She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. The word homicide remained unspoken. I was young then, just out of college, the social worker said recently in an interview. She was predeceased by : her parents, Leslie Stowell and Margaret Stowell. He could never forget how Lois Jurgens looked at those photos stoically, showing no emotion.
They owned a 1963 Chevrolet pickup and a 1960 Falcon station wagon. Donna Mae, about 5 feet away, watched in horror as Lois force-fed that vomit to him, made him eat it. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. For a time, that appeared to be the end of the story. Other than that, nothing remarkable..
The case drew widespread publicity and was the subject of a book and a made-for-television movie. With Lois's mental health deteriorating, a hearing explores the question, should Lois and Harold Jurgens keep custody of their 5 year old adopted son, Robert after the death of this brother, Dennis. Building a general history of abusive conduct would not be sufficient.
The threat of a criminal prosecution is way by the boards now. The case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. Top Rated Seller. Other testimony and evidence was more troubling. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Camille Brass knew the blue convertible belonged to Dr. Peterson. Lois Jurgens had not one good thing to say about Dennis. To the casual observer, the Jurgens' seemed to be a normal, church-going family with a perfectly maintained house and yard. The coroner noted there was evidence of adult, human bite marks on his penis and scarring all over his scrotum; he was also found to be wearing two diapers and a pair of rubber pants at the age of three and one-half years. It had always troubled her, more than any she handled before or since. 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. And it was not my position to do anything other than to pronounce him dead.. The neighbors talked among themselves that afternoon. No, Lois said, sounding definite. From behind their curtains and blinds, the Jurgenses neighbors on Gardenette Drive had been watching the comings and goings all morning with mounting interest. In 1965, it was a private general practitioner, Dr. Thomas Votel, who handled the coroners duties on a part-time basis for $6,300 a year. However, he was in failing health and his autopsy results did not indicate poisoning. After seeing newspaper reports about the death, she was convinced that he had been beaten to death and demanded the case be re-opened. Villains also abound, but they remain less noticed. The psychiatrist also observed that Lois had an obsession about order and cleanliness. Still, she had never forgotten the case. SHAKOPEE, Minn. (AP) _ A mother who beat her adopted son to death and then covered up the crime for two decades was released from prison today after serving eight years. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. As it happened, Peterson at the time was deputy coroner in Ramsey County. You see, Gingold said, I didnt have to go that far. . Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Jurgens' other adopted son, Robert, testified at the trial, at which Lois Jurgens (then in her 60s) was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to prison.[4]. We didnt believe it was possible in nice, middle-class suburban families.. His intensely angry adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens, know for her short, volatile temper, murdered him. Lois Jurgens served only eight years of her sentence, released early for good behavior, and lived a secluded life in Stillwater, Minnesota, until her death in 2013. Clothing retains the heat. He was the son of teenage Jerry Sherwood (who was herself a ward of the state) and her teenage boyfriend. The hole had allowed a fifth of a quart of infectious, purulent fecal material to flow into the abdominal cavity. Deferred, Votel had written. ). Votel could not take the first step. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The prosecutor had a different attitude back then, Votel said recently. 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. On April 26, Korolchuk drafted an analysis of the information they had gathered.
and Judith Ivey as Description above from the Wikipedia article Lois Jurgens, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a cover story about the investigation on Sunday, October 12, 1986. In 1992 A made-for-TV movie was made based on both Jerry's story and this case called, ' A Child Lost Forever ' w/ the remarkable Beverly D'Angelo as Jerry Sherwood and Judith Ivey as Lois Jurgens. She always proclaimed her innocence.
At the urging of authorities, Jerry placed Dennis for adoption after being told that he would receive good care.[1]. Its kind of hard to believe., ``How can you take a babys life like that and beat it for two years and then walk free? she said. He assured that it was going on, that this would be his responsibility to get the information, bring it back to me so I could complete the certificate. She did not want this to influence their decision, but in all truthfulness, that was the reality. Judge Gingold would not back down either. He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). . Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family.
Dennis and Robert Jurgens, 1965.
It was highly unlikely that a fall on a flat surface could have caused this. I was willing to wait. Votel was still waiting about two years later, when he retired from office. roger w. tufte sr. was born on march 22, 1945 in lakota, nd the son of clarence and esther (johnson. Father Bernard Riser of the St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church had known the Jurgenses for years and considered them to be among his parishs best families. Robert was leaving things alone at the age of 1 year.There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head, and scarce chance that he had died from a fall on the flat basement floor. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens was an American convicted murderer. Harvey had been a rookie cop here in 1965, but Sherwoods story triggered no memories. No. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Lt. Clarence (Buzz) Harvey at first did not know what to make of the blonde 42-year-old woman who appeared at the front desk of this towns solitary police station on the morning of Sept. 18, 1986. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? I was not trained in mental illness. It was just inconceivable to Woodburn that Dennis had been so injured by slipping and falling on a basement floor. Resend Activation Email. Jerry Puckett was a Protestant by background, but at the time Dennis was born she was intending to take instruction in the Roman Catholic faith. The just announced 80-page Death of Superman 30 th Anniversary Special will find Superman, his friends and his family revisiting his death, while dealing with a destructive new threat known as Doombreaker. Try again later. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Our kids have fallen down steps and not died. In spite of extensive physical evidence pointing towards severe abuse, the medical examiner did not classify the death under any of the standard classifications of accident, suicide or murder; he simply marked it "deferred". Others promised that they would do so. The roller coaster had been just to the west of his lot, the water slide just to the east, and the dance pavilion exactly where his house now stood, the old foundation still there below his lawn and patio. 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. 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. There is a problem with your email/password. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. If you throw up, you are going to eat it. . It did not occur to him to question Robert. Harold (Harry) Jurgens, 76 of Filley passed away at Gold Crest Retirement Center in Adams on January 7, 2018. Jurgens was one of 16 children. On the night of his death, Lois was in an extremely bad mood due to flooding which was filling up the basement with water. charles edward ed holland memorial park funeral homes and cemeteries. Rekdahl was developing real doubts about this placement, but the Jurgenses decided to go see Dennis that afternoon. Sherwood's tenacity, along with the tragedy of her personal loss, kept the story in the public eye. It is fair to say that this finding raised considerable questions. There was a problem getting your location. And a Dr. Peterson called at 10:09 a.m. to report a DOA--dead on arrival--at 2148 Gardenette Drive. Dennis was lying face up in his crib, his stiffened arms raised eight inches off the bed. This sort of thing happened back then.. Donohue was not inclined to relax such controls. This account has been disabled. There was testimony from other officers that he impeded the investigation into the child's death. child abuse law. She also describes him as a clown, always laughing at himself or other people when they are around. Try again. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. 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. A dead boy, though, was something else. DEATH OF SUPERMAN 30TH ANNIVERARY SPECIAL- 1:100 JURGENS & BREEDING FOIL VARIANT. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she lived at the time. Lois had had a history of mental illnesses including depression and psychosis and was originally deemed . I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Death 7 May 2013 (aged 87) . The first few days of the police investigation by VanderWyst and Sgt. It is not known specifically what caused the fatal blow, though the injury was later found to have been, beyond a reasonable doubt, inflicted by Lois Jurgens owing to evidence of her constant physical abuse. Brand New. Peterson did not give us any conclusive answers about the condition of Dennis or about his death, VanderWyst wrote in his report for that night. It looked to her as if the roses were placed there to cover up the dark blue markings.