IL IL - Carol Rofstad, 21, ISU student, Normal, 22 Dec 1975

[Claudette]

This is the oldest unsolved case on the Illinois State Police website.

"Carol Rofstad, who was 21 when she was killed, lived in Normal, IL while attending Illinois State University. She was found beaten unconscious about noon December 23, 1975, outside her sorority house at 602 S. Fell Street. The suspected murder weapon, an 18-inch piece of railroad tie, was found nearby. Rofstad wasn't found until roughly 12 hours after the attack. She died Christmas Eve as a result of head injuries.

Two men, one of whom carried a club, were seen between 10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. on December 22, 1975. Both were white males and between the ages of 18 and 25. The composite at right is for, Suspect #1, the suspect carrying the club.

At the time of the attack, most students had already left campus for the holiday break. Instead of returning to Elk Grove Village, though, Rofstad had stayed in the Twin Cities to work at a retail store. Money was found in her purse and there was no evidence of sexual assault. Two women, in the sorority house, neither saw nor heard anything unusual."

http://www.isp.state.il.us/crime/unsolveddetails.cfm?ID=2

 

[Claudette]

This case is still getting attention. An article from 2008. Some highlights:

'Investigators with a college in Cicero hope to uncover evidence that would solve the brutal murder of an Illinois State University student more than 32 years ago. "I think the case is eminently solvable," said George Seibel, director of Morton College's Institute for Cold Case Solution.

"And as long as the truth comes out, it doesn't matter who does it," he said.

Seibel, a former Chicago homicide detective, said he doesn't have proof of what happened to Carol Rofstad on December 23, 1975. But he and student staff members conducted more than 250 interviews since November, and he gave Normal police upward of 50 pages of documents.

"We have a suspect, they have a couple suspects, and hopefully we can find a couple crumbs to send to police," Seibel said.'

..............

'He said he was familiar with the case. Seibel's old police investigative unit on city's west side did some investigation on one suspect in the years following Rofstad's death, he said.

In talking with people who knew Rofstad, Seibel said one name repeatedly came up. He declined to say who that suspect is, but he described him as a man with a "rich history of violence toward females" and a man who had made believable threats against at least eight people's lives.'
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/article_052be6ee-6e89-5bee-8f3c-66e14e8fed74.html

 

[Claudette]

Below is information that I was able to find without doing much digging

Attached are PDFs of school newspapers around the time of her death. One mentions the witness. The other, a later article, discusses possible links to other attacks and also an unknown man that attacked her in her room at an earlier time.
[the second attachment will not upload for some reason. Click here if you would like to download it europa.iwu.edu/argus/pdf/19770422v083i23.pdf]
..............

Also, it appears the college that was helping in 2008 is Morton College Institute (see last paragraph of article).
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8055/is_20090926/ai_n46083194/

...............

Snips from an article in 2001:

'Now police say they have a fresh lead: newly discovered fingerprints lifted from crime-scene evidence stored in a police locker in Normal, where Rofstad was killed. Normal Police Lt. Rick Bleichner said the department sent clothing and other evidence to FBI analysts in a last-ditch effort to solve the case.

The FBI found fingerprints on one item that Bleichner described as a personal belonging of Rofstad's. It had never been analyzed for fingerprints before because police did not consider it a significant piece of evidence, Bleichner said.
Advertisement

Now police are running the prints through databases at the FBI and elsewhere to see if they can find a match and catch a killer in a case that has dogged two detectives and the victim's family. Police said results could be available in several months.'

'Police found an 18-inch piece of railroad tie, believed to be the murder weapon, near the crime scene. A witness driving by saw two men outside the sorority house with Rofstad, but thought they were "college kids goofing around," Sadler said.'

'There were strange things about the case: Rofstad had been attacked about a year earlier in her room at the sorority house by a man who crawled up the fire escape. That case was never solved, and some people still think the two incidents were related, Daniels said.

