WI WI - Evelyn Hartley, 15, La Crosse, 24 Oct 1953

[punklove]

The train idea is very probable.

Based on what I have read and what I know, I believe this guy was someone out of town, but perhaps he came into town enough to know who Evelyn was. The fact that their was no blood on any car in the neighborhood and no abandoned vehicle found, supports the theory of stowing away on a train, or the possibility that they just didn't find the vehicle because the guy wasn't from town. From the amount of blood found by where she last was, it would be impossible for there to have not been any on the perp's vehicle.
I have wondered if this guy picked Evelyn at random or if he had been watching her for so long that he felt a connection with her. If he picked her at random, it's possible he would have just dumped her anywhere since she had no ties to him, but if he did feel connected to her, he'd keep her in an area special to him, where he thinks she'll be 'safe' from being discovered.
From the cirumstances though, I do think this was planned, and not a coincidence it was on the night of the game. I definitley don't think it was a robbery either, but I bet the perp. was banking on it to look like one to throw police off.
It's been too long, and the chances she is still with us is slim, but I truly hope she will be found. It'd be nice to have closure in such a baffling case.

Its possible someone was watching her, she didnt know that she would be babysitting at that home until very last minute (she covered for her friend who wanted to go to the homecoming dance) and she was only inside the home for about 25-35 minutes before neighbors say they heard three screams, dismissing them as children playing.

I always assumed that her being in the home for such a short amount of time and her not babysitting until the last minute meant that it was a random person (because nobody would know she was there babysitting) but its possible someone was watching her and thats how he knew she was babysitting.

Her parents and siblings said they didnt know why she didnt go to that game and it confused them because it was typically something that she never missed, I wonder if she didnt go because she was nervous/scared about running into someone there OR if she wanted to invite someone over to the home where she was babysitting? If she was interested in someone older (or that she knew her parents wouldnt like) its possible she would have never told her parents she was 'seeing' him and decided to use this babysitting gig as a way to have one on one with him.

Even at 15 she was described as "mature" because she was already quite tall and well formed.

So much about this just confuses me and makes me go back and forth with what I think happened.

 

[punklove]

http://jg-tc.com/news/article_39f757c9-23d6-5f35-ae47-56809db3483c.html

Found it! Here is the story about the tape recording giving new clues about Evelyn being taken to a house in LaFarge... from the newspaper in Charleston IL, where Evelyn lived before moving to LaCrosse WI

And according to this article one the perps knew or knew of Evelyn,and that she would be babysitting, which confuses me because Evelyn was called at the last minute(unless that is a mistake). These perps doen't sound like the type who would have known the Rasmusens or the Hartleys, so maybe they learned of this through the grapevine somehow...

"There was a 50-year-old murder that may have taken place in your house," said Thompson. "May I come in?"

How interesting!!

In regards to her filling in at the last minute, a couple pages ago I posted some newspaper archives where the father said that she hadnt babysat there in three months, and that he was confused why she was babysitting that night, and was adamant that she wasnt supposed to be there that night but it was a very last minute thing.

 

[joellegirl]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...21614&sspn=0.001789,0.004823&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=19

Try this link to show the distance between the Rasmusen home(A) and the house on Coulee (B)where Evelyn's scent ended. From the blood evidence on one house and on the garage behind the house next to 2311 Coulee Dr, Evelyn was dragged through the backyards, along the sides of houses and to the curb of Coulee Dr.

 

[joellegirl]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...=GYenxa8_otYSP4k6L_aYcw&cbp=12,326.47,,0,-4.5

Here is a Google street view of the house Evelyn and her family lived at, 1533 Johnson St.

And below a map of the distance from her home to the Rasmusen's.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...331,-91.224718&spn=0.028623,0.077162&t=h&z=14

 

[joellegirl]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...068&sspn=32.197599,79.013672&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11

Here is the map showing the route from Hoeschler Dr in La Crosse to La Farge..... Coon Valley , where the clothes were found, is almost midway there.

 

[Claudette]

We all have various theories but it sounds like we all agree on one thing - the fact that this happened the night of a big game was NOT a coincidence. Anyone disagree? I would love to hear your theories if so!

