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

[punklove]

I think that's a very good point against this being a robbery gone wrong.

But it's hard to understand why Evelyn was targeted - if the perp(s) just wanted a girl Evelyn's age for their sexual/deviant reasons, there were certainly easily ways to obtain a victim without all of the hassles of breaking into a home and dragging Evelyn away.

It seems unlikely that she was targeted - at least not to the point of the person knowing she would be in that home at that time because her being at that home that night was actually a fluke - she was filling in for a friend of hers very last minute, the other girl was the permanent babysitter.

Evelyn was the original babysitter for this family, three months before this happened she stopped babysitting for them, why? Obviously it has to be one of two reasons - either the family no longer wanted her to babysit or she no longer wanted to baby for the family. I would assume it wasnt the family because if they were unhappy with her enough to not allow her to babysit anymore then you wouldnt think they would let her babysit that night.. If you fire someone you certainly arent going to trust your child in thier care.

That makes me wonder what made her stop babysitting for the family, had she gotten in trouble and was no longer allowed to babysit? Had she done something while babysitting that made her parents no longer allow her to babysit, its not known if she was told she couldnt babysit or just decided she didnt want to do it anymore but her father was adamant about it being three months since she babysat.

Just thinking out loud but this is what confuses me -

She filled in for her friend at the very last moment, that means that she, her parents, the couple whos child she was watching and the other girl were the only ones that KNEW evelyn would be at that house that night. She got to the home at 6:30pm and the scream that the neighbor heard was around 7:10 so there was about a 40 minute span from the moment the parents left until the neighbor heard the scream..

The home she went missing from - I have to say I find it quite shocking that as close as the homes are together that nobody really heard anything - one person said they heard a scream but thought it was children, its unusual to me that the person wouldnt be able to tell a playful scream vs a panicked fighting for your life scream but Im sure it happens.


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...=sbzzuLxMXCorag0s7hYDpw&cbp=12,220.33,,0,4.51

 

[punklove]

I just thought of another possible theory that could explain some of the weird parts of this case:

Could evelyn have snuck a boy over to hang out with her while she was babysitting like so many other girls at that age have done and something went wrong?

This whole crime seems so unsophisticated and careless that it makes more sense to me the person that commited it was young - some of the evidence makes me feel that it was a young person as well.

The shoe print they found had a pattern on it that suggested the person often drove a Whizzer motorbike ( "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_24DcgVtaIDk/Slz8oWFDD0I/AAAAAAAAAxs/ka-VtO5v_C8/s400/My+Whizzer+Motorbike,+1948+copy.jpg ) which was a popular thing for young men to have then. The man wore a size 10-11 shoe but wore a size medium jacket, which would account for it being a teenage boy.

Also, just the weirdness of the crime scene - the whole basement window thing is odd to me, one of the few things I can think of to make it make sense is this:

She invited the boy over, calling him when she got to the family home (or letting him know when to come) making sure to allow enough time for the parents to be gone.. the boy gets there and whatever happened happens during the violent attack and once he realizes what hes done he tries to cover things up - part of what makes me wonder if this is what happened is this statement:

"But the officers found pry marks on a bedroom window where an intruder tried unsuccesfully to break in. Blood stains were on the ground outside and more blood was found smeared on a neightbor's house and across a nearby garage."

Is it possible that he killed her (or seriously wounded her) THEN attempted to pry open windows to make it look as if someone broke into the home and only then settled on the basement window as it was the ONLY window that you could open from the outside? It seems much more likely to me that the person went outside in an effort to construct a crime scene by opening a window and wiped his bloody hands on the neighbors house and garage either to clean them off a bit or to make it look like evelyn was outside at some point attemping to flee the "intruder".

 

[punklove]

Interesting posts with very good points.

