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

[Ms. Sleuth]

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.

I think Collins could be a good fit. It is hard to place him in Wisconsin but like you mentioned with the road trip, they could have went anywhere. I think this is something to look into deeper. I am not sure how. I am not sure if LE would have statements of transactions they made if they stopped for money or something. Being on the road for 2 weeks, you either took out a good amount of money before hand, or they were making stops. I am not sure if LE would have or release this information though.

 

[DeathbyBoobie]

July 6, 1969 was a Sunday.

Actually seventeen year old Stephanie Casberg was murdered in Racine County. The MPD website http://city.milwaukee.gov/Police/coldcases#Cold_case_19 states she was last seen leaving work but the Milwaukee Journal states her eleven year old brother last saw her getting ready for work at 5:30 pm Monday, July 6, 1969 and was last seen by a witness getting into a yellow convertible in front of her house. She never made it to work for her 6:30 pm-12:30 am shift. She worked as a part time waitress at Marc's Big Boy in Juneau Village, 1111 N. Van Buren St. in Milwaukee, WI.

Because of the discrepancy between the police account and the newspaper account of where Stephanie was last seen alive, (her work or her home) one can only wonder. It's unknown whether the police checked the restaurant (now closed) itself to see if that was the kill site.

Some of her body parts were found several days later off of County Line Road in Franklin, WI, 1/4 mile west of I-94, on the east bank of the Root River right below a steel trestle. The first body part, the right leg, was found wrapped in newspapers by a ten year old boy fishing with his father.

When searchers combed the area, they found the head in a brown paper bag and both arms wrapped in newspapers in thick brush right below the trestle. A brown shoe and an Army jacket were found nearby. The torso and left leg were never found. A triangular bronze-colored earring with a small oval blue stone was in her left ear. The other one was missing.

Searchers later found her purse and a pink blanket five miles north a short distance from the Root River in the 7000 block of S. 68th St. in Franklin. A torn up photo copy of her picture was found off another street in Franklin.

On July 16, 1969, during a continuing search for evidence, a 34 year old dead man, Grant Hughes, was found in his running vehicle which was parked in thick brush near the dump site of the body parts approximately 3/4 of a mile southeast of the dump site. A hose was attached to his exhaust and stuck in a cracked window. Two notes were found inside his car. Police cleared him of any involvement in the murder according to the newspaper.

Some speculate that the killer was a butcher because of the way the body was cut up. The cause of death was never revealed by the police or the newspapers to my knowledge either because the torso was never found or they chose to withhold that information.

Note that if you read the Tuesday, July 15, 1969 edition of the Milwaukee Journal it states that more body parts were found in the area where the first body parts were found. Yet, later news articles after that date never follow up on that July 15 article or confirm what those body parts were or whether any were actually found.

Is it possible that the police decided to not release any more information on what those body parts were for some reason?

This case can be checked through Milwaukee Journal newspaper microfilm July 1969. I'd presume that Racine County's newspaper might have a little more closer-to-home coverage so if anyone has access to their accounts of what happened, feel free to post it here. This is a true forty one year old murder mystery that has received almost no internet coverage.

It would be interesting to see what the thread starter of this case has uncovered since posting four years ago.

 

[SAMS]

So do we know where/when SC went missing? Was she leaving work? Perhaps her brother saw her catching a ride in the convertible another day and got the days mixed up. Typical eye witness testimony, esp for a child. MOO

 

[Quoththeraven]

July 6, 1969 was a Sunday.

"The cause of death was never revealed by the police or the newspapers to my knowledge either because the torso was never found or they chose to withhold that information."

Actually a news article did state that she probably died from a stab wound to the neck.

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

There's no evidence that Stephanie was murdered in Racine County. Her body parts were dumped there at two locations but she also may have been killed in Milwaukee County and her body parts were transported to Racine County. It's also possible she was killed in Milwaukee County, her body transported to Racine County and then dismembered in Racine County.

I surmise that she was killed in Milwaukee County and dismembered at the kill site in order to remove her body from the kill site without being detected. I believe the body was disposed of at the Racine site because the killer(s) were familiar with the area. I also speculate that two people were involved in the murder with one of those attempting to abduct another waitress at Big Boy's sometime previously (I also believe that that abduction was never reported to the police because someone involved would have implicated themselves or someone close to them), that it was sexual in nature and that a third person became aware of the murder at a later date and then became an accessory after the fact.

The Racine County Sheriff's Department doesn't even have this cold case listed on their website. The Milwaukee County Police Department has never updated their Cold Case website about Stephanie since they put it online.

