The Associated Press and Arizona Daily Star contributed to this report. 15091511 E. Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota. Then in 1951 Marjorie became someone elses problem. Sign up for The Growler's mailing list to receive the latest news in food, drink, and culture, and special events you won't want to miss. Also that year, she pleaded no contest in connection with arson fires at an Ajo storage yard believed set for a fraudulent insurance claim. The Caldwells were broke, living in Colorado, and had been asking Miss Congdon for money to buy a ranch. If Marjorie couldnt have it, nobody would. Today, the University of Minnesota-Duluth operates the mansion, tours and events that take place inside and on the mansion's grounds. The next day, DeSanto charged Marjorie with conspiring to kill her mother. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon about the age she was when she adopted Marjorie. "She's still doing crafts.". By 1977, she was living in Colorado and married to her second husband, Roger Caldwell. After all, it should be part of a complete picture of the mansions history, which also includes the remarkable story of Chester Adgate Congdon, Elisabeths father and the builder of Glensheen. When Marjorie was sixteen, Elisabeth sent her away to a boarding school in New England. Psychopaths are in complete control of reality. The investigators werent buying it. Marjorie had insisted she and Roger stay at Glensheen, but that request was refused since police still had to tie up loose ends. This post is riddled with false statements about both the mansion and the family. She went up to the prone figure. ", "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.' MP: You write with such rich detail about visiting your grandmother at Glensheen, and the functions of the house the service, the secret call buttons. A tour guide shares historical facts and interesting details about the mansion and Congdon family. At the time, it was not possible to separate ore from sand, so the ore was worthless. From an early age, Marjorie showed signs of devious behavior, and as a teenager she was diagnosed as a sociopath. She was charged with murder in his death, but the charges were dropped. 3.76 282 ratings27 reviews Glensheen's Daughter is the story of Marjorie Congdon, the adopted daughter of heiress Elisabeth Congdon, and the brutal murders at Glensheen, one of America's great mansions. "The big mystery still is, did Roger do it alone or with someone else there, and how involved if at all was Marjorie? This time Marjorie had overplayed her hand. 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 taken into custody Thursday night at a Tucson assisted-living facility and booked into Pima County Jail on suspicion of theft, forgery, fraud and computer tampering. 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. I had to wonder: Do you fear for your personal safety? His was the classic American rags to riches story, and he was just getting started. Psychopaths are driven by their need for control. Tour lengths vary depending on the type of tour and the desired experience. Condgon was found smothered with a satin pillow. Her adopted daughter Marjorie LeRoys mother along with her new husband, Roger Caldwell, were accused of murdering Congdon in an attempt to inherit her fortune. Marjorie Congdon was born Jacqueline Barnes on July 14, 1932, to an unwed mother in Tarboro, North Carolina. In spite of the fact that it came to light during the trial that Marjorie had attempted to poison her mother on a previous occasion, Marjorie was acquitted. The evidence pointed toward Marjorie. It might help visitors better understand Marjories behavior, and raise awareness about these dangerous people among us. Psychopaths are without a conscience. What is the water level on Cherokee Lake? Marjorie was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. It is so beautiful and wonderful Im glad that everyone can enjoy it. The man who actually committed the murder was Roger Caldwell, the second husband of Elisabeth Congdon's adopted daughter, Marjorie, according to MinnPost. The combination of Antabuse and alcohol can produce seizures, congestive heart failure and even death. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted. May 17, 1988 Marjorie Caldwell Hagen, seen in a photo from when she was in Arizona prisons from late 1992 to early 2004, serving time for arsons in Ajo, Ariz. "I don't have any comments about the facts of the new crime," DeSanto said Saturday. Im interested in at-risk youth, and drawn to help people in difficult situations. Glensheen director Dan Hartman talks about a Congdon family portrait. "Then went upstairs and smothered the 83-year-old heiress in her bed with a satin pillow.". We see that you have javascript disabled. Soon, Marjorie turns into the stepmother from hell. Hare, Robert D. Phd. She left an extensive record of philanthropic activities, with the Red Cross, the Duluth Art Institute, the Kings Daughters, numerous museums, hospitals, historical societies. What does it mean when someone is succumb? This was now two years after the murders and, as Kimball recalled, two new developments hurt the prosecution. She was arrested and convicted of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. At great personal expense, Congdon hired a mining engineer to develop a washing