WI WI - Stephanie Casberg, 17, Racine County, 6 July 1969

[scorpionsting]

Eau Claire Leader July 12, 1969: "Employees at the restaurant where she was employed part-time as a waitress said she worked there from 6:30 pm, Sunday, until 12:30 am, Monday. When she failed to report for work late Monday afternoon the day manager called her home and was told she was not there."

 

[scorpionsting]

The attacker held a sharp object to the waitress's neck and told her to stop resisting or he would cut her head off. The attacker was described as about 20 years old, 5' 8" tall and had either light brown or blonde hair.

Addition: The Madison Capital Times July 30, 1969 stated the man was wearing a light jacket and cleated shoes. The same article also stated that Milwaukee Detective Inspector Leo Woelfel said police have ruled out a mysterious yellow convertible from any connection with the slaying. Woelfel said intensive questioning of persons who first said they saw Miss Casberg get into such a car the afternoon of July 7 satisfied authorities she had not been in it.

 

[pleasestandby]

In reading and rereading old and current news accounts on the Casberg murder and the Racine Jane Doe murder I realized that both murder victims were found at the same location and that there was no mention of this fact in any of the newspapers. In the case of Casberg, only some body parts were found on 92nd St. Other body parts were also found elsewhere.

The body parts were first found on July 9, 1969 by the now-demolished bridge on 8 Mile Road. The second set of remains were found Monday, July 21, 1969 on 92nd St.

[url]https://goo.gl/maps/PX9qQ[/URL]

Racine Jane Doe, another Racine County murder victim, was found on July 21, 1999 at the same location on 92nd St (between 6 and 7 Mile Road) in Racine County, Wisconsin as Stephanie Marie Casberg's body parts were found in July, 1969, 30 years previously, to the month!.

So, if you were an investigator, what scenario would be the most plausible in your estimation;

1) Either Racine County has the same serial killer on its hands who came out of "retirement" after 30 years, or,

2) another killer who's familiar enough with the Casberg case dumped RJD at the same location to taunt LE, or,

3) it's one in a million chance that another killer with no knowledge or ties to the Casberg case coincidentally and randomly dumped Racine Jane Doe at the same location.

Which scenario would you select? I pick #2.

That brings us to the second scenario that raises more questions. Since this information was never pointed out to the public,

A) did law enforcement overlook this huge clue 30 years later in 1999, or,

B) were they keeping it hidden from the general public?

If so, why would they keep quiet on a serial killer still on the loose in their county?

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/199ufwi.html

The victim was found at 06.15 on the edge of a cornfield in a rural area of Racine, Wisconsin at 92th Street, between 6 and 7 Mile roads on July 21,1999. It appeared the murder had occurred elsewhere and that the body had been dumped.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19690723&id=JHRQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NREEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2674,4622873&hl=en

13 feet west of 92nd Street...along S. 92nd St, a half mile south of 7 Mile Road...on a heavily-wooded farm.

 

[pleasestandby]

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/pleasestandby2/rightleg_zpseip8jjxm.jpg

The above link of the July 24, 1969 issue of the Racine Journal Times specifically states, "Still unaccounted for are the girl's entire left leg and her right leg from the knee to the hip."

The article further states, "The intensive investigation into Miss Casberg's death began July 9 when her severed head, arms and right leg from the knee down were found wrapped in newspaper..."

That is a total fabrication. Earlier reports stated that Charles April, who, along with his two sons, had found the body, said he knew it was a female's leg by the shapeliness of it.

The below link contains a typewritten rough draft of an article by William T. Brannon titled Wisconsin's No. 1 Murder Mystery. This article is in .pdf format and requires a reader like Acrobat Reader to view it. It is titled Brannon-Casberg.pdf and is readable by clicking on it.

I believe this article appeared later in True Detective Magazine or Master Detective Magazine sometime after the murder. This article is archived in the W. T. Brannon Collection at a Florida university and is in the public domain.

Accompanying the article in the archives are two items: a handwritten notation and a black and white morgue photo of Casberg's upper right leg.