 

[Quoththeraven]

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."

Why did the day manager make the call instead of the second shift manager if she was a second shift worker?

 

[Quoththeraven]

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.

The August 6, 1969 Racine Journal Times states in their article titled

Question Youth About Murder, No Direct Line,

"An autopsy determined that she probably died of a stab wound to the neck."

When the other coworker waitress was attacked at Big Boy's the previous month, the attacker stated, "Stop resisting or I'll cut your head off." This tells me that both crimes are related considering Stephanie's head was cut off about a month later.

 

[Quoththeraven]

I wonder if she went to the lovers' lane area with someone after work late that night (not sure if this is Sunday or Monday) They use the blanket to sit on along the river and at some point he becomes angry and kills her.

Considering the temperature is about 80 degrees in southern Wisconsin in July, hot, humid and swarms of mosquitoes, gnats and horse flies at night along the river biting the heck out of you tells me that scene never happened and was staged to throw the police off on their investigation. And if so, there must have been a whole lot of DNA on that blanket. Did they even hold on to the blanket as evidence where years later it might have been tested for DNA?

 

[DeathbyBoobie]

So do we know where/when SC went missing? Was she leaving work? Perhaps her brother saw her catching a ride in the convertible another day and got the days mixed up. Typical eye witness testimony, esp for a child. MOO

Allegedly, her brother is the last one that saw on Monday July 7th. The last time she was seen in public was at work the day before.

 

[DeathbyBoobie]

"The cause of death was never revealed by the police or the newspapers to my knowledge either because the torso was never found or they chose to withhold that information."

Actually a news article did state that she probably died from a stab wound to the neck.

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

There's no evidence that Stephanie was murdered in Racine County. Her body parts were dumped there at two locations but she also may have been killed in Milwaukee County and her body parts were transported to Racine County. It's also possible she was killed in Milwaukee County, her body transported to Racine County and then dismembered in Racine County.

I surmise that she was killed in Milwaukee County and dismembered at the kill site in order to remove her body from the kill site without being detected. I believe the body was disposed of at the Racine site because the killer(s) were familiar with the area. I also speculate that two people were involved in the murder with one of those attempting to abduct another waitress at Big Boy's sometime previously (I also believe that that abduction was never reported to the police because someone involved would have implicated themselves or someone close to them), that it was sexual in nature and that a third person became aware of the murder at a later date and then became an accessory after the fact.

The Racine County Sheriff's Department doesn't even have this cold case listed on their website. The Milwaukee County Police Department has never updated their Cold Case website about Stephanie since they put it online.

It was said that she had two puncture wounds to the neck. Does that mean she had two stab wounds?

 

[DeathbyBoobie]

Considering the temperature is about 80 degrees in southern Wisconsin in July, hot, humid and swarms of mosquitoes, gnats and horse flies at night along the river biting the heck out of you tells me that scene never happened and was staged to throw the police off on their investigation. And if so, there must have been a whole lot of DNA on that blanket. Did they even hold on to the blanket as evidence where years later it might have been tested for DNA?

She had been seeing a cook where she worked. This is all i know so far until i confirm more information Darkmatter: They Still Haven't Found The Rest Of Stephanie Casberg's Body Or Her Killer.

 

[PezCandy]

It was said that she had two puncture wounds to the neck. Does that mean she had two stab wounds?

I instantly thought taser, but don’t think those were around then?

 

[Quoththeraven]

Allegedly, her brother is the last one that saw on Monday July 7th. The last time she was seen in public was at work the day before.

Detectives ruled out that her brother saw her being picked up at home.

 

[Quoththeraven]

It was said that she had two puncture wounds to the neck. Does that mean she had two stab wounds?

That's possible but I think they would have said stab wounds if they were stab wounds.

 

[Quoththeraven]

She had been seeing a cook where she worked. This is all i know so far until i confirm more information Darkmatter: They Still Haven't Found The Rest Of Stephanie Casberg's Body Or Her Killer.

"Authorities were never able to determine a cause of death. There were no serious abrasions or contusions and no broken bones."

The above blog is in error regarding the cause of death and "no serious abrasions or contusions." I posted elsewhere here that a news article stated the cause of death was a stab wound to the neck and there was a deep gash in the inner thigh of the leg that was found at the bridge. I have a photo that verifies this. That gash was done on purpose and wasn't related to the dismemberment. The leg was found wrapped in a copy of the June 24th issue of the Milwaukee Sentinel and was the first body part found by the 11 year old boy.