 

[Claudette]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...068&sspn=32.197599,79.013672&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11

Here is the map showing the route from Hoeschler Dr in La Crosse to La Farge..... Coon Valley , where the clothes were found, is almost midway there.

Wow so taking 14 is a pretty direct route. And the clothes were found ON Rte 14. Definitely an interesting co-ink-a-dink.

 

[Marilynilpa]

So much about this just confuses me and makes me go back and forth with what I think happened.

I feel 100% the same way - I keep going back and forth between was it random or was it intentional. Was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was she a deliberate target.

Most of the time I think this was a random incident - especially since Evelyn filled in at the last minute as the babysitter. But maybe she unwittingly crossed the path of a rapist/killer who decided to make her his next victim.:waitasec:

It seems like there had to be two people involved, which puzzles me if this was a deliberate attack on Evelyn. Although it isn't completely unheard of for two men to prey on women together, it isn't that common. But it isn't that unusual for two men to burglarize a home together, which is why I generally lean towards the burglary gone wrong theory.

Has anyone read anything about other burglaries in the area during this time? It's possible someone has already posted that info on this thread, but I didn't see it.

 

[Marilynilpa]

We all have various theories but it sounds like we all agree on one thing - the fact that this happened the night of a big game was NOT a coincidence. Anyone disagree? I would love to hear your theories if so!

I agree that the timing was no coincidence - either the perp intended to break into the house because he knew no one would be home, or he intended to attack Evelyn because he knew there wouldn't be that many people around to witness anything.

 

[joellegirl]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...oid=sjf6Acz5UVLUR-DUu-XvuA&cbp=12,144.96,,0,5

This is a Google street view of where Central High School was in Evelyn's day. It was torn down in the 1960s and a new building was built nearby. It is now a park and the marker you see describes the school and it's history.

This doesn't really have to do with solving the case, just thought some might be interested in seeing where her high school was.

 

[Claudette]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...oid=sjf6Acz5UVLUR-DUu-XvuA&cbp=12,144.96,,0,5

This is a Google street view of where Central High School was in Evelyn's day. It was torn down in the 1960s and a new building was built nearby. It is now a park and the marker you see describes the school and it's history.

This doesn't really have to do with solving the case, just thought some might be interested in seeing where her high school was.

That's weird that the entry stairs (?) are still there. My town is fairly old but the part I live in was built in the 50s just like Evelyn's town, and I've come across places where there's a "phantom" concerete driveway or something but once it reaches the sidewalk it stops, wherever it extended is gone. It's really weird.

 

[Marilynilpa]

That's weird that the entry stairs (?) are still there. My town is fairly old but the part I live in was built in the 50s just like Evelyn's town, and I've come across places where there's a "phantom" concerete driveway or something but once it reaches the sidewalk it stops, wherever it extended is gone. It's really weird.

I have a vacant lot a couple of blocks from me that has entry steps and a cool stone wall around it, but nothing else. Obviously at one time a nice house or building had been there, but now nothing.:waitasec:

 

[amber1]

bump!

 

[punklove]

Im 'starting over' with this case - attempting to get a 'fresh' look at this case. Im going to start by posting only proven facts about this case.. Please join me.

Oh, And since the case is so old and was at a time that newspapers often printed things incorrectly Ill post the link to any newspaper articles I find that support the facts and hopefully if they are wrong someone will be able to correct any incorrect information.

• Size 10 (approximately) footprints were found leading to the Rasmusen home, which was in a new subdivison. Link.

• Bloodstains were on the outside of the Rasmusen Home and on other houses in the vicinity and the blood was analyzed by a state crime lab team, where the director said that they would release a 'detailed report' later - I have yet to find this report. Link.

