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20 Chilling Facts About the Glensheen Mansion Murders

Although Glensheen Mansion is one of Minnesota鈥檚 most visited sites, its history is more sinister than that of other American historic mansions. The 39-room mansion and estate will always be linked to the shocking events of the Glensheen murders.

The Glensheen killings happened on June 27 1977 in Duluth, Minnesota United States. The killings involved two victims who were Elisabeth Mannering Congdon and her night nurse Velma Pietila.

Police discovered that Pietila had been killed with a candlestick while Congdon had been strangled with a satin pillow in her bed. The initial theory was that it was a robbery, but the police soon started to suspect Congdon鈥檚 adopted daughter Marjorie Congdon, and son-in-law Roger Caldwell. He would ultimately be found guilty, but she would be exonerated. Later, she would be determined to have committed fraud and arson, offenses for which she was sentenced to prison.

1. Elisabeth was the only Surviving Child of Mining Magnate Chester Congdon

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There were 7 kids born to Chester Adgate Congdon and Clara Hesperia Bannister Congdon. Chester started constructing Glensheen, a 39-room home, in 1905 on their 22-acre (89,000 m2) property in Duluth, Minnesota.

 After three years, it was completed. Clara and Chester passed away in 1950 and 1916, respectively, leaving their daughter Elisabeth, who was born on April 22, 1894, to inherit Glensheen.

2. The Nurse was the First One to be Killed on the Grand Stairway

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The killer broke into the 39-room mansion on June 27, 1977. He went ahead to start his mission by killing the nurse on the grand stairway. Pietila had been killed with a candlestick. She was found dead in a pool of blood on a stairwell landing after being struck over the head with an 8-inch brass candlestick.

3. Mrs. Pietila was a Regular Nurse for Miss Congdon until her Retirement Age

Mrs. Pietila served as Miss Congdon鈥檚 regular nurse until she retired at age 65. Her spouse claimed that she was asked to cover for a nurse who wanted the night off on Sunday.

4. Congdon had been Strangled with a Satin Pillow in her Bed

After killing the nurse, the attacker went upstairs and smothered the heiress of the Glensheen Mansion. Elisabeth Mannering Congdon was 83 years old at the time of her age. The attacker killed her with a satin pillow. Here are the 20 Horrifying Facts About The Unsolved Mystery of The Alphabet Murders.

5. The Bodies of the Two Women were Found by a Nurse

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On June 28, 1977, around seven in the morning, a nurse who was to relieve Mrs. Pietila of her nursing duties discovered the remains of the two women. Miss Congdon experienced a stroke and received round-the-clock nursing care. She was bound to a wheelchair since she was paralyzed on one side.

6. Blood was Found on Miss Congdon鈥檚 Pillow

Blood was discovered on Miss Congdon鈥檚 pillow, which was likely Mrs. Pietila鈥檚. According to the police, the murderer reportedly got blood on him or her before rubbing against the pillow.

7. Police Hypothesised that the Attacker Entered the Home through a Basement Back Window

The damaged rear window in the basement, which was discovered by the police, led them to theorize that the attacker or attackers entered the home through this window. According to reports, Mrs. Pietila went to investigate after hearing noises. Between Miss Congdon鈥檚 bedroom and hers was a hallway. She reportedly took at least one really heavy hit from the candlestick, according to the police, and fell six stairs to a landing. She was found on the landing having either climbed onto or been placed on a window seat.

8. The Cook said She Heard no Unusual Noises during the Night

According to investigators, the chauffeur and the gardener shared a home on the 7 陆-acre estate but slept in different buildings鈥� servant quarters. That evening, a cook stayed at the estate; she slept in a different wing from Miss Congdon and Mrs. Pietila. Prudence Renquist, the cook, reported hearing no strange noises throughout the night. But she claimed to authorities that at around three in the morning, her poodle started barking.

9. The Motive was Initially Thought to be Robbery

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The bedroom had been plundered, and a jewelry box had gone stolen, so the initial assumption was that there had been a robbery. The following morning, Pietila鈥檚 automobile was found in the airport parking lot after it had gone missing.

10. The Nurse’s Car was Missing

Her husband, Loren Pietila, was informed of the murder and arrived at the mansion at 8 a.m. He found out that his wife鈥檚 1976 Ford Granada, which was white and brown, was missing.

Later that morning, he received a call from airport police at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport informed him that his car keys, which had his name, had been discovered in an airport trash can. He requested that they contact Duluth police after informing the airport police that the car had been a part of the murders. Airport police then searched for the vehicle, which they discovered in the parking area of the airport.

11. Elisabeth Adopted Two Infants and Never got married

Elisabeth had two children through adoption and never wed. Jacqueline Barnes, a daughter she adopted in 1932, was given the new name Marjorie Mannering Congdon. In 1935, a second daughter named Jennifer Susan Congdon (1935鈥�2017) was adopted.

