IL IL - Debbie Fijan, 10, murdered, DuPage Co, 11 Feb 1966 #3

[Winward1]

OK, so what was LS's motive to kill Debbie?

 

[BT2020]

OK, so what was LS's motive to kill Debbie?

what was Thoreson’s motive to kill Debbie?

 

[Richard]

Debbie Fijan, 10
Murdered 11 February 1966

 

[Winward1]

what was Thoreson’s motive to kill Debbie?

He was a killer. He killed men, women, children, acquaintances and his brother in the Chicago suburbs a few months before Debbie was killed. Evidence links him to the Percy murder, in the Chicago suburbs the same year that Debbie was killed.

He shot and stabbed them. He strangled, bludgeoned, tortured and in some cases dismembered them. He killed individuals and he killed groups of up to six people at a time. He lured them into his car. He trolled for them at schools. He killed them in home invasions. He rolled their bodies into canyons, left them at the sides of roads and stuffed them into containers which he submerged in lakes.

So what was LS's motive to kill Debbie?

 

[Kayo - 55]

What I find ironic is that one can be so dedicated to the idea that a 20 something elementary school teacher could somehow pull off a perfect crime by murdering a kid from the school where he worked and put it over on the cops to the point where their case against him would implode in a matter of days.

And be so dedicated to this idea, it seems, that if the case was solved tomorrow and it revealed that the murderer was someone other than said teacher, one would be displeased. If nothing else, that is dedication.

WIFI = "What I find ironic is" ( on/after 02/11/1966 )
1) WIFI is that Schofield failed not one, or two, but SIX lie detector tests.
2) WIFI is that MaryAnne, LS's wife, burned LS's clothes the night Debbie's body was found.
3) " is "We've Got our Man" - Chicago Tribune, o2/16/1966; and DPC LE/Sheriff Lynch let him go.
4) " is the boot match (see below), which was inadmissible during the GJ Trial.
5) " is that Schofield's wife took a job at the NIU Law Library in Dekalb, IL when they moved out of Wayne Township.
6) " is that Chapski was able to get the first Judge, Judge Fitzgerald, dismissed for signing a search warrant.
7) " is that Judge Fitzgerald's son, James E., was appointed and served as Bishop of the RC Church - Joliet Diocese. LS and Bishop Fitzgerald were only 3-4 years apart in age. Maybe??, the Fitzgerald family knew too much about the Klein/Schofield family, and LS's "behaviors" prior to 02/11/1966?
8) WIFI is that Chapski served on the Board of Trustees at Marmion Academy, where the Honorable Fitzgerald's son (future Bishop) attended. I believe this would have been after 02/11/66 that Chapski was a Trustee, though unconfirmed. Most likely irrelevant, other than what Chapski knew about the Fitzgerald family and vice versa.
9) WIFI is that LS donated $2K to St. Catherines of Genoa Church in 2008/09 for the "Loren Schofield Award" - maybe "paying his way to heaven".
10) WIFI is that Debbie's case never made it to a Jury Trial. Not finding/having the murder weapon was the only supposed reason for not having a Jury Trial. The likelihood of some, or ONLY ONE individual that knew the Klein/Schofield family, that served on the Grand Jury, were quite high.
11) WIFI was that LS's sister married Phil Wiesbrook in 1956. Wiesbrook's sister was married to Doug S., the first friend/individual to meet with LS in jail after LS's arrest. One of LS's brothers was married to his wife's sister. Talk about "All in the Family". I thought that only happened in WV - kidding WOW!! When the John S. "family farm" sold in about 1975 for $650K, the payment was sent to Phil W. in southern IL. Mom Edna was smart, keeping the $$ away from her sons.

The Klein/Schofield name and reputation in the community would have been destroyed, had Debbie's case gone to a Jury Trial and there was a conviction against LS; not to mention the financial losses that would have been incurred (i.e. family farm, "Father John's" Highway Comm. job - though he drowned in May/1967, other family members). Sadly, I think there were too many individuals, including LE, that "looked the other way" (i.e. "Cover-up"??). Last checked, there are less than 3 surviving family "relatives" that would have had direct knowledge of Debbie's death in 1966. I'd like to think that they still might come forward if they know anything, but extremely doubtful.

Some of the above is duplication/redundant. Sorry. It's all a grim reminder when I try to condense/compile. Oops, verbosity.