• Bloodstains were splattered around an open basement window, on the lawn and on the window well of a neighors home 200 yards away. (This confuses me - why would there be blood on a window 200 yards away? With the lack of blood in the home this means that the person attempted to break into a neighbor house AFTER Evelyn was wounded.)
Link

• Two blood stained shirts were found in a bathroom of railroad station - workers said a 180 pound man who was 6'4 left them in a box in the bathroom. Also that the man appeared to scratches on the left side of his face. The witness says that he saw the man go into the bathroom with the box but leaving without the box - he then went into the bathroom and found the box of bloody clothes. Link

• She was babysitting as a favor to a girl that she went to school with. She hadnt had many boyfriends, the ones that she did have were all cleared - they even cleared all the boys that had ever asked her out.

• The basement window was 14 inches. Link

• On 27th bloody panties and a bra were found that are assumed to be hers. Also on the 28th the police found a pair of bloody pants and a torn white shirt. Link

 

[punklove]

More facts -

• On Oct 24th she was asked to babysit for the Rasmusen's, she had only been a babysitter for them one time before this - about three months before.

• Mr Rasmusen and Evelyns father were friends and both worked as professors at La Crossee State College.

• Shortly after 6pm On Oct 24th Mr rasmusen picked Eveylyn up and brought her his home. At 6:30pm he and his wife and their older daughter left to go the homecoming game - Evelyn was told to put the baby to bed at 7pm.

• A neighbor that was a block and a half from the Rasmusen home heard three screams from 7:10-7:15.

• She normally called her home at intervals when she was babysitting - she was not told to do so this night but it was expected she would.

• At 8:50pm her father was worried so he called the home and got no answer - he kept calling until 9:10pm and then went to the home. He knocked on the front door several times, then tried the kitchen door thats on the side of the house. Both doors were locked, he then walked around the house where there was a large picture window that faced an open field, the lights were on and he was able to look through the window as the curtains werent drawn.

• Her glasses were on the floor near a chair, one of her black wedge slippers was near the glasses.

• The father then started to try to get into different windows of the home, all of the windows into the home (except the basement) had storm windows and were locked. He finally found that the basement window was unlocked (the southwest corner of the home). The window was a 'small semicircular' window that was well below ground level. The home had not been ransacked.

• The father then left through the front door (which locked behind him) and went to the home immeddiately north of the Rasmusems home where he called police, the call took place at 9:49pm.

• Police started the investigation before midnight where they discovered that two of the windows on the first floor had marks indicating that someone tried to remove the storm windows - Mr Rasmusen said the storm windows were new and had no mark before this. There were no marks on the basement window.

• At the foot of the stairs the police found her other shoe.

• No blood was found in the home or near the open window, blood was bound 10 feet away from the window at the southeast corner of the home.

• Bloodhoundswere called and within hours and they followed a trail from the back law which looks into the picture window, across a section of field, around a garage, and out onto a nearby street - then about two blocks, then the trial stopped.

• There was blood on the garage, a lot of blood 'smears' on the 'house past which the intruder and girl had to walk in order to reach the street.' Also there was a pool of blood on a window wll near the neighbors house.

• There were footprints near the Rasmusen home, near the other home and at several spots on the street.

• The type of shoe the person wear was considered to be an 'odd' type of tennis shoe.

• A woman in the neighborhood said that she saw a light coloured car cruise slowly along the street several times earlier in the evening.

• Behind the subdivison the Burlington railroad tracks run north to south - three days after she went missing bloody panties and a bra (assumed hers) were found on the railroad right of way under a highway overhead about three miles south of where she was taken.

• Four days after she was missing pants with blood stains were found on a side road leading from the highway about six miles southeast of where she was taken.

• Seven days after she was missing a pair of tennis shoes, believed to be the ones of her abducter were found on another highway - but only a few miles away from where the pants were found.

 

[punklove]

• Her father took and passed a lie dectector test.

• On Nov 18th the authorities were searching the 'chilly' waters of Clear Lake attempting to find her body because an older fisherman "snagged" his hook and pulled up a bobby pin with human hair clinging to it. Link

• A mass lie detector test was given to around 2,000 male La Crosse students and male faculty members. (Yes, all MALE - why didnt they do the same with the females???) Link

• The person who saw the man taking the box into the bathroom that contained the bloody shirts says the man looked around "36".

• The panties and bra were found two moiles south of the Rasmussen home. The torn white shirt was found in a cemetery.