I still think Evelyn was seen though the window, and was a random victim. The perp(s) most likely intended on rape. They may have planned on raping her right there, but she put up such a fight, and maybe they lost their tempers and hit her hard as she tried to escape. Why they continued to take her with them puzzels me, unless they had hopes they could take her elsewhere and rape her. Sounds like something happened along RT 14 as her bra, underwear and one of the perps jacket were found. RT 14 is the way to La Farge, and I believe the stories that came out about her being taken there by these two men is what happened. Somewhere along the way she passed away from her injuries or they killed her. Her remains are most likely in the remote countryside of LaFarge, but since the area floods, it may be hard to ever find her.

I still have hope her case will be solved. She may even still be found. I wish I could know if anyone has ever actively searched the house and surrounding land she was believed to have been taken. From what I have read, they know the exact house! But no news on this in years. Why??

On the link I posted of the home (its the exact home she was in when she as taken) that big window in the front had no sort of covering, just a completely open window so its possible someone saw her and decided randomly to break in, I think its quite unlikely thats the case due to several reasons.. The one thing about the window being open is that the person breaking in would of course be able to see her, but thats the porblem - once he came INTO the home, he would be completely out in the open too.. anyone walking by would either notice them in a struggle or notice that the living room was a wreck, it was a busy area with homes very close to each other so if someone randomly wanted to attack/rape someone they would go somewhere else where they would be less likely to be seen or heard.

The biggest issue to me is the actual taking of her - a random person would have no reason to take her, the amount of blood around the window and house proves that Evelyn was either dead or very close to dying at that point - if the person was a random stranger he would have raped her in the home and left because nobody would ever think to tie him to that murder/rape, the person would leave wanting to have as little 'evidence' of her on them so bringing a profusely bleeding dying person with you wouldnt be likely as you would then have to get rid of the body (perhaps being seen by someone) and get the blood stains out of your car (perhaps being seen).

The taking of her when she was either dead or nearly dead to me much more likely suggests someone that was familiar with her and felt that her body would have some sort of evidence on it that could point to them.

The home was searched, but oddly enough the police really werent concerned at first - the officers that came to the home first that night treated it as a typical 'runaway' case and noted that she may have "not been getting along with her parents and ran off with a boy" even though there was an intense sign of a struggle in the living room (rugs messed up and bunched together, house plants knocked over, overturned furniture, her glasses stomped on the floor, one of her shoes.. ect) only a couple hours later did they find the blood and then start to take it seriously.

There is so much about this case that I find dumbfounding - Im not trying to judge anyone (it just seems curious to me - everyone reacts to stress differently) but her mothers behavior seems a little odd.

It seems to me that if your 15 year old daughter is missing from a home and theres blood all over the place that you would attempt to go out and look for her or at the very least go to the home to see things for yourself, attempting to get SOME sort of clue as to what happened to your child - Evelyn's mother had a "restless" night of sleep and went to the home the first time the next morning. They only lived a little over a mile away, you wouldnt have been able to keep most mothers away..

 

[punklove]

Ok, last thing! :crazy:

The police department got a lot of criticism for how they handled this case..

They didnt interview several of the neighbors until 2 weeks later and the police officers at the scene didnt think the make sure the evidence was safeguarded - strangers crowded around the home and were touching the home, the areas around the windows, the house and all the surrounding areas and the police didnt stop them.

 

[punklove]

Although her disappearance, like Beverly Potts, seem old, I have all the faith in the world that they can still be solved-look at Dorothy Gay Howard and the Jeannie Melville cases-so old, but finally solved. The key is that they are not given up on.

I really hope so, they deserve at least to be found.

