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

[ruth21]

If her father was involved, we don't know the motive. And if he was involved, I doubt it was planned. Everything in this case points to an unplanned abduction and murder.

 

[pleasestandby]

Because prints and pry marks were found on other neighboring houses, I believe they were burglars who, once seeing Evelyn through the window (which was in back of house), made other plans.

I think one perp stayed with Evelyn by the house where the blood pooled into the window well while the other perp ran to get the car to pick them up on Coulee Dr. (where the dogs got the last scent of her)

I give a lot of credence to the “La Farge” tapes.

Clyde “Tywee” Peterson was not boasting. He was very matter of fact, almost reluctant talking about it.

Why talk that way if it’s just a hoax?

Does anyone know what they mean on the La Farge tapes when they talk about bringing Evelyn back to La Crosse?

Summary:

I believe, based on the very limited information and evidence available, the most probable explanation is that the LaFarge trio lead by Clyde “Tywee” Peterson abducted and killed Evelyn Hartley.

I agree with your assessments above. The police redacted items within the transcript and never released it to the public. Why do that if there was no credibility to it?

In regards to your question about "bringing Evelyn back to La Crosse", from an excerpt of the transcript it sounds like after the two (or three) individuals involved had transported her (still alive) to the "deleted" location, killed her (probably raped her, too), then they buried her and, for some reason, panicked, dug her body back up (and the shoes, clothes) and took her body back to La Crosse to either rebury or rehide it. On the way they threw the articles of clothing out the window (they were panicked).

The reference to digging up graves could possibly mean they dug up a grave and reburied her body in or under a coffin in a graveyard. (I'm thinking the Catholic cemetery near where one/some of her articles of clothing were found)

Only two reasons why they kidnapped her; she could identify them or they wanted to rape her, injured or not meant nothing to them. After all, they were some sort of sub species of humans.

Post #718:

Clyde Tywee Peterson: ….. dig up graves and everything else [location deleted].
Whitey Barclay: …but the thing is, you hauled her from La Crosse down to --( house location deleted)----and back to La Crosse…. huh?
Clyde Tywee Peterson: …. no.
Whitey Barclay: You didn’t haul her back every time?
Clyde Tywee Peterson: …. no.
Whitey Barclay: You did haul her up there, though?
Clyde Tywee Peterson: ….. no witness….. no proof……. they haven’t found her, have they?

Also, is it possible that Evelyn somehow briefly escaped and ran screaming (three times) toward the house on Coulee Drive before she was overtaken, stabbed by the window well and then taken to the car? The house on Coulee Drive was occupied by a teacher and she may have ran that way for safety. This might be more plausible if she did know the teacher. I think I listed that teacher's name earlier in this thread.

 

[riolove77]

***Bumping for Evelyn today. This is one of my cases (I work at NCMEC) - as a matter of fact, my oldest case, and I was working on it today. Came across this thread and will hopefully spend the weekend going through the 54 pages of thought you all have put into this. I would love it if we could someday bring some answers forth.

 

[Ozoner]

Summary:

I believe, based on the very limited information and evidence available, the most probable explanation is that the LaFarge trio lead by Clyde “Tywee” Peterson abducted and killed Evelyn Hartley. Hwy 14 is on the route where the shoes/jacket were found.There is a taped confession that to me doesn’t seem logically fabricated.I think she is buried somewhere in the vast farmland around Viola, south of La Farge. Bodies of the three deceased suspects should be exhumed and examined with any DNA from evidence gathered, which is still stored in the evidence shed in La Crosse.

Your scenario seems like a sensible explanation to me. If corroboration could be found in the form of DNA evidence, then in my mind the case could be closed.

 

[miamaia]

I'm only at post #227, but I just have to pop in and say - what an incredibly terrifying situation! Straight out of a horror film, no matter how it actually went down.

I'm safe at home, surrounded by three pitbulls, and I've got serious heebie jeebies just from reading this thread. I'm already looking up handguns.

I feel such sorrow for dear Evelyn. I hope that wherever she is, she is at peace.

 

[jpo74]

. I was just thinking perhaps the person(s) who attacked Evelyn either may have known her or planned on kidnapping and keeping her for a while. Just some random thoughts I had.

IMO, i think the perp might have known the rasmussens and in turn knew of evelyn. maybe evelyn wasnt the target, it might have been her friend that was supposed to have been babysitting that night :notgood:

 

[jpo74]

anyone knows where was bufurd sennett at that time when evelyn was taken?

 

[jpo74]

The police felt fairly certain that she was in the process of dying while being removed from the home because of the amount of blood left on scene.

:tears:

 

[Richard]

It does seem likely that this was a crime of opportunity perpetrated by more than one person. The randomness of her being where she was and the obvious disorganization of the scene make a scenario such as outlined above, involving burglars a viable possibility.