mill that could remove the sand. They dazzle and captivate. She always seemed like a nice person. She loved nature and history, and taught her children and grandchildren to protect them. Her ability to coerce him in this way hinted at deeper implications. The marriage lasted twenty years and cost Dick LeRoy an estimated $1 million in debt and liabilities. If they change to focus to be more about history and the house, Ill reconsider. Spirits Close-Up: The Ultimate Hot Toddy Matrix. I visit anonymously and join tours to see what they say, and see how people react. And I loved nursing; I was very privileged to work in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally as a nurse. That's because 40 years later, Hartman said, about 70 percent of visitors don't even know about the murders. SCL: She made a big difference for maternal and child health. "It was clear she was then on a path to wanting to speed up her inheritance," said DeSanto, who's a judge now and co-author of a book on the case, "Will to Murder.". Psychopaths are born without consciences, the way some people are born without sight or sound. She was introverted and spent most of her time reading alone or playing by herself in the nooks and crannies of the vast mansion. A short time later, Wally Hagen moved in with Marjorie. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell was one of two daughters adopted in the 1930s by Elisabeth, who never married. Marjorie admitted as much, saying she and Walter had made a suicide pact, but that she had lost her nerve at the last minute and couldnt go through with it. Marjorie Congdon has been diagnosed a psychopath. I went on to the U of M and worked in womens health and family medicine. Hagen endorsed and deposited an $11,000 check into a bank. Caldwell served five. Tucson police wouldn't discuss what led to the charges, citing an ongoing investigation. DeSanto charged Roger Caldwell first. He worked in a lumber mill from the age of fifteen to support his family after his fathers death. 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. Those who know her find her friendly and engaging. An autopsy subsequently revealed Walter Hagen had died of a drug overdose. What does Louis Osbourne do for a living? Accordingly, when Marjorie was thirteen, Elisabeth bought Marjorie a horse she had been demanding. Chester's youngest daughter, Elisabeth had never married. Your email address will not be published. Since Marjorie's release from prison, she has lived in several senior residential communities in Tucson, where neighbors often had conflicts with her and her service dogs. She was seventy-one years old. At the age of twelve Marjorie began spending her mothers money with a vengeance, running up her charge accounts at local merchants. The shores of Lake Superior near Glensheen Mansion. In November 2008, Marjorie pled guilty to fraud after illegally taking funds from the bank account of Roger Sammis, who had been under her care before his death. Marjorie used her inheritance to acquit her of the murder of the person who controlled her inheritance. SCL: She is remembered primarily as a victim of homicide, which of course bothers me. But too many people remember only that she was killed at home at Glensheen mansion, along with her nurse, Velma Pietila, in 1977. I started in neonatal care, working with very sick babies, and that was a strong interest of hers as well. Better you should stay away from them. Twenty months later she was released for good behavior. When Elisabeth was found murdered, it didnt take long for the investigation to zero in on the Caldwells. How do I setup my iPhone 13 for the first time? The case went to trial in the searing summer of 1978. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. The last I heard, she was calling herself Marjorie Hagen and living in the Southwest. Born in 1853, the son of a Methodist minister, Chester showed ambition and drive at an early age. Paul Airport, were found in the Caldwells hotel rooms, authorities arrested Roger and charged him with the murders. Review by @JayGabler: http://t.co/CcvqPvprgr pic.twitter.com/2ygWFh7Jj6, Local Current (@LocalCurrent) October 11, 2015. In January 2004 Marjorie Congdon was released from prison after serving ten years of her fifteen year sentence for arson. And I whispered to the guide, 'You know she was brutally murdered, right?'". The Congdon story is one that is quite close to me literally. The terms are not interchangeable. From the beginning, the child was different. In this light, Marjories difficulty in making friends at school can be seen as trial and error, a long learning curve that resulted in her emerging as an engaging, charismatic young woman at the age of nineteen, enough to snare a man like Dick LeRoy. Caldwell's conviction was. The mansion was constructed as the family home of Chester Adgate Congdon. On March 24, 1992, she was arrested for burning down her neighbors house. A neighbor remembered Marjorie as being very industrious. The next day the house caught fire. Where Marjorie Congdon Hagen goes, fire and death follow. That heiress was Elizabeth Congdon, the last living child of Chester Congdon, who'd earned his fortune developing the Mesabi Iron Range. While Marjorie stood to inherit millions after her mother's death, she actually got a pittance in comparison. Stained glass window above the