lois jurgens' death

to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really Lois Jurgens had a reputation amongst her extended family and neighbors as an intense, angry woman with a short and volatile temper, but Dennis' arrival in her home provoked sadistic rages that targeted Dennis as he aged from one to .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3+12 years of age. She knew the agencys policy was not to place children with couples who were over 40, an age they were approaching. Petersons house sat precisely on the site of the old Wildwood Amusement Park. At the funeral, a crown of roses rested on Dennis head. A Mrs. Hansen called to report a lost wallet, which resulted in an officers checking a phone booth at Fourth and Washington streets, next to the Avalon Jewelers. Rekdahl suggested that if she had negative feelings, it would be best for them not to take the child. My biggest feeling was that it was a sad situation and I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. This was the first child-abuse case he had handled. One of Lois Jurgens responses was to call Father Riser, the priest who had so warmly recommended them to the county welfare worker. He naps both in the forenoon and the afternoon. Martin fritz obituary. We did not have enough evidence of any kind to deny them. As it happened, Peterson at the time was deputy coroner in Ramsey County. There was a television movie broadcast in 1992 on NBC en*led A Child Lost Forever that told the story from the perspective of Jerry Sherwood (played by Beverly D'Angelo). A dead boy, though, was something else. The rows of neatly kept houses, the modern police station and the shopping strips all reflect a level of modest comfort rather than affluence. Top Rated Seller. They had just buried the body, and that was all. 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. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Lois Jurgens (born 1925) is an American convicted murderer. Dennis struggled with such training and was forced to pray and recite his Rosary kneeling on a broomstick for extended periods, until he did it correctly. In the 1960s, the term child abuse had not yet been coined[citation needed][2] and no one, not even medical professionals and teachers, was required to report suspicions. The doctors eyes slid to a corner of the room. Lois, who abused Dennis constantly, escalated to new levels of rage as the flood waters filled her basement. It is essentially unconceivable to me, without a protruding object above the floor, that he could have been injured in this way, Woodburn said. "There was obviously going to be trouble, and he didnt want to get involved.". Certain neighbors and family members knew there were problems with Lois' treatment of Dennis but did nothing to prevent it. The afflicted look and act very sick for a matter of hours, sometimes days. The Jurgenses are not being attacked anywhere along the line. There was a large, swollen scrape on the forehead. He has had all his baby shots.

Due to this frequent starvation, Dennis gained only three pounds in a two and a half-year period as he aged from one year old to three and a half years old.

The victim

There were at least a dozen bruises on the face alone, some large and others small. Harold and Lois Jurgensa middle-class, churchgoing couple who had been unable to have children of their ownhad adopted Sherwood's son, Dennis, in 1962. 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. She demanded to know the truth about her son's death. Dan Jurgens, one of the chief minds at DC who spearheaded the Man of Steel's death and rebirth in the '90s, took to Twitter to share an unused design of Electric Superman -- sometimes called . There are a lot of dead babies in the ground who were killed.. He had one great friend, his world's Lois, but she died and now he sees another version of her still alive and pregnant. Eventually, all four of the siblings from Kentucky and Robert escaped the home by running away and getting help from concerned neighbors. They saw the hearse sitting in the Jurgenses driveway, and a big blue convertible, and the police car parked awkwardly, askew, as if the officer had been in a hurry. Lois considered herself a devout Catholic and believed she was doing "God's work" by making Dennis "perfect" in her eyes. The prosecutor wasnt getting help from the White Bear Lake police--her brother was on the force. The mother was an unmarried 17-year-old, Jerry Ann Puckett, an attractive blonde of Danish-German extraction. Initial placement was with a licensed, unrelated foster family, but Robert was then moved to his paternal grandparents at his parents' request. 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.

They beat my baby to death, Sherwood told Buzz Harvey. 0 cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. They just buried the body in St.. She thought the postplacement period had been quite successful. 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. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. Harold and Lois Jurgens, on the advice of their attorney, no longer would make themselves available for questioning. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. The official records say 1,200 children died of abuse in 1986, but many experts believe the figure would reach 5,000 if closer attention were paid to some deaths attributed to accident or blamed on sudden infant death syndrome. You consider how well you can sell this to 12 people in the jury box. In her effort to make Dennis "right" in her eyes, Lois embarked on a series of sadistic and corporal punishments: Angered at Dennis for rejecting certain foods, she responded by placing horseradish on the food and then force-fed it to him. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo?