• The window to the basement was very narrow (14 inches) so it is assumed the person that did this is thin.

• Evelyn was last seen wearing heavy denim slacks that were red - brand 'white stag'that were size 16 with a side zipper. He blouse was made of white cotton with pearl buttons - brand 'ship or shore' and a indian beaded belt with a metal buckle and white ankle socks. Link

• She had 'fairly long' light brown hair and blue eyes, was 5'7 and weighed 128 pounds, she loved sports and playing the piano.

• The clues in the home - shoe scuffs on the rug, bloody prints of the side of a hand, smeared bloody finger prints on the house next door and threads sticking to blood around the basement window well. Link

• There was a 'large pool of blood' on a highway found 12 miles south of where the bra and panties were found.

 

[Marilynilpa]

• Bloodstains were on the outside of the Rasmusen Home and on other houses in the vicinity and the blood was analyzed by a state crime lab team, where the director said that they would release a 'detailed report' later - I have yet to find this report. Link.

• Bloodstains were splattered around an open basement window, on the lawn and on the window well of a neighors home 200 yards away. (This confuses me - why would there be blood on a window 200 yards away? With the lack of blood in the home this means that the person attempted to break into a neighbor house AFTER Evelyn was wounded.)

Punklove, thanks for this recap, since this thread has been going on for so long it's hard to remember the facts.

Re the bloodstains outside the house, on a neighbor's home, etc. - I think it had been reported (speculated?) that the person who took Evelyn brushed up against the house next door while carrying/supporting Evelyn.

I wasn't aware of the bloodstains on the window well of the neighbor's home - could Evelyn have broken away and tried to get help?

 

[rosario]

hi all I read thru most of these links, i feel like the perp was young and inexperienced..were any of the neighbors involved????i know probably not but...great work all...

 

[punklove]

Punklove, thanks for this recap, since this thread has been going on for so long it's hard to remember the facts.

Re the bloodstains outside the house, on a neighbor's home, etc. - I think it had been reported (speculated?) that the person who took Evelyn brushed up against the house next door while carrying/supporting Evelyn.

I wasn't aware of the bloodstains on the window well of the neighbor's home - could Evelyn have broken away and tried to get help?

It seems more than likely that it was her blood (they didnt type it) - we know that she wasnt wounded inside the home due to the lack of blood, my assumption would be that she got away from the person during a struggle and was able to run out of the home, the person chased and and finally managed to catch her about the time she was near the home more than likely pushing her against the wall of the home so she couldnt get away from him while he wounded her. Blood goes everywhere when someone is stabbed so its likely thats how it got on their window well.

BUT according to the newspapers there wasnt just blood on that window well, someone had also attempted to gain entry in that basement window but was unable to, which is odd to me - the person that did this had to attempt to break into that window BEFORE he hurt evelyn or there wouldnt be blood on the window. Its just odd.

There are so many things about this case that confuse me.

 

[Marilynilpa]

Punklove, you are definitely not the only one confused about this case. In fact, I'd say you are in good company!!

The window to the basement was very narrow (14 inches) so it is assumed the person that did this is thin

She had 'fairly long' light brown hair and blue eyes, was 5'7 and weighed 128 pounds

The two items above are puzzling - if the guy is thin and can get through a very narrow basement window, how the heck did he get a 5'7", 128 pound girl through there? Even with help, that had to be one difficult job.

I'll go back to what I've been saying all along - the basement window to me is the most perplexing part of the case.

Let's assume the perps had targeted Evelyn, maybe by seeing her through the window, or by seeing her enter the house and the Rasmussens leaving the house. The perps get in through the basement window, take Evelyn by surprise, and somehow manage to subdue her or knock her out. Since there is no blood in the house, we can assume that Evelyn was not killed or injured at that time.

Now, we have a 128 lb. girl who is dead weight (if unconscious) or struggling fiercely, and the perps chose to take her out through a 14 inch window rather than through a door.:waitasec:

Why? Even if the perps were inexperienced and Evelyn put up more fight than they expected, it seems they would either have run off and left her, or tried to get her out of the house the easiest way possible.

I just keep coming back to my main question - why the basement window?