stairway landing at Glensheen mansion where Velma Pitiela was murdered. Marjorie Congdon's mugshot, when she was arrested for arson in Arizona on March 25, 1991. He was found guilty and given two life sentences. Congdon was the only surviving child of mining magnate Chester Congdon, who built the lavish mansion in 1909. She was convicted of attempted arson, and the judge allowed her to go home before reporting to prison to make arrangements for her 84-year-old husband. Suzanne Congdon LeRoy: Yes. Despite prosecution having only circumstantial evidence to present, Roger was convicted and handed two consecutive life sentences. Caldwell served five years for the murder; Marjorie was acquitted. He was treated for a possible heart attack but released after doctors couldnt determine the cause of his illness. My GM made all the difference for me. MP: What sources did you consult in your research? At the same time, she essentially only comes after people she can get something from, and none of my siblings or myself have anything for her. When word reached Jennifer Congdon, Marjorie Congdons younger sister, the first thing she said was, Marjorie did it. But proving that was going to be difficult. Marjorie Congdon Caldwell with her attorney Ronald Meshbesher. 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. Death Becomes Her: With Lianne Appelt, Scott Bruffey, Tom Cutler, Erin DeCaprio. Marjorie and Caldwell were reportedly in heavy debt shortly after marrying in Colorado in 1976. Elisabeth was the last surviving child of mining magnate Chester Congdon, who built Glensheen in the first decade of the 20th century and was reportedly the richest man in Minnesota when he died in 1916. Eight years later in 1974 after arranging for the remodeling of a house shed purchased, Marjorie was slow to pay the contractor, so the contractor placed a lien on her property. "She brought a birthday cake in for one of the lawyers one day. Sympathy is a dangerous emotion in the hands of a psychopath. In 1992, Hagen pleaded no contest to a criminal damage charge in connection with a 1990 fire at an Ajo storage yard that was believed to have been set to support a fraudulent insurance claim. Marjorie Congdon Hagen, 78, was placed on three years' intensive probation in March 2009 after she pleaded guilty to attempted forgery. The next morning Walter Hagen was found dead, the victim of an apparent suicide. They didn't think they could prove the death was murder. Sadly, Marjories mother neglected to mention Marjories psychological problems to her new husband before he married her. Police suspected that Roger Caldwell flew from Colorado to Minneapolis, drove to Duluth, and committed the murders under cover of darkness. "She got no bulk sum after the murders - she basically lost it all . Product details Publisher : Zenith City Press; 4th edition (May 1, 2009) Later it came to light that her friend had thought the world of her. She wasnt there long. But her mother, who was murdered in 1977, was not. The officers who dropped her off found her quirky and engaging, a charming old lady. January 26,1985 Her appeal is turned down, so Marjorie begins serving her time for the arson and fraud conviction. There she became a suspect in a rash of fires. Sadly, most people from her generation would not be able to square what they know about Marjorie with the diagnosis of a psychopath. Yet even now somebody is sitting down over a friendly cup of coffee with a psychopath somewhere. Marjorie Hagen was again arrested on a murder charge but it was dropped for lack of evidence. 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. The promise of a big pay combined with plenty of publicity may have been factors that led Ronald Meshbesher to take her case. In addition, they are charming, charismatic and engaging. In 1995 an Arizona judge decreed that Wally Hagens ashes must be divided between Hagens children and Marjorie. We don't really hide from it, but it's definitely not our number one marketing message to get out there.". These days few Americans find it cynical to observe that our justice system is vulnerable to the influences of wealth and celebrity. Nor was anyone else in the Congdon family. Whether or not he had taken the pills of his own volition was never determined. Member donations are crucial to the work of our nonprofit newsroom. Details could be released next week. Find this article and more great music content atthecurrent.org. When she was alerted to the fire, she was nonchalant. Back in Minnesota for the funeral, police found evidence of foul play in their Duluth hotel room. She had a particular impact on quality of life issues for women and children. It was the stuff of an Agatha Christie novel. You are here: Home How What happened Marjorie Congdon? 40 years later, Glensheen murders still grip Duluth, Glensheen, home museums rethink rules to lure visitors. SCL: Yes, I believe my life is a credit to my grandmother. Was it your intention, in writing this book, to correct that? The Congdons are notable for many things, and the docents dont want those accomplishments overshadowed by the taint of Marjorie Congdons behavior. "She was knitting at the defense table," said Kimball. Read this article as it appears in themagazine. An iron candlestick holder lay discarded nearby. It is famous for. 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