The color photo is a colorized photo of that B&W. The third photo is a blowup of the mutilated part of the inner right thigh.

https://samepage.io/app/#!/3af87696...5/page-276132877027271862-brannon-casberg-pdf

This photographic evidence shows that the statement that was given in the newspapers is totally false. If the statement (that the upper leg was found and substituted with the lower right leg was withheld) and released to the media in the event that a future false confession was made that only the killer could know, then why release that same (withheld from the media) photographic evidence to a national crime writer that's in direct conflict to already released statements?

The article also contains information about other evidence that conflicts with evidence mentioned in the newspapers in 1969 and 1970.

In light of this new evidence, it brings new questions:

What is the link between the Racine Jane Doe case and the Stephanie Casberg case since their bodies were found only 1,300 feet from each other? Is it just mere coincidence?

Why were some of the facts (possibly more) of the Casberg murder purposely altered in the media and why was the public deceived and led to believe that only dismemberment occurred when actually it was a mutilation and dismemberment murder?

Can this mutilation evidence be compared to mutilation evidence in other unsolved mutilation murders that have occurred over the years?

Why has Casberg's case been swept under the rug for well over 45 years without so much as an update and where is her official website outlining her ghastly murder?

Why was the Casberg case given to the Milwaukee Police Department instead of remaining with the Racine County Sheriff's Department in Racine County when there was no evidence that the murder occurred in Milwaukee County?

Why wasn't Casberg's body ever disinterred for further DNA evidence?

 

[Stereocrumb]

Just curious if anyone is still keeping up with the case of the racine county Jane doe....

 

[RevScott]

Actually seventeen year old Stephanie Casberg was murdered in Racine County.

I realize this is an old thread, however this misinformation must be corrected for anyone seeking further information on this case. The last possible proof of life of miss Casberg was found in Franklin, in Milwaukee County. No kill scene was ever found nor proven, and her body parts that were found were scattered on both sides of the Milwaukee/Racine County line.

This case echos heavily in my memory for two reasons, the first being that the newscaster on radio station WOKY that announced her name stumbled on her last name, making it sound like that of a branch of our family, and the second, being young, it was the first time I ever heard of a dismemberment killing, and was the taking of my "innocence".

 

[SarahLSomeone]

Hello,

I just found this case and am completely drawn to solving this case. I was doing my own investigative work based off these posts and utilizing facebook. Stephanies family members are dying, I am assuming that the witnesses are as well. I feel it is urgent to solve this case as time seems to be limited for existing family members. I would like to help. Side note: this is all new to me, sleuthing is a new interested. Please feel free to give me guidence.

Thank you for your time,

Sarah

 

[dotr]

rbbm
April 14 2019
Gruesome cold case murder of Wisconsin teen remains unsolved 50 years later
"Newspapers from the time say that two days after Stephanie’s disappearance, her father helped identify her body, which was disturbingly found in several pieces miles from the family’s Milwaukee home.

“Some kid found her head,” said Eric Casberg, another of Stephanie’s brothers. “She’d been dismembered. He was fishing with his father or uncle or something down in Racine.”

Press reports recount how Stephanie’s “severed head, arms and a leg” were found in the Root River by the Milwaukee-Racine County line.

“The dismemberment was professional which really stuck out to me,” Romayne Casberg said. “Kind of freaked me out.”

Gruesome cold case murder of Stephanie Casberg remains unsolved 50 years later

Even after this much time, the mystery of it all still lingers for the family."

"The best leads might be Stephanie’s purse, which was found nearby, and a torn-up picture of her discovered miles from her body.

Spingola says those haven’t given investigators much.

“Fingerprint technology, DNA, it’s been checked, and there’s been no links to the forensic sciences to this day,” he said."

"Spingola said law enforcement tends to operate under a general assumption that “the lion hunts in his own backyard.”


He said he firmly believes that if the killer is still alive, he’s in the Milwaukee area."

 

[waunakeegan]

Bumping for Stephanie!