A Newspaperman's View (villanova.edu)

 

[Richard]

He was a killer. He killed men, women, children, acquaintances and his brother in the Chicago suburbs a few months before Debbie was killed. Evidence links him to the Percy murder, in the Chicago suburbs the same year that Debbie was killed.

He shot and stabbed them. He strangled, bludgeoned, tortured and in some cases dismembered them. He killed individuals and he killed groups of up to six people at a time. He lured them into his car. He trolled for them at schools. He killed them in home invasions. He rolled their bodies into canyons, left them at the sides of roads and stuffed them into containers which he submerged in lakes.

So what was LS's motive to kill Debbie?

You certainly make the case that Thoreson was a killer, and that his motivation for killing was that that is simply what he did. In other words, he didn't really need a reason that would make sense to a normal person.

The problem with such a killer is that it is so hard to legally and positively link them to any given murder because they use so many different MO's and "signatures" and are careful to not leave clues - or to leave confusing ones.

When LE cannot see a clear and recognizable motive or reason behind a murder - and when there are no obvious links to other similar murders in the local vicinity, the case quickly goes cold.

This is so often the case with the sudden and violent murder of children.

 

[Winward1]

You certainly make the case that Thoreson was a killer, and that his motivation for killing was that that is simply what he did. In other words, he didn't really need a reason that would make sense to a normal person.

The problem with such a killer is that it is so hard to legally and positively link them to any given murder because they use so many different MO's and "signatures" and are careful to not leave clues - or to leave confusing ones.

When LE cannot see a clear and recognizable motive or reason behind a murder - and when there are no obvious links to other similar murders in the local vicinity, the case quickly goes cold.

This is so often the case with the sudden and violent murder of children.

It is true, for all intents and purposes, in the 1960s, most police were incapable of thinking they might be working a case that involved nothing more than a random killer, even if he was a sadistic one.

But evidence connecting Thoresen to his crimes is abundant (though does vary case by case. The white car, his MO for enticing people into cars, his connection to Chicago and propensity for violence makes him prime for Fijan's murder.) For instance, compare the murders of Michael Morrison and Debbie Means to his work as Zodiac (in cases proven and suspected.) You may not see the similarities in handwriting in the letter he wrote to Means' mother and the envelope he addressed to the Press newspaper re: the Bates murder.

But (besides the writing) there are numerous MOs in the Morris Means case that are pure Zodiac (calling the police and claiming responsibility, using laundry line to tie victims, using a small caliber firearm, choosing to attack more than one person at a time (a rare MO for any killer), trolling for young victims in rural, isolated areas (not to mention during a time when Zodiac has long been believed to have been somewhere else, up to no good.) Then look at his connection to Illinois.

And that's not to mention the verbiage and structure in the letters themselves. Just because he changed a knife here (for obvious reasons), or a gun there, or killed one when he couldn't find two (which one would expect from a notorious, prolific killer) or also committed home invasion does not mean the cases don't share multiple, unique MOs, and evidence. And we're just scratching the surface here.

The footprints at Lake Berryessa were 12 inches long, so were the footprints at the Robison cottage, and the Boles family cabin.

 

[Winward1]

WIFI = "What I find ironic is" ( on/after 02/11/1966 )
1) WIFI is that Schofield failed not one, or two, but SIX lie detector tests.
2) WIFI is that MaryAnne, LS's wife, burned LS's clothes the night Debbie's body was found.
3) " is "We've Got our Man" - Chicago Tribune, o2/16/1966; and DPC LE/Sheriff Lynch let him go.
4) " is the boot match (see below), which was inadmissible during the GJ Trial.
5) " is that Schofield's wife took a job at the NIU Law Library in Dekalb, IL when they moved out of Wayne Township.
6) " is that Chapski was able to get the first Judge, Judge Fitzgerald, dismissed for signing a search warrant.
7) " is that Judge Fitzgerald's son, James E., was appointed and served as Bishop of the RC Church - Joliet Diocese. LS and Bishop Fitzgerald were only 3-4 years apart in age. Maybe??, the Fitzgerald family knew too much about the Klein/Schofield family, and LS's "behaviors" prior to 02/11/1966?
8) WIFI is that Chapski served on the Board of Trustees at Marmion Academy, where the Honorable Fitzgerald's son (future Bishop) attended. I believe this would have been after 02/11/66 that Chapski was a Trustee, though unconfirmed. Most likely irrelevant, other than what Chapski knew about the Fitzgerald family and vice versa.
9) WIFI is that LS donated $2K to St. Catherines of Genoa Church in 2008/09 for the "Loren Schofield Award" - maybe "paying his way to heaven".
10) WIFI is that Debbie's case never made it to a Jury Trial. Not finding/having the murder weapon was the only supposed reason for not having a Jury Trial. The likelihood of some, or ONLY ONE individual that knew the Klein/Schofield family, that served on the Grand Jury, were quite high.
11) WIFI was that LS's sister married Phil Wiesbrook in 1956. Wiesbrook's sister was married to Doug S., the first friend/individual to meet with LS in jail after LS's arrest. One of LS's brothers was married to his wife's sister. Talk about "All in the Family". I thought that only happened in WV - kidding WOW!! When the John S. "family farm" sold in about 1975 for $650K, the payment was sent to Phil W. in southern IL. Mom Edna was smart, keeping the $$ away from her sons.

