IL IL - Valerie Percy, 21, Kenilworth, 18 September 1966

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VespaElf

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I remember reading a story about ,I belive an Ohio Senator's(?) daughter who was murdered in their house and the case has never been solved.
This happened in the 1960's.(big house,no forced entry,family heard nothing)

Sorry I don't have more info but this is an obscure case and I read about briefly!


Anyone have any info???


Thanks!
 
Hi, I believe you are talking about Valerie Percy, 21 year old daughter of former Illinois senator Charles Percy. It happened Sept 18,1966 in the affluent Chicago suburb of Kenilworth. The family found her dead in her bedroom that morning, having suffered repeated blows to her head and stabbed several times. I don't have any links handy at the moment but it is still an unsolved murder.
 
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!


I couldnt remember the name and I got the state wrong but at least I can now go search!!!
 
I wonder if they have considered a political rival. Maybe an opponent or anyone who just didn't want him elected, some kind or radical, thought if the daughter was killed then he would drop out of the race. Valerie might have been picked at random, maybe they didn't care who as long as they got one of them. Just a thought, Im' sure that was looked into.
 
joellegirl said:
Hi, I believe you are talking about Valerie Percy, 21 year old daughter of former Illinois senator Charles Percy. It happened Sept 18,1966 in the affluent Chicago suburb of Kenilworth. The family found her dead in her bedroom that morning, having suffered repeated blows to her head and stabbed several times. I don't have any links handy at the moment but it is still an unsolved murder.
Oh my, I remember that all to well....
:angel:
 
Here's some info. Some is not on web anymore but I have it in print.

Here's a forum on the WHOLE CASE:
http://p216.ezboard.com/fcrimeandjustice13552frm92

http://weeklywire.com/ww/11-02-98/chicago_cover.html


HERE'S A BRIEF ARTICLE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. AUTHORSHIP UNKNOWN

An intruder entered the home of Senator Charles Percy (Rep.-IL) in Kenilworth, Illinois, on September 18, 1966, and brutally murdered his 21-year-old daughter, Valerie Percy. Senator Percy, a Christian Scientist, was the former President of Bell and Howell. Valerie Percy died of a fractured skull and 14 stab wounds: "An autopsy today showed that two stab wounds in the abdomen had penetrated the liver, one in the left breast had penetrated the heart, one in the right breast had reached a lung, and one through the throat had been stopped by the spinal column. Coroner Andrew J. Toman said there were also several cuts on the face, apparently inflicted with a double-edged knife, and several abrasions, like tooth marks, on two fingers of her right hand. But he said that death was caused by heavy blows to the left side of Miss Percy's head. He said the blows had probably been inflicted before the knifing since the victim did not scream. He said they had shattered her skull, leaving triangular depressions." [NYT 9.20.66 p43] Cash plainly visible on the dresser was left undisturbed. This was the first murder in Kenilworth in 75 years. Senator Percy's wife heard moaning from Valerie Percy's bedroom and discovered her murderer standing over her with a knife. The murderer had found his way onto the back patio of the Percy's home and cut through the locked screen door and pane of glass to gain entrance. The police conducted an extensive investigation and theorized the murderer was familiar with the layout of the Percy estate because the family dog alerted no one to the intrusion. The crime remained unsolved. When Charles Percy commenced his Senate campaign against Senator Paul Douglas (Dem.-IL), the police advised him to hire a bodyguard because he may have been the intended victim of the killer. Senator Paul Douglas, a former Marine, campaigned as a hawk, and suggested that small nuclear weapons should be used in Vietnam. Charles Percy wanted an Asian peace conference.

Former Vice President RICHARD NIXON was scheduled to campaign for Senator Percy around this time. He canceled his plans to do so and attended Valerie Percy's funeral. Senator Charles Percy was on NIXON'S Enemies List in the early 1970's. In 1971 Senator Charles Percy was also the victim of a bugging device; it was positioned on the underside of his car. On June 21, 1972, the FBI reported on a telephone number connected with the Watergate break-in this manner: "Telephone number three one two dash W T E A U E O T is believed to be typing error created by misplacing of hands on bottom line of keyboard. Instead of third, above letter combination would result from an intention to strike number two five three dash seven three nine five." (Striking of letter "A" was unexplained.) This telephone number lists to Thomas J. Houser. Chicago indices reflect Thomas J. Houser was formerly state campaign manager for U.S. Senator Charles H. Percy, in 1966...Was counter-intelligence agent U.S. Army...Thomas J. Houser will be contacted regarding his knowledge of McCORD and other Subjects..." [WFO 139-166 6.2172 rec. 6.27.72 serial illegible 139-4081-76]
 
messiecake said:
I remember reading a story about ,I belive an Ohio Senator's(?) daughter who was murdered in their house and the case has never been solved.
This happened in the 1960's.(big house,no forced entry,family heard nothing)

Sorry I don't have more info but this is an obscure case and I read about briefly!


Anyone have any info???