 

[jb9672]

hi this is one of the case we have looked at when well trying to find out info as to a killer in well the case of tina Davidson. who well was killed 3 -26-1973 her body was found on 3-27-1973 to this day her killer or killers have not been found as well . we also have a group and pod cast on fb for her we also do have some info on stephanie. Listen to Searching for Closure on TuneIn

 

[BLParks12]

I happened across an archived Reddit thread on this where a commenter mentioned that a woman posted on Stephanie Casberg's "Find A Grave" site that this poster knows her father killed Stephanie and asked for the family to contact her. Stephanie M Casberg (1951-1969) - Find A Grave... Here is the link. The poster lives in Mt. Pleasant in the Racine area. After some investigation I determined the her surname is her married name, and after some further investigation I discovered a link between her and a person who could have been her father (I will refer to him as "WM"). (I'm not sure I'm allowed to post the name of the poster from the "Find A Grave" site or the potential father, so I will not do so unless I am informed by a moderator that I can.) I cannot confirm that this is her father, but it appears that all of this man's male children have a first name beginning with "W" which I think gives some support to him being this potential father. Where this becomes significant is that WM was convicted in 1990 of sexual assault against a minor who is closer in relation than a second cousin. He was sentenced to be released in 2051. Since he was born in 1930, I think it is pretty clear he got life in prison. WM died in 2009. The poster submitted her post on "Find A Grave" in 2018. If this was her father, since he is deceased, she had no real motive to lie, such as revenge for maybe her own sexual molestation or that of her children at the hands of her father. I know a lot of this is conjecture, but without leads you have to follow whatever leads you have. I think this guy might be worth looking into at least, even if at least for some closure on this matter. There is not a lot of information about this guy online, so any information anyone on these threads might be able to provide would certainly be helpful.

 

[waunakeegan]

I just wrote a case summary for Stephanie’s case on my Facebook group page last week to bring awareness to the case. Here’s my synopsis:

-Part 1-

The Discovery
It was Wednesday July 9, 1969 when a man and his two sons decided to go fishing off the 8 Mile Rd bridge and instead got the shock of their life. Down below, on the banks of the Root River they spotted the lower portion of a right human leg. Racine County Sheriffs Office Investigators would later find both arms, and a young woman’s head nearby all wrapped in a Milwaukee newspaper dated June 24th and stuffed into a large paper bag. These dismembered pieces were what was left of 17-year-old Stephanie Marie Casberg’s remains.

Of possible note, one bronze, triangular shaped earring with a blue oval stone was found on Stephanie’s ear and a brown shoe was found nearby her remains. That same day, searchers found a pink blanket and Stephanie’s purse upstream from the location where the dismembered remains were found. Beside a road in Franklin, Wisconsin a torn-up picture of Stephanie was found as well.

On July 10th it was reported that the Medical Examiner could not officially determine a cause of death. It was also released that Stephanie’s remains were cleanly dismembered with a sharp object and removed at the joints, “like a butcher would do.” No broken bones, serious abrasions, or contusions were present, but it was originally reported that there were two small puncture wounds on her neck. In a later August 6th article, it was reported that the autopsy determined that she probably died of a stab wound to the neck. The ME also estimated that she had died between Monday July 7th to Tuesday July 8th, one to two days before she was found on the 9th.

Two weeks later on July 21st the skeletal remains of Stephanie’s torso and one leg were found 5 miles away from the original site in and near a white cardboard box with “Sunkist” letters on the side. They were discovered when a dog on a nearby property brought the pelvis bone home and the owner’s alerted authorities. Stephanie Casberg's whole case is truly the stuff of nightmares.

The Circumstances
Stephanie was a beautiful redhead and a recent High School graduate that worked part time at Marc's Big Boy restaurant, a near downtown Milwaukee restaurant, as a waitress. The 17-year-old, who was described as always happy and outgoing, lived at home along with her 6 brothers. Although it was originally reported that her 11-year-old brother saw her getting into a yellow convertible the evening of Monday July 8th to go to work, this was later discounted by police who determined that restaurant employees were the last to see Stephanie when she left her 6:30pm Sunday to 12:30am Monday shift. This information became somewhat convoluted, however, as certain articles were reporting that one of her managers said she was scheduled on vacation, with her first day back being on that Monday, not Sunday.