The Klein/Schofield name and reputation in the community would have been destroyed, had Debbie's case gone to a Jury Trial and there was a conviction against LS; not to mention the financial losses that would have been incurred (i.e. family farm, "Father John's" Highway Comm. job - though he drowned in May/1967, other family members). Sadly, I think there were too many individuals, including LE, that "looked the other way" (i.e. "Cover-up"??). Last checked, there are less than 3 surviving family "relatives" that would have had direct knowledge of Debbie's death in 1966. I'd like to think that they still might come forward if they know anything, but extremely doubtful.

Some of the above is duplication/redundant. Sorry. It's all a grim reminder when I try to condense/compile. Oops, verbosity.

A Newspaperman's View (villanova.edu)

I don't doubt there are some weird things going on regarding LS. As Errol Morris said, you put any event under a microscope you're going to find some strange stuff (for the record, I think Oswald acted alone):

 

[Kayo - 55]

Far Fetched??

IF, big IF LS got away with Debbie's murder, does anyone else think that LS's father and wife MaryAnne could have had anything to do with Debbie's murder?? Not the killing, but "the planning"?? Debbie, most likely, had the goods on LS (speculation), witnessed something at Benjamin, or when she was babysitting LS's 10 mo. old son?? If Debbie was able to report LS's "behaviors/advancements?" to her parents, LE, school officials, etc. , it would have had major effects on the Klein/Schofield community respect, "Father John's" job as Highway Commissioner (i.e. fishing trips/perks), LS's teaching job, their "good standing" in the RC Church, and all family relatives. Future proceeds % from the sale of the "family farm" (90 acres for $650K) would have to be used as collateral to defend LS during any court proceedings. And to think that LS filed a $2 million lawsuit against DPC? for defamation.

55 years later, the above most likely is irrelevant - just putting it out there.

 

[Kayo - 55]

"Bought and Paid For" (?)

Any remaining Sleuther's out there that might know who replaced Magistrate J. Fitzgerald very early in Debbie's Grand Jury hearings? Chapski asked for a new Judge, and his request was granted (out of fear?). Hmm............."When push came to shove", LS's defense team seemed to have had their way(s) with DPC States Atty. Hopf. Maybe? even some LE.

Not to mention the "Grand Jurors" - 12,18, 24?? I have no idea. Oh, if that list could be obtained (i.e. "friend of a friend" of "Father John", LS, Mom Edna, wife MAS, the Judge, Chapski, Doug S., etc.). Oops, this sounds more like Cook County, not DPC

 

[Kayo - 55]

Anything new out there? Posts on Debbie's site have been dwindling - sad, but understandable. I recently received some info. from the DPC CC Clerk, which I hope to post in the near future; although, a drive over to DPC would be beneficial.

Any Spencer Tracy fans out there? I recently watched "Bad Day at Black Rock" (1955). Spencer Tracy, a.k.a. Macreedy, arrives in a small town, "investigating" a terrible killing and a past that the locals want to keep secret. Telegrams that Macreedy paid to have sent were never sent, calls to the Police were intercepted, etc. Good movie, high suspense, but I love ST movies. I kept thinking about Debbie's unsolved murder ("cover-up"?) during the movie. Sorry to have gone off topic.

