Elisabeth Congdon

Elisabeth Mannering Congdon (April 22, 1894 – June 27, 1977) was a millionaire resident of Duluth, Minnesota, USA who became famous after she and her nurse were found murdered on June 27, 1977.

Biography

Elisabeth Congdon was born to mining magnate Chester Adgate Congdon, and his wife, Clara Hesperia Bannister Congdon on April 22, 1894 in Duluth, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, USA. In 1905, Chester began building Glensheen Historic Estate, a 39-room mansion on their 22-acre (89,000 m²) estate in Duluth, Minnesota, seeing it finished 3 years later. Chester died in 1916, and Clara many years later in 1950, when Elisabeth inherited Glensheen.

In 1932, Elisabeth, a single woman in her late thirties, adopted two daughters, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen and Jennifer Johnson. Marjorie was the "black sheep" of the family, as she constantly borrowed money from her mother and married numerous times. Early in her life Marjorie was diagnosed a sociopath, was put into institutions and for a time appeared to be improving. Marjorie had seven children by her first husband and she spoiled them with luxuries, the majority of which were furnished by Elisabeth. She was divorced after twenty years of marriage. Marjorie's second marriage was to a man named Roger Sipe Caldwell. She and Caldwell kept asking Elisabeth for money, reportedly so they could realize their dream of a horse ranch.

On June 27, 1977, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila (born April 26, 1911) were found murdered. Elisabeth was found suffocated with a satin pillow in her bed and Velma, who was lying on a windowseat, had been beaten to death with a candlestick. The motive was initially unclear because few valuables were looted from the room.

The murder happened in Elisabeth's older sister Helen's bedroom. Some think it happened in Elisabeth's room which was furnished with expensive articles of furniture from France. After her elder sister moved out of the mansion, Elisabeth took over her room as it was bigger. This room is recognizable by the gray color scheme, and the pink tile around the fireplace.

Elisabeth's daughter Marjorie was to receive $8 million at the time of her mother's death. Three days before Elisabeth's death, Marjorie had authored a paper saying Roger was to receive about $2.5 million of her share. Based on evidence found at the scene and later in Roger and Marjorie's possession, they were arrested. Roger Caldwell was tried first and convicted in 1978. Marjorie was acquitted in 1979. The Minnesota Supreme Court overturned Roger's conviction in 1983. Rather than risk an acquittal at retrial the prosecution offered Roger Caldwell a plea deal, a confession, guilty plea to second-degree murder and time served. Roger Caldwell confessed to both murders on July 5, 1983. Caldwell had served 5 years of a twenty-year sentence. He later committed suicide on May 18, 1988. In his suicide note he claimed he was innocent of killing Elisabeth Congdon. Caldwell never did get any of the promised money from Marjorie.

Years later, Marjorie was convicted of insurance fraud and arson and was sent to Perryville prison in Arizona on July 19, 1993. Though suspected in the death of her third (bigamous) husband Wally Hagen, Arizona authorities have never brought charges against her for that crime. Children of her third husband's first marriage suspect that she was involved in the unexpected death of Mr. Hagen's first wife. Marjorie was released from Arizona State Prison on January 5, 2004. Marjorie was most recently arrested in Tucson, Arizona, at her residence at an assisted living facility on March 23, 2007, on charges of computer fraud and several other counts.

In November 2008, Marjorie Congdon pled guilty to fraud after illegally taking funds from the bank account of Roger Sammis. Mr. Sammis had been under her care before his death, and some suspect Ms. Congdon of foul play. In November 2010 a judge in southern Arizona has refused a probation relief.

In modern culture

In 2015, a musical titled Glensheen based on the murders was created by Jeffrey Hatcher and Chan Poling.

Sources

• Sharon D. Hendry, Glensheen's Daughter, The Marjorie Congdon Story, 1998 (10th. ed.: 2009).
• Gail Feichtinger with John DeSanto & Gary Waller, Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes & Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings, 2003 (4th. ed. June 2009).
• CourtTV, February 2005, Power, Privilege, and Justice, hosted by Dominick Dunne.
• Tuesday, June 28, 1977: The Congdon murders, June 27, 2008 StarTribune article.
• November 19, 2008 Tucson Citizen article.
• Supreme Court of Minnesota 08/07/81 Matter Elisabeth M. Congdon v. 51721 (about the fate of the heritage)
• State of Minnesota vs. Robin Caldwell (High School Mock Trial, Minnesota State Bar Association, Cases 2010-2011. Based on actual data and documents. Case dedicated to the memory of Elisabeth Mannering Congdon and Velma Pietila.