He very strongly favored the Jurgenses getting another child. Other than that, nothing remarkable.. . ``If she had been convicted of this in 1965 she probably would have done about three years, Thomson said. Placement with the paternal grandparents ended due to a house fire that occurred at a time when Robert was hospitalized with pneumonia, and his grandmother burned to death. He does not sound very well behaved, she said. Lois Jurgens was at home alone with the children much of the weekend of Dennis' death. There was an error deleting this problem. On April 26, Korolchuk drafted an analysis of the information they had gathered. And it was not my position to do anything other than to pronounce him dead.. Want more true crime books? We would like to have done something, but it was none of our business. By all accounts, Lois was obsessed with abusing Dennis, and she wanted the world to know he was a "bad child"; she made no apologies about the inappropriate way she was disciplining him. based on information from your browser. PAUL When 3-year-old Dennis Craig Jurgens died on April 11, 1965, there were so many bruises on his body that the coroner said he stopped counting them. She was predeceased by : her parents, Leslie Stowell and Margaret Stowell. 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]. Free shipping for many products! . White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). Dennis nose was blood-red--VanderWyst thought it looked as if you just wiped it once more youd probably take the rest of the skin away. 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 . Family members linked to this person will appear here. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134346102/lois-germaine_josephine-jurgens. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens I found on Findagrave.com. But, at a hearing just one month after Dennis death, Peterson, when asked if there was anything unusual about the burn accident, said: No, not in particular.. ``There is no justice. [citation needed], Dennis Jurgens was born Dennis Craig Puckett in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Lois E. Jurgens, 82, passed away on Friday, September 7, 2012 at Lakeland Health Care Center Elkhorn, WI. Almost immediately, Lois felt a severe, obsessive dislike of the child, who was a normal, rambunctious, and spirited toddlerunlike Robert, who in Lois' eyes, was the "good son." This was the situation that Gerane Rekdahl, a Ramsey County welfare case worker, found when she visited the Jurgens home on March 1, 1962. Votel could not take the first step. updates The county had filed a custody petition, alleging neglect. child abuse law.

Barry Siegels chilling true crime book, A Death in White Bear Lake, chronicles the chilling case of a family from a picturesque town in Minnesota, and the cover up of a horrific crime that lasted for 20 years. Ivey's Lois Jurgens is a woman so proud and righteous, her sense of morality . Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Is it quite customary to see a little boy with so many bruises, he was asked. 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Lois Jurgens reaction to Dennis during the visit was less than enthusiastic. Jurgens, now 69, was convicted of third-degree murder in 1987 in what at the time was the oldest homicide to go to trial in Minnesota. He doesnt look like a tiny little kid, he thought. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). In the early 1980s, Jerry Sherwood went looking for the newborn son she gave up for adoption 20 years prior. Innhold. The next day, Rekdahl phoned the Jurgenses family physician, Dr. Roy Peterson, who was treating Dennis. The sequel spins out of The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1, which transformed construction worker Lloyd Crayton into a new Doomsday-like villain for Superman: Doombreaker. She believed that Lois Jurgens was accepting and embracing Dennis, and he seemed healthy and adjusted. No, she explained. They had seen Lois yank Dennis violently by the ears. There was also talk years earlier of her having started the fire at her in-laws' home which killed her mother-in-law, with whom she never got along. Lois thought that would be a good idea. The same day that she spoke to the priest--Aug. 30, 1962--Rekdahl informed the Jurgenses that they were going to be approved for a second adoption. DC artist Dan Jurgens shares an image of an unused Electric Blue Superman design from 1996, reminiscing about what might have been. One might get a first impression that Lois was cold and indifferent, but to Rekdahl, this seemed a defense for insecurities. J. was a little nervous today and I felt was probably upset for fear of what we would think of such a thing happening to Dennis, she wrote in her log. In our family you dont dare say much.. They were informed they would not be allowed to foster or adopt any additional children. Testimony from neighbors and family members told of young Dennis showing up to public events wearing sunglasses at the age of two, to hide his frequent black eyes. I did my best.. He could be a battered child, Votel said he reasoned, and still his death could have been caused by a fall, an accident. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she lived at the time.

There were many fateful moments in Dennis brief life, moments in which his destiny could have been changed. It looked to her as if the roses were placed there to cover up the dark blue markings. . Lois had a question: Would Father Riser write a letter in support of their present effort to adopt another child, a third child? Thank you very much in advance. 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. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. Rekdahl found him friendly and talkative--perhaps too much so, for he often strayed widely from the subject at hand. Peritonitis is a horribly painful illness involving shock, collapse of the blood vessel system, high fever and breathing difficulties. Verify and try again. Her secret was revealed after Sherwood began searching for the son she gave up for adoption and learned in 1983 that he had died of a bowel injury. There was also pressure from supervisors to place, especially because there were so few Catholic children. Dr.