 

[Kayo - 55]

"The deck was stacked against Debbie"
Some of this post is "old news" and/or duplication; although, the article on USF "honoring" Bishop Imesch (1931-2015) might be of interest for the following reasons:
1) Corpus Christi Catholic Church was built in 1988 on the property (10 acres, parcel # 01-23-401-013) just east of where Debbie's body was found. This property had been owned by George Klein, up until the time it was sold and/or donated in 1959 to a "party" that will remain nameless at this time. Oak Park National Bank was named on the "document" as trustee.
2) The "Deed in Trust" dated 06/1988 for the above property (CCCC), with Grantor, "for and in consideration of TEN DOLLARS and no/100 Dollars", convey and warrant unto the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Joseph L. Imesch, successor trustee 425 Summit, Joliet, IL. Quite "the steal" for the RCC @ $1/acre. Obviously "donated".

As mentioned in previous posts, Doug S. (1940 - 2010) was the first individual that met with Schofield in jail. Spesia was 26, Schofield was 27. DS's law firm (S & Ayers) at the time, now S & Taylor, has not only represented the RCC for pedophile priest cases over the years, but they have made substantial donations to the RCC. NO, there is nothing wrong with this. George Klein, Edna Klein Schofield's great grandfather(?) was on the first board of trustees for the RCC/St. Stephen Mission in 1852. All of this makes me think of the movie "The Verdict"; one Attorney (Paul Newman) fighting the RCC. Last checked, Debbie's last resting place at/near the corner of Lies & Fair Oaks has not been sold/donated or developed.

I'm going to continue to "chase down" the owner(s) of the 10 acre parcel just west of CC Catholic Church. Too many people have "taken things to their graves". "Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead"

University of St. Francis Dishonors Priest-Abuse Survivors by Honoring Bishop Joseph Imesch – BishopAccountability.org (bishop-accountability.org)

 

[Kayo - 55]

What exactly are you looking for and why do you feel it will matter. According to DCP, the DNA provided most likely won't be of any help sadly.

To Helpful 1 & followers of Debbie's site: "Come out, come out, wherever you are". Is your DNA "on file" Helpful 1 at the DuPage County Sheriff's Office?

 

[Kell1]

Always look at the evidence at a scene without any bias, or preconceived notions about anyone, you have to let the evidence do the talking.

The one sure fire way to screw up an investigation is to try to make someone fit the crime, you could have 10 serial killers living withing 300 yards, of a crime scene that doesn't mean they were responsible for the crime you are investigating , you have to examine each piece and ask "why is this here?"

In abduction murders which is what this is, the offender usually lives or works in the area ,in this case, the victim as last at a basketball game after school and was waiting for her mother to pick her up

Its rare you see a child abducted from school grounds because theres so many eyes about , this would be an extremely high risk for the offender to be riding around a school and grab a victim, this would lead be to believe he was comfortable there and wasn't worried about being seen.

Most abductions take place relatively close to the victims home, (.5 mi) usually on their way home, or to school

And though we have the image of the boogeyman waiting behind a bush who jumps out and grabs a child, its only slightly more prevalent that the individual is a stranger to the victim. (52% stranger)

Its not all that uncommon that the victim knows their killer in these cases.

We need to know via victimology study what type of kid Debbie was, was she trusting and naive, was she reckless, did anything change in the days or weeks prior to her murder, did she ever mention anything to anyone that may have been bothering her , where was she waiting for her mother , inside , outside?,

Would she have gotten onto a car, with someone she didnt know?, was she naive, and easliy duped ?

There's a hundred questions you have to ask about the victim, to better understand those who prey on them

The manner of death is extreme for a 10 year old, stabbed 19 times, seems to indicate possibly a personal connection (anger/rejection) and an inexperienced offender.

However Stabbing of the face is very telling, disfiguring is an attempt to "destroy" the persons image , its indicative of rage , and anger that's often associated with personal interests of the offender.

This wasn't just disposing of someone, there was a message being relayed from killer to victim.

Those interests could range from sexual to financial etc, but in the case, of an abducted 10 year old girl, i don't think you have to be Sherlock Holmes to put this one together.

Though sexual assault wasn't identified , it doesn't mean it wasn't a motivating factor in this case, in abduction murders, the overwhelming motive is sexual.

The mean age of the offender in abduction murders of children is around 27 years old, that can change slightly but most are between 26 and 36 years old when they commit their first offense

The offender who is unknown to the victim, usually lives with parents, when the victim is known to the offender, they may be married or in some type of arrangement with a significant other.

The unknown individual usually has a history of crimes involving children, the known offender will usually have some criminal past, but not always indicative of sexual predation.