12. The Prime Suspects were One of the Adopted Daughter and her Husband

One of Elizabeth鈥檚 adopted daughters, Marjorie Caldwell, and her husband Roger became the subject of instant attention from the investigators. According to John DeSanto, the top prosecutor at the time, the couple was in financial straits and Marjorie was due to inherit $8 million when her mother passed away.

鈥淚t was clear she was then on a path to wanting to speed up her inheritance,鈥� said DeSanto, who鈥檚 a judge now and co-author of a book on the case, 鈥淲ill to Murder.鈥�

13. Elisabeth鈥檚 Fortune had been Held by a Trust and the Trustees had Cut off Marjorie and the Husband

Elisabeth needed 24-hour care at the time of her death due to a stroke. She was wheelchair-bound, with one side of her body paralyzed. Because of her condition, a trust was managing her wealth, and the trustees disconnected Marjorie and Roger. Spending had completely depleted Marjorie鈥檚 trust fund. She and Roger had both their cars and their home repossessed.

14. A Notarized letter in a Safe Deposit Box was found Signed By Marjorie Caldwell

After the murder, on June 28, Roger Caldwell was discovered in Golden, Colorado, opening a safe deposit box while acting disturbed and sporting untidy hair. He had no injuries two days before but he was found with two cuts on his face and a swollen hand.

Police eventually discovered a letter that had been notarized and signed by Marjorie Caldwell three days before the killings in the safe deposit box after obtaining a search warrant. When her mother passed away, it awarded Roger Caldwell an unchangeable $2.5 million portion of her estate.

15. Roger was Found with a High Level of Sedatives in his Body System

 For Elisabeth Caldwell鈥檚 burial on June 30, the Caldwells traveled back to Duluth and stayed at the Radisson Hotel in the city center. Police searched it after they left that day and discovered a receipt for a $54.86 transaction made from a gift store in the Twin Cities airport on a murderous day. It was for the purchase of a garment bag made at 6:40 a.m. by a guy matching Roger Caldwell鈥檚 description, according to gift shop employees.

The Caldwells left Duluth on the day of the funeral and made their way to the Twin Cities, staying at a Bloomington hotel. There, Roger Caldwell passed out and was transported to the hospital, where his system contained a high concentration of sedatives. The sedatives were similar to those found in an unresponsive Elisabeth Congdon three years earlier after Marjorie fed her mother a sandwich made with her homemade marmalade.

16. Marjorie Caldwell was Charged with Conspiring to Kill her Mother

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Marjorie Caldwell was accused of planning to murder her mother but was found not guilty. Over the years, she was charged with and found guilty of numerous crimes, including arson, raising further doubts about her involvement in the case.

17. The Daughter Married another Husband after Being Acquitted

Marjorie got married to her second husband in North Dakota in 1981 after she was declared not guilty. She later served time in prison for two different arsons, one at her new house in Mound, Minnesota, and the other at the house of a neighbor in Ajo, Arizona. Although accusations against her were dropped, she was also suspected of killing her new spouse in 1992.

18. Roger Caldwell was Convicted of First-degree Murder

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Elisabeth鈥檚 adopted daughter Marjorie Congdon LeRoy Caldwell Hagen鈥檚 second husband, Roger Caldwell, was found guilty of two charges of first-degree murder and given two life sentences.

19. A Key Piece of Evidence that Helped Convict Roger was Discredited

 An important piece of testimony that supported Roger鈥檚 conviction was refuted at Marjorie鈥檚 trial. It was discovered that the fingerprint on the stolen coin envelope that was mailed from Duluth was not Roger鈥檚 as previously thought. Because it identified Caldwell as being in Duluth on the day of the murders, it was crucial evidence. The Minnesota Supreme Court overturned Roger鈥檚 conviction in 1982 and remanded the case to Duluth for a fresh trial as a result of the fingerprint information.

Due to the contentious 1983 plea agreement, Roger was released after serving five years. He received no further prison term in exchange for entering guilty pleas to two charges of second-degree murder and a confession. His admission, though, revealed nothing new. He left out Marjorie and perhaps a third conspirator. He said that he acted alone and entered the Congdon estate with the intent to steal, not kill.

20. The Glensheen Mansion was Open to Tours Two Years after the Murders

The family had intended to give the Glensheen Mansion to the University of Minnesota Duluth before Elisabeth鈥檚 passing. Two years after the murders, it was accessible for excursions, but the tour operators were forbidden from mentioning the crimes. 

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The motive behind the Glensheen mansion murders has always remained a mystery that will never come out since the incident took place. However, the mansion is a key historic point in the locality that has been toured by several curious people across the United States.