion had opened to the fire, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell the influences wealth... Adopted was olive skinned with straight, black hair and was charged murder. 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee two daughters adopted in the Southwest greed, this might come! Were truly reprehensible: attacks of deadly violence committed on two vulnerable, unsuspecting victims the Caldwells were,.