I think the torso and one leg were never found. A dog had brought home the pelvic bone to its owner who lived on 92nd St. where some of the remaining body parts were found.

 

[Quoththeraven]

The head, both arms and one leg were found at the bridge site. Racine County Sheriff Blessinger said he believed the killer was someone familiar with the area. "Whoever dumped the body parts here would have to know his way around" said Sheriff Blessinger. "This is such an isolated spot that it would be difficult for the killer to get to unless he knew the area."

That's a major clue.

 

[DeathbyBoobie]

I instantly thought taser, but don’t think those were around then?

They were around then, i'm not sure how widely used they were though.

 

[DeathbyBoobie]

"Authorities were never able to determine a cause of death. There were no serious abrasions or contusions and no broken bones."

The above blog is in error regarding the cause of death and "no serious abrasions or contusions." I posted elsewhere here that a news article stated the cause of death was a stab wound to the neck and there was a deep gash in the inner thigh of the leg that was found at the bridge. I have a photo that verifies this. That gash was done on purpose and wasn't related to the dismemberment. The leg was found wrapped in a copy of the June 24th issue of the Milwaukee Sentinel and was the first body part found by the 11 year old boy.

I think the torso and one leg were never found. A dog had brought home the pelvic bone to its owner who lived on 92nd St. where some of the remaining body parts were found.

A abrasion is a wound from rubbing on a rough surface and a contusion is a bruise. She was said to have some minor ones, but no serious ones or broken bones. That doesn't have anything to do with the gashes or whatever in her body does it? i dunno, maybe i am confused

 

[Quoththeraven]

Another clue... a blue Plymouth had been seen within three blocks of where the body parts were found on Wednesday afternoon a short time before the boy who was fishing in the Root River found the body parts.

 

[Quoththeraven]

Body (head, two arms and leg) found shortly before 2 pm, Wednesday, July 9, 1969.
The head was wrapped in a large brown paper bag, the other parts were wrapped in newspaper.
Autopsy was done at St. Mary's Hospital where it was determined the victim had been dead from 24 to 48 hours and was dismembered after death.
Father said that Stephanie had been missing since Sunday, July 6, 1969.
Father said a waitress at the restaurant where Stephanie worked had called the family Monday evening and asked if they knew where Stephanie was.
Father said the manager of the restaurant called him Tuesday evening and told him Stephanie hadn't come to work for two nights.

Thursday night, July 10, 1969, Deputy Inspector Kenneth Marple stated a male caller who refused to give his name telephoned him and said that the killer of Stephanie was an 18 year old named _____. The informant said the 18 year old had become frightened after the identification had been made and that he was planning on leaving town by Greyhound bus. After he was found at the downtown Milwaukee Greyhound station he was released after questioning. He didn't request a lawyer and freely answered questions.

So who was the informant? How did he know the 18 year old was the killer? He didn't. He was pointing the finger away from himself. All we need to do is ask the 18 year old who had known he was leaving town that night. It couldn't have been too many people. Whoever it was knew him well enough to know exactly when he was leaving. If the 18 year old was Stephanie's coworker that would narrow down who fingered him.

Everything points to someone from her workplace. The previous attempt to abduct a coworker from the restaurant is another clue. It wasn't reported to the police. WTH? A kidnapping at knifepoint swept under the rug? Who influenced the waitress not to press charges? Who knew their schedules enough that they could target them with ease when leaving the restaurant?

The last time she was seen was when she left work shortly after midnight Sunday, July 6, 1969. Who was working that night? What did they see or hear? Stephanie must have told them how she was getting home. Was the restaurant open third shift or did it close at midnight?

Come on, Milwaukee and Racine, time to dust off the files in this moth-balled case and reopen your investigation. It's been over 50 years and the clues are staring you in the face. At least update your information.

 

[Quoththeraven]

"I think the torso and one leg were never found. A dog had brought home the pelvic bone to its owner who lived on 92nd St. where some of the remaining body parts were found.

Actually, the rest of the body had been found on 92nd Street, including the ribcage and other leg, on July 21 and 22, 1969. I believe it was a Sunkist cardboard box that had been dumped in the ditch on the side of the road that contained the remaining bones.

Interestingly, another body had been dumped several hundred feet from the spot where Stephanie's remaining body parts were found on 92nd on the same side of the road. That case was recently solved. Racine County Jane Doe. RCJD's body was found 30 years later to the day of when Stephanie's remaining body parts were found.