They beat my baby to death. 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. This drove Lois further into madness, as she felt she needed children to complete the "perfect picture" of her life. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Star Tribune photo by Donald Black. Lois had talked to them all about her toilet training methods. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. On January 13, 2000, she was initially suspected of poisoning her husband, Harold. Then there were the neighbors and relatives who had seen incidents and evidence of abuse. Dennis was adopted by the Jurgens, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, a suburb of Saint Paul: Harold Robert Jurgens, a former bandleader turned electrician, and Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens, a homemaker. 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. The childs death occurred before there were state-mandated sentencing guidelines, and Thomson argued that she should have served less time. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. She thought Dennis was sloppy fat. This particularly surprised Rekdahl. When the White Bear Lake police called her a year ago, she knew immediately whom they were talking about. This, coupled with the lack of a statute of limitations for a murder charge, could lead the way to a prosecution of Lois Jurgens. Lois considered herself a devout Catholic and believed she was doing "God's work" by making Dennis "perfect" in her eyes. My clients have rights, he said. Whod listen? There were, to begin with, the same photos of Dennis battered body on the coroners table. Rekdahl expressed some concern. To the casual observer, the Jurgens' seemed to be a normal, church-going family with a perfectly maintained house and yard. 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. DENNIS JURGENS WAS ONLY 3-YEARS-0LD WHEN HIS LIFE ENDED AT THE CRUEL HANDS OF HIS MOTHER LOIS JURGENS AND SHE WOULD HAVE GOT AWAY WITH IT, BUT HIS BIOLOGICAL MOTHER JERRY SHERWOOD STARTED. A condition of neglect did exist. . He had served as a reference when they adopted Robert. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. There is no evidence we are dealing with any people here who have any demon-like motives. They felt sad, and also naggingly disturbed. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. . 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. What had happened--and how--and why? I remember very clearly the pathologist coming in and saying it had to be a blow, not a fall, but I think the prosecutor felt he couldnt prove it, and I was on the same wavelength as the prosecutor. 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. According to sworn testimony by both Korolchuk and VanderWyst before a grand jury last year, Zerwas at the time warned the investigating officers that he would do everything in his power to keep his sisters name clear. The foster mother thinks him a little wild one, but she means this appreciatively and derives pleasure from his antics. The boy would be gasping and choking for breath until she would fear that he would drown. When they cleared land for his basement, theyd found old rolls of amusement park ticketsthree rides for a nickel. 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.
She was born February 25, 1927 to Leslie and Margaret Stowell in Cass County IL. At the funeral home, Lois Jurgens brother, Lloyd Zerwas, came to pay his respects. Her mother having long ago disappeared, Jerry Puckett had bounced among assorted relatives and county homes for girls. Harold and Lois Jurgens, a middle-class, churchgoing couple in picturesque White Bear Lake, Minnesota, had adopted Dennis and five other foster children. On the other hand, she realized the improbability of being offered another Catholic baby in the near future. To this end, she forced religious training on her young sons; reports had young Robert flawlessly reciting the Rosary at 2.

Lois Jurgens released after serving eight years, The Winona Daily News, June, 7, 1995.

Lois Jurgens was the infamous subject of one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota.She was the adoptive mother of six children in the 1960s and 1970s, and brutally abused them all, killing one of them, three-year-old Dennis Jurgens, in 1965.. Jurgens was one of sixteen children. Korolchuk wondered: Why wasnt a doctor called to the home in the day before Dennis died, when he must have been extremely and obviously ill? Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood.

Please enter your email and password to sign in. Youve got to worry about tomorrow. You couldnt get action from the prosecutor and police. Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. Did the doctor remember his thoughts on why this child died, his inner feelings that day? Lois had had a history of mental illnesses including depression and psychosis and was originally deemed . When Dennis messed his bed, she said, she forced the boy to eat his feces. In the early 1980s, Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood, looked for Dennis, only to find out he had died in 1965. Although Lois was not charged with Dennis's murder, the death caused sufficient suspicion for the authorities to remove Robert from the home; he was placed with various relatives and one foster family for a period of just over five years, during which the Jurgens spent a great deal of effort and money attempting to regain custody. In addition, Lois took to tying Dennis' limbs to the bedposts to keep him in bed, and tied him to the toilet to force a bowel movement. . Published by Bantam Books, 1990. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. She had not noticed anything was wrong until sometime later, when Dennis began holding himself and saying, Owie! It was then she saw that his genitals were burned and called the doctor. 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. The cause of death was peritonitis, but the autopsy photos showed him covered in bruises with an anguished expression on his face and the coroner had not determined a mode of death, accident, natural causes, or homicide. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. While he waited for the coroners investigator to arrive, he asked Lois Jurgens if there was anything he could do--such as take Robert to his own home, to be cared for by his wife. At first, that seemed to be the conclusion that the official inquiry would also reach. I felt we actually checked out the concerns quite carefully.. Aside from the incident when Dennis was hospitalized with burns on his genitals, there were many other incidents of abuse which fell under the category of sexual sadism. She seemed to Scott County welfare workers a hostile and sullen young woman, unhappy and emotionally underdeveloped. This is a carousel with slides. After all, Dorothy Engfer more than once had seen Lois smack Dennis so hard the blood flowed from his nose, and Gladys DeMars had watched Dennis over two summers wither from a husky, jolly baby to a wan little boy covered with bruises and black eyes and split lips. Though the name of the adoptive family was not given, many suspected that the story was about Lois Jurgens. Harold (Harry) Jurgens, 76 of Filley passed away at Gold Crest Retirement Center in Adams on January 7, 2018. Novel and Adaptations: Barry Siegel's true-crime novel A Death in White Bear Lake recounts the story via extensive research and oral history.

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