The offense usually is not planned, its an impulsive act , as I feel this was as well, theres usually little preparation prior to.

I read somewhere that there were no defensive wounds on Debbie's body, with no indication of the victim being bound , that to me indicates, she was comfortable with whomever she was with, that she didnt expect the physical assault .

The offender in theses cases, will revisit the victims body about 85% of the time within 48 hours, and multiple times after, if the body hasn't been discovered, which is why I tell people to come forward if they have ever seen an individual around the area where a body is discovered, especially if its prior to it being discovered there .

"yeah I had a close call once I had gone back to where she was when i went to leave, my car got stuck in the mud on a soft shoulder, i was there panicking, then someone eventually came along and helped, me out, they had no idea a body was just a few feet from them " -This was never reported by those who helped the killer get his car out of the mud

The unknown offender (stranger) usually has a history of frequent moves, and relocates often, usually within a year of the offense.

In these cases, the name of the person responsible usually is known to LE within about a week, theres just something that prevents us from pinning it on him, and with what as available to investigators in the 60's many cases, would go unsolved, because before we could link via DNA, some departments wouldn't know what to do with it back then and in some cases, evidence like DNA was simply disregarded .... not saying this is the case, in Debbie's murder, just saying that back then it was old gumshoe work .

More often than not in these cases, theres someone who knew or strongly suspected the person responsible but said nothing in some cases, they confessed to it , and even in some cases, the other person, helped dispose of evidence, in some cases, the victim themselves .

As for Polygraph tests, the polygraph is a great tool if its used by a competent examiner, for those who don't know polygraphs don't detect lies, they detect, physiological changes in response to questions. Im sure most know that already, but you have to understand that biological issues with certain individuals can produce false reads.

Whats more telling is that one individual was brought in for 6 tests, and agreed to do so 6 times and also failed all 6 .

The problem with multiple Polygraph tests, is that a defense attorney can swing it either way, "youre harassing my client that's why he failed", "Several tests means LE isn't sure about the tests".... And as we all know people can eventually come to grips with what they did and pass a polygraph if they have enough time .

That's why you need a good examiner, and you take 1 test, not multiple, though nowadays polygraph examiners are so good they have much more success, especially the ones from the CIA, they are the best

I personally think LE was on the right track with this individual, but something happened and the case went cold.

And one more thing, don't think because someone has been "cleared" , let go, ruled out, or even acquitted, that they didnt do it, our system is flawed, lets not forget a certain professional athlete that despite a mountain of evidence against him in the brutal death of 2 individuals, 1 being the mother of his children, was let go on a technicality, BUT was later found guilty of BOTH their deaths in a civil trial later on, meaning he did it and got away with it, could never face jail time because of it , he just had to pay money.

There are limitations to the law, our system is broken, it lets bad people out over and over, and unfortunately despite evidence sometimes people get away with murder, because the rules are set against LE , not those responsible, but that's the way it is unfortunately.

 

[Cubby]

https://www.dupagesheriff.org/submitAnonymousCrimeTips

 

[Cubby]

OK, so what was LS's motive to kill Debbie?

To prevent her from telling anyone she saw him viewing *advertiser censored* at school. Magazines and pictures which he kept in his desk at school.

 

[Kayo - 55]

I continue to hear "ads" on a number of radio stations, promoting the True Crime Podcast/Murder In IL; the 2007 Vaughn family murder. This is the first time I've heard about the Vaughn family. Also this past weekend on 07/25/21, the afternoon radio host (WGN Radio) was discussing the horrific "crime of the century" when Richard Speck brutally murdered 8 nurses in Chicago (07/14/1966).

Given the "significance" of the Speck case, I truly understand why it continues to be discussed in the media; however, what does it take to get Debbie's unsolved cold case of 55+ YEARS, to get more recognition & "publicity" in the media?? Once again, I'll say like others have said on this site, that Debbie DID NOT get the justice/treatment she deserved (i.e. "cover-up"). DuPage County is fearful of litigation, as they should be; although I have no idea/knowledge about SOL(?).

 

[Kayo - 55]

To prevent her from telling anyone she saw him viewing *advertiser censored* at school. Magazines and pictures which he kept in his desk at school.

Besides the reason(s) you've described, I always wonder about the possibilities of any "behaviors/advancements" LS may have attempted with Debbie when she was babysitting Schofield's 10 mo. old son. Not that I'm defending LS, but all of this if true, would have come down to a "he said/she said"; although LS and his mother's family name in the community had a great deal to loose if Debbie "talked". Worth killing someone??

