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. My God, he thought, looking at the body. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Lois Jurgens had been sentenced to up to 25 years for the 1965 slaying of 3-year-old Dennis Jurgens. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Search above to list available cemeteries. She committed one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. It was awful. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota More Alchetron Topics References Lois Jurgens Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA Topics The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Toz (film) Steve McAnespie
He would testify that he had talked to some lady down there. .
It was harder to believe that Dennis had been awake and talking normally an hour and a half before he died. The term is relative. 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 . No. In the early 1980s, Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood, looked for Dennis, only to find out he had died in 1965. He couldnt push Votel on this. It would have been difficult at the time to prove that Lois Jurgens had committed murder. . Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Death 7 May 2013 (aged 87) . He would testify that he had been suspicious enough to call the welfare department. The doctor did not want to be there. Along with the aforementioned evidence of starvation and the scarring and bite-marks on his genitalia, the coroner discovered multiple lacerations and multiple generations of bruises covering most of his body. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Three-year-old Dennis Craig (Puckett) Jurgens was tortured to death in the wee hours of April 11th, 1965. Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens Obituary We are sad to announce that on June 13, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens of Arvada, Colorado. of Lois Jurgens are considered landmarks in the history of On the other hand, she realized the improbability of being offered another Catholic baby in the near future. Try again later. To this end, she forced religious training on her young sons; reports had young Robert flawlessly reciting the Rosary at two. There was testimony from other officers that he impeded the investigation into the child's death. Petersons house sat precisely on the site of the old Wildwood Amusement Park. Lois Jurgens, 61, was convicted of third-degree murder of her adopted son Dennis in the first phase of her trial a week ago and the jury, after deliberating five hours, rejected her insanity. To receive the type of severe burns he suffered, Dennis would have had to be exposed to steaming-hot water for a significant length of time. Basically, she thought that Lois was content and happy, especially with Robert. VanderWyst and Korolchuk had brought in the file themselves and lobbied for prosecution. The specter of homicide hovered, but would not land in this hearing room in 1965. Even so, doctors do not usually see third-degree burns in an area that isnt covered by clothing. He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). VanderWyst didnt push the matter. Lois Jurgens, the sadistic baby torturer and killer! - Amino He felt that Lois mental breakdown was not extremely serious and that she had completely recovered. Retrieved 12 February 2015. Dennis was now fully accepted and loved in the family, she decided. In talking to the county attorney and the chief of police, we had gone as far as we could and we were told that was it, wed have to terminate the investigation.. Judge calls murder of child 'barbaric' - UPI Archives The foster mother thinks him a little wild one, but she means this appreciatively and derives pleasure from his antics. There were at least a dozen bruises on the face alone, some large and others small. He is able to turn himself over and is extremely strong, almost ready to stand by himself. ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens
Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. They covered the face, the head, the arms. She thought Dennis was sloppy fat. This particularly surprised Rekdahl. . Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks Break Down Young Jon Kent's Return in Lois This month is the 30th anniversary of the release of "A Death in White Bear Lake," a book by then-Los Angeles Times reporter Barry Siegel. Lois Jurgens (August 12, 1925 March 7, 2013) | World Biographical He was an outgoing child, as happy and adjusted as could be expected under the circumstances. Thirty years after the original Death of Superman storyline, the iconic tale's writer Dan Jurgens has confirmed which alternate Superman villains almost killed the hero.
Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood. Years later, Peterson would say much the same to the police who were reopening the case, but he did not do so in 1965. . So began a painstaking inquiry into the past--an inquiry that in recent months has pulled back the curtains on a decidedly uncomfortable vision. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Lois Jurgens appeared with her attorney Doug Thomson in Ramsey County Years later, Dr. Lynn Solem, the present director of the burn center at St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital, would explain that though this type of burn is now regarded as a sign of child abuse, in 1963 it would have been accepted as accidental. based on information from your browser. This was a murder. In the minute she was gone, she said, he turned on the hot water. He had lived in this home since 1953, and it gave him much pleasure. And it was not my position to do anything other than to pronounce him dead.. Three-year-old Dennis Jurgens is murdered by his adoptive mother. The topic under consideration was the possible placement of Dennis Puckett with the Jurgens family. There were many fateful moments in Dennis brief life, moments in which his destiny could have been changed. Murder Shelf Book Club: Ep 50 A Death in White Bear Lake by Barry Woman Tortures Adoptive Son To Death Lois Jurgens (40) was variously described as both short-tempered and vindictive by her neighbours and others who encountered her in the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and it was well known that she experienced bouts of severe depression and psychosis. Failed to remove flower. Ivan and Gladys Demars, neighbors who had served as references when Dennis was adopted, over the fence had seen the boy with bruises, black eyes, split lips. So Robert, on a temporary but semiannually renewed basis, remained in county custody, living in foster homes. all about me: Murder of Dennis Jurgens - Blogger I was not trained in mental illness. 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. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer[1] responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. Lois was accused of murdering and beating her adopted son Dennis Jurgens in 1965 but wasn't convicted until 1987 and only spent 8 years of her sentence before being paroled in 1995. They are good people. There was an error deleting this problem. I didnt look after that; I couldnt, she said. Lois Jurgens - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia There was a problem getting your location. They were informed they would not be allowed to foster or adopt any additional children. Rekdahl thought that Lois speech betrayed a bit of cynicism. Jurgens who says he still has the yellow legal pad on which he did his quick sketch was the victor. When it froze, hed hang lights on the seven surrounding elm trees, put out snow sculptures of bears and seals tinted with food coloring, and invite all the neighborhood kids to join his own two children in skating and hockey games. That this was much more a question for doctors than for the police did not sway Votel. Did the doctor remember his thoughts on why this child died, his inner feelings that day? Murder of Dennis Craig Jurgens | Mystery & Crime Amino The word homicide remained unspoken. It is fair to say that this finding raised considerable questions. My Mother Almost Killed Me. No one cared or stopped her. | by Karen They were independent of each other. In 1965, Votel said, he thought this was certainly a battered-child case, but the reports indicated that the child had fallen down some stairs. In 1984, Jurgens was the artist for the Sun Devils limited series (July 1984 - June 1985), with writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. Lois Jurgens Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information Robert was leaving things alone at the age of 1 year. But neither the judge nor anyone else was willing to face the implications of such findings. Lois Jurgens released after serving eight years, The Winona Daily News, June, 7, 1995. At first Bob Brass thought the squad car was Loiss brothers, but then they saw VanderWyst in the driveway. Though the specific cause of that fatal blow is not known, it is known that it was Lois who had given it to Dennis. . Lois Jurgens - Wikipedia She was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison and was paroled in 1995. Rekdahl did know that Lois had a history of psychiatric problems involving a nervous breakdown in the early 1950s. Lois obsessed about Dennis' weight, which according to medical records was appropriate for a child of his age and build at the point of his adoption. But how did such an infection occur in the first place? State v. Jurgens :: 1988 :: Minnesota Court of Appeals Decisions . Lois attended cosmetology school in Des Moines, Iowa. When the wind was up, Peterson would take out his sixteen-foot sailboat and glide toward Manitou Island and the town of White Bear. Its easy today to say, Why didnt they prosecute? but it was a different time, a different time. No, nothing struck me, the doctor replied, except for these bruises. There was something wrong here. The psychiatrist also observed that Lois had an obsession about order and cleanliness. A dead boy, though, was something else. He felt that she needed psychiatric help very badly and, without it, might become psychotic. He couldnt comprehend anyone torturing a kid, Peterson would explain many years later. He naps both in the forenoon and the afternoon. A piano and bass fiddle occupied the living room. In a town like White Bear Lake, apparently no one thought it problematic that the assistant police chief, Lt. Jerome Zerwas, was Lois Jurgens brother. They had seen Lois yank Dennis violently by the ears. It was not his job to do anything other than pronounce the boy dead. [citation needed][3]. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. He is extremely alert. Martin fritz obituary. Toddler murdered by abusive adoptive mother - Horror History .net My biggest feeling was that it was a sad situation and I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. There was also a great deal of suspicion surrounding Jerome Zerwas, the brother of Lois Jurgens, who was a police lieutenant in the city of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list.
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. He attended Olney Rural Elementary School and graduated from Filley High School in 1959. Ep 50-52 A Death in White Bear Lake by Barry Siegel- Sources, Photos Try again later. In summer, Peterson caught little sunfish off his dock or from his motorboatthey had the loveliest taste, the fillet just the size of a half dollar, two good bites each. Active children that bruise easily . Jerry took her case to the White Bear Lake police department and then to the local media. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. The only witness to Lois's final abuse of Dennis was Robert, who was 5 years old at the time.