Thanks!
This happened nearby the house where I grew up. the night before the murder, someone broke into our home while we slept. My father inadvertently scared him off, but after realizing what was happening he called LE. Long story short, based on the evidence left behind, the police determined the person that broke into our house the night before the Percy murder, was probably the same person..that murdered Valerie Percy
 
:creepy Music: doo doo doo doo
JBean said:
This happened nearby the house where I grew up. the night before the murder, someone broke into our home while we slept. My father inadvertently scared him off, but after realizing what was happening he called LE. Long story short, based on the evidence left behind, the police determined the person that broke into our house the night before the Percy murder, was probably the same person..
 
I was 13 when this happened, and have been sort of haunted by the fact that this crime was never solved. I participate in another board and we are trying to stir up interest in this case. There is now a chapter in CTV's crime library. I have posted the link below if anyone is interested. There is no reason that this was never solved! :cool:

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/famous/valerie_percy/index.html
 
lakante said:
I was 13 when this happened, and have been sort of haunted by the fact that this crime was never solved. I participate in another board and we are trying to stir up interest in this case. There is now a chapter in CTV's crime library. I have posted the link below if anyone is interested. There is no reason that this was never solved! :cool:

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/famous/valerie_percy/index.html
Hi lakante..I'm in Baraboo and mom says hi!
 
Does anyone know, what kind of evidence they have? Could they possibly now use advanced methods, to test some of the evidence for trace, and compare that to the national database?

Due to the break in at JBeans house the night before :eek: I'd say it was unlikey that the perp knew the victim. Possibly she woke up and interupted a burgulary in process, and the individual killed her.
 
Sprocket said:
Does anyone know, what kind of evidence they have? Could they possibly now use advanced methods, to test some of the evidence for trace, and compare that to the national database?

Due to the break in at JBeans house the night before :eek: I'd say it was unlikey that the perp knew the victim. Possibly she woke up and interupted a burgulary in process, and the individual killed her.
lakante..do you know? She has really followed this case. The only thing I remember from our house was that the blue tool markings on the screen he slit to gain entry to our house matched the markings on the slit screen into the Percy home. There were footprints cast in our flower beds, and a broken rain gutter where he hung before dropping form the 2nd floor.but there probably was plenty of evidence at the Percy home.
I think I read somewhere that this had been the first murder in Kenilworth in 75 years..so maybe the investigators didn;t know what to do!
 
JBean said:
lakante..do you know? She has really followed this case. The only thing I remember from our house was that the blue tool markings on the screen he slit to gain entry to our house matched the markings on the slit screen into the Percy home. There were footprints cast in our flower beds, and a broken rain gutter where he hung before dropping form the 2nd floor.but there probably was plenty of evidence at the Percy home.
I think I read somewhere that this had been the first murder in Kenilworth in 75 years..so maybe the investigators didn;t know what to do!
Read the chapter in Crime Library. There is no reason why they can't solve this case, except maybe political. There are 2 prime suspects, who were professional cat burglars at the time, associated with organized crime. Both are dead now, and the people who "ratted" on them are all shady characters. However, they do have physical evidence at the Chicago Crime Lab, and with today's forensics, they should be able to at least rule people out. Nobody in LE will talk to us about it. They say it's still an open investigation. :rolleyes:
 
WOW....a very interesting case. It should be able to be solved, if the evidence was stored properly. The sketch of the suspect looks like someone, to me.......anyone else see anything interesting about the sketch??


Rob
 
lakante said:
Read the chapter in Crime Library. There is no reason why they can't solve this case, except maybe political. There are 2 prime suspects, who were professional cat burglars at the time, associated with organized crime. Both are dead now, and the people who "ratted" on them are all shady characters. However, they do have physical evidence at the Chicago Crime Lab, and with today's forensics, they should be able to at least rule people out. Nobody in LE will talk to us about it. They say it's still an open investigation. :rolleyes:
Doesn't some woman, Dale Hinnman (? name, spelling) have a show on cold cases? I would think this would be a good one to submit to them to investigate, and do a show on. However, if it does lead to the perp beng dead, they may not be interested.
 
Sprocket said:
Doesn't some woman, Dale Hinnman (? name, spelling) have a show on cold cases? I would think this would be a good one to submit to them to investigate, and do a show on. However, if it does lead to the perp beng dead, they may not be interested.
We have contacted everyone. The only person to respond was David Krajicek who wrote the article for CTV. I supplied him with many of the articles listed in his bibliography and he follows our discussion on ezboard. Bill Kurtis is also from the Northshore and was a newscaster at the time. We have written him many times. He is well aware of the case.


Join us Sprocket!

http://p216.ezboard.com/fcrimeandjustice13552frm92
 
JBean said:
This happened nearby the house where I grew up. the night before the murder, someone broke into our home while we slept. My father inadvertently scared him off, but after realizing what was happening he called LE. Long story short, based on the evidence left behind, the police determined the person that broke into our house the night before the Percy murder, was probably the same person..that murdered Valerie Percy
OMG! How terrifying. I do believe in fate. It is amazing how things turned out. Thank God your father did something to scare off the intruder. I guess that it could have been one of your family members murdered that evening.
 
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