 

[punklove]

I also would think Evelyn would/should have run out a door on the main level as well. Running upstairs or downstairs is never good thing because you become trapped. Yet I see it all the time on those hokey Broadview (ADT etc) commercials...(I hate those commercials-they grate on my nerves!)
I'm just assuming in her moment of panic, maybe the basement door was open(because the perps entered the house that way) and she ran down without thinking. Maybe they had chased her all around the livingroom, they possibly blocking her way to the front door, and at that moment it seemed her only escape..The fact that her shoe was at the foot of the stairs though also makes me think she was dragged down the steps against her will, which would mean the perp(s) intended to exit that way... or the shoe fell off because she fell down the stairs trying to escape...I know it is so confusing!
I can see them entering the home that way as they found the basement window open.They may have tried the doors but found them locked. I remember reading someplace Mr Rasmusen recalled that that window had been open, he had forgot to lock it when he was painting down there..not sure if I remember that right. The thing that keeps me from thinking it was burglary was the lights and radio were supposedly on(how her father found it when he arrived to check on her). I really think they saw Evelyn in there through the window (and with it being night and if the curtains were open it would have been very easy to see her )and went in to get her, possibly to rape but it got out of hand.

I go back and forth with my theories.

Maybe because the house had a different layout the perps got confused as to where the doors were-sounds silly I know. I can see in the old video, the front door the house-the one that faced the street, is easy to see. It is behind the livingroom wall where the couch was against, down a hallway where I believe you would have passed the doorway into the kitchen on one side and the bathroom on the other. From old pics of the house from the air,I think the house also had a side door leading into a small screened in porch area, as opposed to a back door.

I wish I could just go and check the inside of that house!

I'll be back later with more thoughts...

I love everyones ideas about this case!!

Apparently none of the windows could be opened from the outside, the person tried to force at least 1 window open (leaving marks, the bedroom window) the only window that could be opened from the outside was the basement window but it wasnt open, just accessible from the outside.

Its worth note that it was the end of october in winsconsin so it would have been about 45 degrees and dark out, It seems to me that the last place someone would randomly break into was a house that had a huge window with no curtains and lights on when its dark outside, its too risky.

Heres a newspaper article that shows the baby that she was babysitting, and bits of the outside of the home.

http://lacrosselibrary.org/digitalproject/images/hartley/00010001.jpg

The Rasmusens had an older 7 year old daughter that went with them to the football game that night, heres an article with Janice (the baby in the home) now that shes older, saying that she and her parents never have talked about the event..

http://lacrosselibrary.org/digitalproject/images/hartley/00150015.jpg

 

[joellegirl]

The home she was taken from was 2415 Hoeschler Dr. The home on the link is not the right one. I am going to search my pictures and see if I can post one I have taken while driving by.

 

[joellegirl]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...noid=sbzzuLxMXCorag0s7hYDpw&cbp=12,44.71,,0,5

Hope this link works of 2415 Hoeschler Dr

 

[punklove]

The home she was taken from was 2415 Hoeschler Dr. The home on the link is not the right one. I am going to search my pictures and see if I can post one I have taken while driving by.

That would be amazing!

I posted the wrong link - this is 2415 Hoeschler Drive

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...d=sbzzuLxMXCorag0s7hYDpw&cbp=12,50.79,,0,9.27


This is the view from above of all the homes, do you know which one is 2415?

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=220+east+south+street+albembarle&amp;sll=43.786889,-91.216417&amp;sspn=0.000691,0.0012&amp;g=2415+Hoeschler+Dr,+La+Crosse,+Wisconsin+54601&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;ll=43.786889,-91.216417&amp;spn=0.001326,0.002401&amp;t=h&amp;z=14&amp;output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=220+east+south+street+albembarle&amp;sll=43.786889,-91.216417&amp;sspn=0.000691,0.0012&amp;g=2415+Hoeschler+Dr,+La+Crosse,+Wisconsin+54601&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;ll=43.786889,-91.216417&amp;spn=0.001326,0.002401&amp;t=h&amp;z=14" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

 

[joellegirl]

Yay I got the right link. Will take longer to find the pics I have taken in person. How does one post a personal picture on here?

The neighborhood is now full of full grown trees, back in 1953 it was very stark.

The house has changed a lot since 1953. Garage added, angles of roof changed in places,new siding. I hope to find a link to the home in 1953. The two kitchen windows, door, small bathroom window and the large bedroom window are still in the same place. THE basement window is on the south side of the house, closest to the street.