Map link to where torso and leg were found later: Google Maps

Map link where blanket and purse were found: Google Maps

Body parts discovery google map locations: Stephanie Casberg - Google My Maps
2019 article on her murder: Gruesome cold case murder of Milwaukee teen Stephanie Casberg remains unsolved 50 years later

 

[waunakeegan]

-Case Summary Part 2-

The Suspects

Shortly after the discovery of 17-year-old Stephanie Casberg’s dismembered remains in Racine County, WI (near Milwaukee), Racine County Sheriffs Office investigators questioned many people in her life, from teachers, school friends, coworkers at Marc's Big Boy restaurant, and boys she had gone out with, including a young cook at the restaurant she worked who had dated Stephanie until May. A man was found dead in his car from suicide nearby the original discovery scene shortly after, but police ruled him out as suspect. Many persons of interest were ruled out quickly. During this period of questioning, police were made aware that one of Stephanie’s coworkers had been attacked by a man a month before Stephanie’s death, but it was not reported to police before the murder.

The coworker that was attacked told Investigators that she was leaving the restaurant at around 12:30am when a man grabbed her from behind and held a sharp object to her neck. The waitress screamed and shoved the attacker, but he struck her in the stomach and warned her to stop resisting or “I’ll cut your head off.” When another coworker saw the struggle and ran to the girl’s aid, striking the man with her purse, this caused the attacker to flee. He was described as around 20-years-old, 5’8”, and had light brown or blonde hair. He was also wearing a light colored jacket and cleated shoes. Police did not confirm or deny a connection with Stephanie’s case and this attack. Authorities did question a 17-year-old man involved in four other rapes or attempted rapes in Milwaukee, but it appears as though he was eventually ruled out and was never confirmed to be the man who attacked the waitress a month before Stephanie’s death. It's not clear how this man was ruled out.

Despite many leads and persons of interest in the early days, Stephanie’s case grew ice cold and media coverage ceased a few months after the discovery of her remains. Almost two decades later, in March of 1988, a new suspect would come to light who would be overlooked almost immediately. In February of ’88 a woman called deputies to tell them that she believed her brother may have been involved in Stephanie’s murder. She shared that her brother had worked at the restaurant with Stephanie the night she disappeared and that members of her family, including her brother, had lied to police during their initial investigation of Stephanie’s murder. From the article it also appears that this woman’s brother may have up and moved to Hawaii on July, 15, 1969, just days after Stephanie’s body was found. It was reported that her 39-year-old brother, who would have been *20* at the time of the murder, was living in Kurtistown, Hawaii at the time the article was written. He had a completely clean record, however, so this man was never questioned by Milwaukee or Honolulu police, and it appears that’s where that lead dries up.

Next is another suspect I stumbled onto in my research. A Wisconsin woman posted to Stephanie’s Find a Grave listing and publicly reached out to Websleuths as well saying that she knew who was responsible for Stephanie’s murder and other girls in the area. She said this man was her father, who has since passed away. I do not know this man’s name or what evidence she has to support this theory, but thought it was relevant to include in this post. I have privately reached out to her for more details and will update if I hear anything back. (@BLParks12 I also saw this comment on Find a Grave. I will let you know if she reaches back out to me to give more details)

Lastly, I was informed of comments indicating that Stephanie was involved or dating some boys who were in the Puerto Rican gang at the time. The commenters reported that these boys and the gang were very dangerous. Could Stephanie have rejected or broken up with one of those boys, and either that boy or gang members killed her as retaliation?

I can only speculate who may have killed Stephanie, but if I were to have to give my opinion on who the best suspect is I'd lean towards the former coworker that moved to Hawaii. All of these persons of interest and others should really be looked into again, in my opinion.


Stephanie M Casberg (1951-1969) - Find A Grave...
» A Cry from the Grave

 

[BLParks12]

-Case Summary Part 2-

The Suspects

Shortly after the discovery of 17-year-old Stephanie Casberg’s dismembered remains in Racine County, WI (near Milwaukee), Racine County Sheriffs Office investigators questioned many people in her life, from teachers, school friends, coworkers at Marc's Big Boy restaurant, and boys she had gone out with, including a young cook at the restaurant she worked who had dated Stephanie until May. A man was found dead in his car from suicide nearby the original discovery scene shortly after, but police ruled him out as suspect. Many persons of interest were ruled out quickly. During this period of questioning, police were made aware that one of Stephanie’s coworkers had been attacked by a man a month before Stephanie’s death, but it was not reported to police before the murder.