 

[Kayo - 55]

I continue to hear "ads" on a number of radio stations, promoting the True Crime Podcast/Murder In IL; the 2007 Vaughn family murder. This is the first time I've heard about the Vaughn family. Also this past weekend on 07/25/21, the afternoon radio host (WGN Radio) was discussing the horrific "crime of the century" when Richard Speck brutally murdered 8 nurses in Chicago (07/14/1966).

Given the "significance" of the Speck case, I truly understand why it continues to be discussed in the media; however, what does it take to get Debbie's unsolved cold case of 55+ YEARS, to get more recognition & "publicity" in the media?? Once again, I'll say like others have said on this site, that Debbie DID NOT get the justice/treatment she deserved (i.e. "cover-up"). DuPage County is fearful of litigation, as they should be; although I have no idea/knowledge about SOL(?).

WGN Radio - Chicago

 

[Kayo - 55]

Always look at the evidence at a scene without any bias, or preconceived notions about anyone, you have to let the evidence do the talking.

The one sure fire way to screw up an investigation is to try to make someone fit the crime, you could have 10 serial killers living withing 300 yards, of a crime scene that doesn't mean they were responsible for the crime you are investigating , you have to examine each piece and ask "why is this here?"

In abduction murders which is what this is, the offender usually lives or works in the area ,in this case, the victim as last at a basketball game after school and was waiting for her mother to pick her up

Its rare you see a child abducted from school grounds because theres so many eyes about , this would be an extremely high risk for the offender to be riding around a school and grab a victim, this would lead be to believe he was comfortable there and wasn't worried about being seen.

Most abductions take place relatively close to the victims home, (.5 mi) usually on their way home, or to school

And though we have the image of the boogeyman waiting behind a bush who jumps out and grabs a child, its only slightly more prevalent that the individual is a stranger to the victim. (52% stranger)

Its not all that uncommon that the victim knows their killer in these cases.

We need to know via victimology study what type of kid Debbie was, was she trusting and naive, was she reckless, did anything change in the days or weeks prior to her murder, did she ever mention anything to anyone that may have been bothering her , where was she waiting for her mother , inside , outside?,

Would she have gotten onto a car, with someone she didnt know?, was she naive, and easliy duped ?

There's a hundred questions you have to ask about the victim, to better understand those who prey on them

The manner of death is extreme for a 10 year old, stabbed 19 times, seems to indicate possibly a personal connection (anger/rejection) and an inexperienced offender.

However Stabbing of the face is very telling, disfiguring is an attempt to "destroy" the persons image , its indicative of rage , and anger that's often associated with personal interests of the offender.

This wasn't just disposing of someone, there was a message being relayed from killer to victim.

Those interests could range from sexual to financial etc, but in the case, of an abducted 10 year old girl, i don't think you have to be Sherlock Holmes to put this one together.

Though sexual assault wasn't identified , it doesn't mean it wasn't a motivating factor in this case, in abduction murders, the overwhelming motive is sexual.

The mean age of the offender in abduction murders of children is around 27 years old, that can change slightly but most are between 26 and 36 years old when they commit their first offense

The offender who is unknown to the victim, usually lives with parents, when the victim is known to the offender, they may be married or in some type of arrangement with a significant other.

The unknown individual usually has a history of crimes involving children, the known offender will usually have some criminal past, but not always indicative of sexual predation.

The offense usually is not planned, its an impulsive act , as I feel this was as well, theres usually little preparation prior to.

I read somewhere that there were no defensive wounds on Debbie's body, with no indication of the victim being bound , that to me indicates, she was comfortable with whomever she was with, that she didnt expect the physical assault .

The offender in theses cases, will revisit the victims body about 85% of the time within 48 hours, and multiple times after, if the body hasn't been discovered, which is why I tell people to come forward if they have ever seen an individual around the area where a body is discovered, especially if its prior to it being discovered there .

"yeah I had a close call once I had gone back to where she was when i went to leave, my car got stuck in the mud on a soft shoulder, i was there panicking, then someone eventually came along and helped, me out, they had no idea a body was just a few feet from them " -This was never reported by those who helped the killer get his car out of the mud

The unknown offender (stranger) usually has a history of frequent moves, and relocates often, usually within a year of the offense.