 

[ElMeow]

Having only read the first 4 pages, I feel like the abduction was planned. The whole town was expected to be out at the homecoming game - leaving very few people as witnesses. One of the two assailants stayed in the car while he other crosses the back yards of the few houses nearby and opens the basement window to sneak in. The window closes silently behind (I'm speculating here, I have a theory.) or is closed behind as to not raise suspicion, should anyone outside happen to glance at the house. The man inside climbs the stairs and surprises Eve from behind, possibly hitting her over the head with something (radio? fist?) which leaves Eve dazed, but able to fight back. The attacker would have had to be bigger than Eve, but she probably fought hard enough to lose a shoe while upstairs, and was picked up and carried downstairs (maybe restrained at this point? manually restrained arms) her legs were freely kicking as she continued to struggle. The attacker possibly hit her again over the head at that point, (and the window may have been broken in the fight <flying shoe?>) and shoved a very disoriented and dazed Eve through the window, and climbed out himself. As she went through the (broken) window, shards of glass sliced through either her jeans and then femoral artery, or sliced her arm's major artery. The amount of time amounted for the blood pool outside the basement window, as possibly could have accumulated as her attacker climbed out. She started to run to a neighbour's house, but multiple hit to the head and blood loss impaired her ability to walk, which made it easy for her attacker to cathc up with her, and guide her to the waiting vehicle as her level of consciousness faded.

Sorry for the block of text. This is my first thought out post to a thread here! I'll update as I read more of the replies previously left in this thread!

 

[ElMeow]

Hi I'm new. I had a whole theory written out, but that was only after having read 4 pages from this thread.

I couldn't figure out how to delete a post so I've turned it into this.

 

[STANDREID]

What articles of what Evelyn was wearing have not been found and could have been kept by her killer as a souvenir?

Her jacket, glasses and shoes were in the house. Possibly her bra and panties were found and some sources say her jeans. That leaves her blouse, belt and socks. My guess is that the belt would have still been with the jeans if they were hers and probably the socks were never taken off and were with the body when it was disposed of. The blouse is all that's left. Was a blouse ever found that might have been hers?

 

[pleasestandby]

What articles of what Evelyn was wearing have not been found and could have been kept by her killer as a souvenir?

Her jacket, glasses and shoes were in the house. Possibly her bra and panties were found and some sources say her jeans. That leaves her blouse, belt and socks. My guess is that the belt would have still been with the jeans if they were hers and probably the socks were never taken off and were with the body when it was disposed of. The blouse is all that's left. Was a blouse ever found that might have been hers?

I believe I read where the blouse was found over by a Catholic cemetery. Another article stated remnants of the jeans were found near a window well and they speculated the pieces were used to gag her or tie her up.

 

[Claudette]

I don't recall this! That would have taken some time, was she possibly raped in the house and then they decided to kidnap her so that she couldn't identify them? That might be the motive right there.

 

[Ozoner]

I don't recall this! That would have taken some time, was she possibly raped in the house and then they decided to kidnap her so that she couldn't identify them? That might be the motive right there.

I doubt they would have gone to the trouble of abducting her if they had already raped her. They probably took her somewhere else in order to rape her.Otherwise, they would have just killed her and left her there.

 

[Vivette]

I think so too. It seems like a waste of time and effort to get her out of that house, across those yards and into a car if they already had raped her at the house.

 

[CindyBB]

I am new here, however, some things stand out to me after briefly reading the posts here. If in fact the abduction took place in the evening between 7-7:15 PM as mentioned by joellegirl they wouldn't have wanted to leave out of the front door with neighbors as potential witnesses. If they did drag her out of the downstairs window it is possible that she was not conscious at that point so it wasn't like they could walk out of the front door with her over their shoulder and not be noticed. In the articles that I have read and posts I did see mentioned that high school students were questioned, but what about the college students? This seems to be a crime of planning, and would need more maturity than most high school students would likely possess. I don't believe the POW had anything to do with it he just seems like a red herring. The Buick mentioned seemed to be pretty important, is there any information regarding an approximate age of the two men seen driving away with the girl? I keep seeing two brothers as being responsible for abducting her. In the article it suggests that she could still be alive, I'm not seeing that. I am seeing a marsh like wooded area is there an area like this? It seems like there is a connection with a car repair garage with the two men.

 

[Ziba]

Got here after watching the Bothun Report on youtube (old but excellent!) and reading posts on other websites. I would like to know if there is any credibility to Evelyn being a smart girl with a "wild side" who partied with older guys, and if one of the older guys had a hand in her disappearance.

 

[SisterEtheridge]

I don't recall this! That would have taken some time, was she possibly raped in the house and then they decided to kidnap her so that she couldn't identify them? That might be the motive right there.

I believe so… Neighbors saw two guys holding up a girl who was slumping in the neighborhood. Then another neighbor saw a Buick with a guy and a girl in the back (girl was slumping forward) and another guy in the driver seat driving around the neighborhood around 8pm… Giving them enough time to rape her in the house.

 

[Murkywaters]

http://www.womansday.com/life/real-women/a58048/what-happened-to-evelyn-hartley/?src=socialflowFB

No One Can Figure Out How This 15-Year-Old Babysitter Went Missing

Along the bank of the Mississippi River in southwest Wisconsin lies the city of La Crosse. It's a charming community, and regularly ranks as one of Wisconsin's most desirable places to live. But its pleasant reputation was marred on October 24, 1953. On this night, 15-year-old Evelyn Grace Hartley went on a babysitting job and was never seen again.

Evelyn Hartley was a sophomore at Central High School. Her father, Richard Hartley, was a Biology professor at La Crosse State College; her mother, Ethel, was a homemaker. On that fateful evening, Evelyn left for the home of another college professor, Viggo Rasmusen, in order to watch the Rasmusens' 20-month-old baby. She was wearing red jeans, a white blouse, glasses and white bobby socks.