The coworker that was attacked told Investigators that she was leaving the restaurant at around 12:30am when a man grabbed her from behind and held a sharp object to her neck. The waitress screamed and shoved the attacker, but he struck her in the stomach and warned her to stop resisting or “I’ll cut your head off.” When another coworker saw the struggle and ran to the girl’s aid, striking the man with her purse, this caused the attacker to flee. He was described as around 20-years-old, 5’8”, and had light brown or blonde hair. He was also wearing a light colored jacket and cleated shoes. Police did not confirm or deny a connection with Stephanie’s case and this attack. Authorities did question a 17-year-old man involved in four other rapes or attempted rapes in Milwaukee, but it appears as though he was eventually ruled out and was never confirmed to be the man who attacked the waitress a month before Stephanie’s death. It's not clear how this man was ruled out.

Despite many leads and persons of interest in the early days, Stephanie’s case grew ice cold and media coverage ceased a few months after the discovery of her remains. Almost two decades later, in March of 1988, a new suspect would come to light who would be overlooked almost immediately. In February of ’88 a woman called deputies to tell them that she believed her brother may have been involved in Stephanie’s murder. She shared that her brother had worked at the restaurant with Stephanie the night she disappeared and that members of her family, including her brother, had lied to police during their initial investigation of Stephanie’s murder. From the article it also appears that this woman’s brother may have up and moved to Hawaii on July, 15, 1969, just days after Stephanie’s body was found. It was reported that her 39-year-old brother, who would have been *20* at the time of the murder, was living in Kurtistown, Hawaii at the time the article was written. He had a completely clean record, however, so this man was never questioned by Milwaukee or Honolulu police, and it appears that’s where that lead dries up.

Next is another suspect I stumbled onto in my research. A Wisconsin woman posted to Stephanie’s Find a Grave listing and publicly reached out to Websleuths as well saying that she knew who was responsible for Stephanie’s murder and other girls in the area. She said this man was her father, who has since passed away. I do not know this man’s name or what evidence she has to support this theory, but thought it was relevant to include in this post. I have privately reached out to her for more details and will update if I hear anything back. (@BLParks12 I also saw this comment on Find a Grave. I will let you know if she reaches back out to me to give more details)

Lastly, I was informed of comments indicating that Stephanie was involved or dating some boys who were in the Puerto Rican gang at the time. The commenters reported that these boys and the gang were very dangerous. Could Stephanie have rejected or broken up with one of those boys, and either that boy or gang members killed her as retaliation?

I can only speculate who may have killed Stephanie, but if I were to have to give my opinion on who the best suspect is I'd lean towards the former coworker that moved to Hawaii. All of these persons of interest and others should really be looked into again, in my opinion.


Stephanie M Casberg (1951-1969) - Find A Grave...
» A Cry from the Grave

Great posts @waunakeegan . I also reached out to the woman who posted on Find A Grave. If I hear from her I will let you know as well. I have little to nothing on the man I believe to be her father, other than what I posted; that being that he was convicted in 1990/1991 for sexual assault against a minor relation of his. He lived in the general vicinity of Stephanie's work/home/murder, and would eventually live near the area where her arms/head were initially found. Maybe you will have better luck finding information on him. If you would like his name, let me know and I will message you. You have definitely found a lot of good information on this murder.

 

[Ms. Sleuth]

I'm researching the case of Stephanie Marie Casberg, murdered in Milwaukee, WI in 1969. If anyone has any information, or knew Stephanie or her family, friends or co-workers, please contact me.
Thank you

How was stephanie murdered? Is it related to this case? Wisconsin cold case: 1966 Menomonee Falls murder remains unsolved
or even related to Terri Erdmann?

 

[BLParks12]

How was stephanie murdered? Is it related to this case? Wisconsin cold case: 1966 Menomonee Falls murder remains unsolved
or even related to Terri Erdmann?