 

[joellegirl]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...869,-91.216242&spn=0.001789,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Hopefully this link will work a satellite pic of the neighborhood. Where the "A" is is 2415 Hoeschler DR.

 

[punklove]

Says that the FBI refused to step in and help with the case and the searching for Evelyn, even though the DA asked the FBI for help. I wonder why?
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=1721,3407743&dq=evelyn+hartley&hl=en

Also, this says that there was NO blood found in the home and the blood that was found 'by' the window was actually 10 feet away from the window.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=5224,5774223&dq=evelyn+hartley&hl=en

Fifty years later and shes still not declared legally dead.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=4277,5676152&dq=evelyn+hartley&hl=en

Detectives believe the suspect entered through the basement, left through front or back door.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=6398,4275245&dq=evelyn+hartley&hl=en

Says the secret service reported it had to stop looking into Evelyns case due to the lack of 'cooperation' from the police department handing her case.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=3617,4832370&dq=evelyn+hartley&hl=en

Story about her filling in for her friend last minute.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=4464,3110718&dq=evelyn+hartley+missing&hl=en

"mass" lie detector test given to 1,700 students in regards to her case.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=5507,684035&dq=evelyn+hartley+missing&hl=en

Story saying that everyone around her thought it was weird that she would babysit for her friend that night and not go to the football game herself - because she was a huge fan that never missed a game.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=729,3321611&dq=evelyn+hartley+missing&hl=en

 

[Claudette]

I think that's a very good point against this being a robbery gone wrong.

But it's hard to understand why Evelyn was targeted - if the perp(s) just wanted a girl Evelyn's age for their sexual/deviant reasons, there were certainly easily ways to obtain a victim without all of the hassles of breaking into a home and dragging Evelyn away.

Perhaps, in these circumstances, it was the easiest way. The whole town was at the game....

 

[punklove]

Perhaps, in these circumstances, it was the easiest way. The whole town was at the game....

I honestly am baffled now, if the papers I posted before are right the person came in through the basement and left through one of the front doors. There was NO blood inside the house and the blood that was 'by the basement window' was actually more like 10 feet away.

That seems more to me like it could be random, because from the sound of it - its possible that someone came through the basement and when she saw them she attempted to flee, that person didnt catch her until she was nearly at the neighbors home which is why there were bloody fingerprints and a huge pool of blood 10feet from the home, and that would also account for the reason her body was taking with, if he only captured her (and wounded her) once she was outside that means he had no chance to do 'anything' to her that he may have wanted, thus making him take her with him.



I would have sworn it wasnt a 'random' thing before but if the above information is correct it very well could be and that could account for nothing ever coming from the search - the 'perp' was more than likely hours away by the time the search started.

 

[Claudette]

Agreed - it is strange because most of the town was occupied with the game. Normally I would say she was clearly targeted. In this case though, I can't help but wonder if some creeper was just on the prowl for an empty neighborhood, looking for houses with lights on that are surrounded by mostly dark houses. After all, it would be clear if there are people home in a neighborhood.

Plus, it was the dead of winter AND night time. No one would be outside if any people were at home. Forensics weren't what they are today, and the guy probably thought in the end it would be easier if he took her with him. In his mind, no body no evidence?

 

[punklove]

Agreed - it is strange because most of the town was occupied with the game. Normally I would say she was clearly targeted. In this case though, I can't help but wonder if some creeper was just on the prowl for an empty neighborhood, looking for houses with lights on that are surrounded by mostly dark houses. After all, it would be clear if there are people home in a neighborhood.

Plus, it was the dead of winter AND night time. No one would be outside if any people were at home. Forensics weren't what they are today, and the guy probably thought in the end it would be easier if he took her with him. In his mind, no body no evidence?

It really seems that this crime was sexually motivated, had he been looking to rob someones home he could have picked any of the numerous other homes in the area that very obviously had nobody home. Its apparent he cased the home (as he tried to open the bedroom window but couldnt) so he would have seen the lights were on and known that wouldnt be a house to rob.