In these cases, the name of the person responsible usually is known to LE within about a week, theres just something that prevents us from pinning it on him, and with what as available to investigators in the 60's many cases, would go unsolved, because before we could link via DNA, some departments wouldn't know what to do with it back then and in some cases, evidence like DNA was simply disregarded .... not saying this is the case, in Debbie's murder, just saying that back then it was old gumshoe work .

More often than not in these cases, theres someone who knew or strongly suspected the person responsible but said nothing in some cases, they confessed to it , and even in some cases, the other person, helped dispose of evidence, in some cases, the victim themselves .

As for Polygraph tests, the polygraph is a great tool if its used by a competent examiner, for those who don't know polygraphs don't detect lies, they detect, physiological changes in response to questions. Im sure most know that already, but you have to understand that biological issues with certain individuals can produce false reads.

Whats more telling is that one individual was brought in for 6 tests, and agreed to do so 6 times and also failed all 6 .

The problem with multiple Polygraph tests, is that a defense attorney can swing it either way, "youre harassing my client that's why he failed", "Several tests means LE isn't sure about the tests".... And as we all know people can eventually come to grips with what they did and pass a polygraph if they have enough time .

That's why you need a good examiner, and you take 1 test, not multiple, though nowadays polygraph examiners are so good they have much more success, especially the ones from the CIA, they are the best

I personally think LE was on the right track with this individual, but something happened and the case went cold.

And one more thing, don't think because someone has been "cleared" , let go, ruled out, or even acquitted, that they didnt do it, our system is flawed, lets not forget a certain professional athlete that despite a mountain of evidence against him in the brutal death of 2 individuals, 1 being the mother of his children, was let go on a technicality, BUT was later found guilty of BOTH their deaths in a civil trial later on, meaning he did it and got away with it, could never face jail time because of it , he just had to pay money.

There are limitations to the law, our system is broken, it lets bad people out over and over, and unfortunately despite evidence sometimes people get away with murder, because the rules are set against LE , not those responsible, but that's the way it is unfortunately.

In response, though "moot" at this time:
1) There was plenty of circumstantial evidence. "The notion that one cannot be convicted on circumstantial evidence is false". (Holland v United States - Supreme Court, 1954).
2) Yes, Debbie lived <2 miles from Benjamin School, she was abducted <300 yards from school @ Fair Oaks & St. Charles Rd., her body was found <3 miles from school, and Schofield lived <4-5 miles from Benjamin.
3) Debbie waited at school for her mother for a short time after a school BB game, then walked home. There were 2 older students/boys on the school grounds outside that noticed Debbie leaving to walk home.
4) Debbie was not a naïve individual that could be "easily duped", and she would not have gotten into a car with a stranger.
5) Yes, Schofield attended Debbie's funeral, though it was a "closed casket".
6) Your "car stuck in the mud" is fiction/never reported.
7) Schofield, his wife/children, and most if not all of his brother's, sister, and mother moved out of Wayne Township by 1970. His father drowned in Canada in May/1967. Interesting that Schofield's wife, MA, took a job with Northern Illinois University - Law School Library shortly after Debbie's death/GJ Trial. Maybe she knew that her husband really did "get off". I believe they were living in the Genoa, IL area at this time, before they moved to the KC area. Schofield, his wife, his mother-in-law Edna, and his youngest daughter are all buried in Genoa, IL.
Schofield's daughter was 2 when she drowned.
8) "Two can keep a secret, if two of them are dead".
9) Yes, Debbie's case went cold. LS and his family had too much influence, and too many "connections" in/around the area (i.e. maternal family name, father's job, LE, Attorney's, Catholic Church/Diocese, other family relatives/connections, etc.).
10) Judge Fitzgerald, first judge in Debbie's GJ Trial was removed for a supposed "conflict of interest". All he did was sign a search warrant. His son, Bishop JEF (1938 - 2003), served as Bishop of Joliet. "Connect the Dots" - with LS's first meeting in jail with Doug S., who was married to Loretta W., who's brother was married to Schofield's sister. The "connections" and "influence" is profound.
11) State's Attorney didn't do a very good for the Fijan family during Grand Jury "trial". Schofield's defense team (R. Chapski) had quite the reputation in/around the Chicago area that the DPC State's Atty. was "fearful" of.

I apologize if some of this is redundant, AND MOOT. Yes, "sometimes people get away with murder". In Debbie's case, LS got away with murder.