Part of the mystery of Stephanie Casberg is that her cause of death has never been disclosed to the public. We know she was dismembered and decapitated, but authorities have never stated whether the dismemberment or decapitation caused her death or if there was some other cause. Whether this case is related to the others you mentioned, I cannot say. Right time-frame, right age range, right area, wrong MO. Although I guess without knowing her exact cause of death it is difficult to say her case is not related. One article (Gruesome cold case murder of Milwaukee teen Stephanie Casberg remains unsolved 50 years later) states the dismemberment was done professionally. So the person who decapitated and dismembered Stephanie was skilled with sharp instruments.

 

[Richard]

Stephanie Casberg, age 17. Murdered 6 July 1969 in Wisconsin

 

[Richard]

At the time of Stephanie's murder, there were several similar murders of girls and young women taking place in Michigan. Some were believed to be the work of John Norman Collins, while others were later solved and attributed to other killers.

Collins was only convicted of one murder - that of Karen Sue Beineman, age 18, killed in Ypsilanti, Michigan on 23 July 1969. He had just returned from California with Andrew Manuel, where they had been visiting, and where Collins is believed to have murdered Roxie Ann Phillips, age 17, on 30 June 1969.

 

[BLParks12]

At the time of Stephanie's murder, there were several similar murders of girls and young women taking place in Michigan. Some were believed to be the work of John Norman Collins, while others were later solved and attributed to other killers.

Collins was only convicted of one murder - that of Karen Sue Beineman, age 18, killed in Ypsilanti, Michigan on 23 July 1969. He had just returned from California with Andrew Manuel, where they had been visiting, and where Collins is believed to have murdered Roxie Ann Phillips, age 17, on 30 June 1969.

I think Collins is a good possibility. The trick then is to place him in Milwaukee in early July. He apparently killed the Salinas, California girl on June 30. His friend's father told the police he rented the trailer in his backyard in "June and July," meaning it would likely have been July 1 or 2 before he left for Michigan. I looked at the travel route between Salinas, CA and Ypsilanti, MI, and Milwaukee is way out of the way. I have looked in several places and have not found any statement about Collins' whereabouts between June 30 and July 6 when Stephanie was murdered.

 

[Richard]

I think Collins is a good possibility. The trick then is to place him in Milwaukee in early July. He apparently killed the Salinas, California girl on June 30. His friend's father told the police he rented the trailer in his backyard in "June and July," meaning it would likely have been July 1 or 2 before he left for Michigan. I looked at the travel route between Salinas, CA and Ypsilanti, MI, and Milwaukee is way out of the way. I have looked in several places and have not found any statement about Collins' whereabouts between June 30 and July 6 when Stephanie was murdered.

It is hard to nail some of Collins' time line down. He certainly didn't give much information to Michigan Police investigators, and police seemed to give his traveling companion and close friend Manuel a pass. Who knows what he might have told them?

The June/July statement by Manuel's grandfather was correct to an extent. Collins and Manuel arrived in Salinas with the camping trailer (stolen in Michigan) in mid June '69. They left it in Manuel's relative's back yard when they departed for Michigan (but exactly when that was is the question).

The most direct route from Salinas, CA to Ypsilanti, MI would involve them going northeast to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then heading almost due east from there.

Manuel returned from Michigan to Salinas, California shortly after 26 July 1969. That was the day that Karen's body was found and Collins was arrested. When California LE found the camping trailer it had been thoroughly scrubbed down and there were no fingerprints on it. Collins and Manuel may have detailed the camper before leaving California, but Manuel may have returned to do a more thorough job on it.

Manuel reportedly took a bus from Michigan to Salinas and eventually ended up in Phoenix, AZ about 2 August 1969. He was arrested there by the FBI on 6 August.

So... it is possible that they were in Wisconsin by 6 July, and left there to be in Michigan before 23 July. It would - as you point out - require a slight deviation from a straight line route, but these guys were on a "road trip" and might have done just that.

Perhaps comparing the MO of Collins/Manuel in other murders, and testing of any DNA which might still be in evidence might provide some answers.