Also, if he did try to rob the home and was unable to subdue her before she was able to get out of the front door he would do 1 of 2 things - either run away from the home as fast as he could because she surely would be calling the police once she seeked refuge OR if he knew that she could ID him run after her and kill her, leaving her dead outside of the home.

I feel strongly that the person that did it wasnt someone that she knew - the amount of bleeding she was doing means the persons car would have been covered with blood - the police throughly checked nearly every car in the entire town putting a "im ok" sticker on peoples car once they were cleared. Also, There was a mass polygraph given (over 1700 people) to everyone in her school along with several other people - had someone known any tiny thing it would have come out. What would make someone break into a well lit home where its obvious someone is inside?

At this point this is what I feel could have happened -

The person was out looking for someone to rape - walking through the neighborhood and after seeing the home with the lights on, and more than likely watching from outside for long enough to feel comfortable that only evelyn was home, with evelyn being inside with the lights on and it being dark outside he would have no problem watching her without her being able to see him.

He attempted to break in through the bedroom window, was unable so he broke in through the basement window.. Went upstairs and startled evelyn while she was doing her homework in the living room, they both struggle, knocking off one shoe and breaking her glasses - he drags her into the basement so that he could rape her (less chance of anyone hearing her in the basement) which is where she lost her other shoe. Somehow she breaks away, leaps the steps then out the front (or back) door attempting to run to the neighbors for help. She almost reaches the neighbors but he catches up and wounds her somehow (more than likely with a knife) wounding her very badly then drug/carried her to his car because he hadnt yet raped her and that was his original intent (he wouldnt have taken her back inside to rape her at that point becasue she screamed while she was outside and he would have thought the police would be there any time from someone in the area calling police) Once he was able to do so he tossed her body somewhere, tossed her clothing as well as some of his and was well on his way before anyone knew what happened and he was never found because it was a completely random crime that had no ties to him.

 

[punklove]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...869,-91.216242&spn=0.001789,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Hopefully this link will work a satellite pic of the neighborhood. Where the "A" is is 2415 Hoeschler DR.

Thanks!

I have a question for you - when looking at that I couldnt help to notice what looked to be a railroad track 2 blocks away from the home - the dogs lost the scent of Evelyn 2 blocks away - I did a little research and found that its the 'BNSF' railway and isnt a passenger train, Is it possible the person that did this actually took her and stowed away on the train with her? Im unable to find the exact location of where they found the clothing and shoes but I wonder if it was near the railway, him tossing things out as they go along?

 

[amber1]

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.

 

[joellegirl]

The clothes were found along RT 14 near Coon Valley WI. I still believe she was taken by car. She was dragged through the backyards in a diagonal sort of way, and the scent ended on Coulee Dr along the curb. I have pics of this spot. How does one post pics here? It is not two blocks away, I believe that is a mistake. There was the witness who saw two men supporting a woman who appeared to be impaired, then this witness saw the car speed out of the neighborhood with the second man in the back with the woman who was leaning forward.

I am inclined to believe the story about Evelyn being taken to LaFarge. It is a remote town surrounded by hills and countryside. No one knew Evelyn there, and I don't think the car searches went on there. Also easy place to hide a body and a car.

I cannot find the link to the LaCrosse Tribune story about the LaFarge link so you could read where I am getting this from.They took it off. Not sure what that means. Basically an old man came forward in 2003 with a tape recording(from 1968) of a man in the bar talking about the Hartley case and how he and a friend "hauled that Hartley girl down from LaCrosse," some talk about graves and how she hadn't been found yet...I highly suggest anyone interested get the book "Where's Evelyn?" by Susan T Hessel. A much better detailed account of this story is in there.

 

[joellegirl]

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...

Also, it is stated that on the tape the men told of the exact location of where Evelyn was buried. I am so curious if any searches have been done since 2003! Even if had been flooded, I wish they'd search! If they did, the papers sure never did another article about it.