Rofstad had worked Dec. 22 at a clothing store, then stopped briefly at a bar before walking with a friend to her sorority house, Daniels said. The two women parted to go to their homes, after which Rofstad was attacked. Daniels said it is possible Rofstad was followed when she left the bar.'
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-09-07/news/0109070041_1_fingerprints-police-new-clue

 

[Cubby]

It would be interesting to know if LE ever interviewed the persons working at the bar Carol visited the night she was murdered. I wonder if any of them ever saw the sketch of one of the two possible suspects.

Also, it sounds like nothing came of running the prints found in 2001 or from the clothing sent for analysis. I wonder if any of that evidence remains for further testing. Forensic science is much better today than it was in 2001.

Praying for answers on Carols case. She deserves justice.

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

QUOTE...'There were strange things about the case: Rofstad had been attacked about a year earlier in her room at the sorority house by a man who crawled up the fire escape. That case was never solved, and some people still think the two incidents were related, Daniels said. ..END OF QUOTE.


That is strange. About a year earlier before this attack.

 

[Claudette]

QUOTE...'There were strange things about the case: Rofstad had been attacked about a year earlier in her room at the sorority house by a man who crawled up the fire escape. That case was never solved, and some people still think the two incidents were related, Daniels said. ..END OF QUOTE.


That is strange. About a year earlier before this attack.

Yes, I wonder if there was an ex with a grudge though you would think she would recognize him. How would I go about getting more information on this strange attack, would it be a question for the local LE there?

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

Below is information that I was able to find without doing much digging

Attached are PDFs of school newspapers around the time of her death. One mentions the witness. The other, a later article, discusses possible links to other attacks and also an unknown man that attacked her in her room at an earlier time.
[the second attachment will not upload for some reason. Click here if you would like to download it europa.iwu.edu/argus/pdf/19770422v083i23.pdf]
..............

Also, it appears the college that was helping in 2008 is Morton College Institute (see last paragraph of article).
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8055/is_20090926/ai_n46083194/

...............

Snips from an article in 2001:

'Now police say they have a fresh lead: newly discovered fingerprints lifted from crime-scene evidence stored in a police locker in Normal, where Rofstad was killed. Normal Police Lt. Rick Bleichner said the department sent clothing and other evidence to FBI analysts in a last-ditch effort to solve the case.

The FBI found fingerprints on one item that Bleichner described as a personal belonging of Rofstad's. It had never been analyzed for fingerprints before because police did not consider it a significant piece of evidence, Bleichner said.
Advertisement

Now police are running the prints through databases at the FBI and elsewhere to see if they can find a match and catch a killer in a case that has dogged two detectives and the victim's family. Police said results could be available in several months.'

'Police found an 18-inch piece of railroad tie, believed to be the murder weapon, near the crime scene. A witness driving by saw two men outside the sorority house with Rofstad, but thought they were "college kids goofing around," Sadler said.'

'There were strange things about the case: Rofstad had been attacked about a year earlier in her room at the sorority house by a man who crawled up the fire escape. That case was never solved, and some people still think the two incidents were related, Daniels said.

Rofstad had worked Dec. 22 at a clothing store, then stopped briefly at a bar before walking with a friend to her sorority house, Daniels said. The two women parted to go to their homes, after which Rofstad was attacked. Daniels said it is possible Rofstad was followed when she left the bar.'
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-09-07/news/0109070041_1_fingerprints-police-new-clue

Jennifer Lockmiller, 22, was found Aug. 28, 1993, strangled in her Main Street apartment. Normal police said the murder of the 22- year-old Illinois State University student remains open and under investigation.

Carol Rofstad, 21, an ISU student, was found beaten Dec. 23, 1975, outside a sorority house in the 600 block of South Fell Avenue and died the next day. Normal police never closed the case and last year received some assistant from Morton College's Institute for Cold Case Solution, but no arrests have been made.

NO connection between the two above cases that you know about.
Other then they both attented ISU, and lived in or around the Normal area?

Did thy check to see if any physical evidence from each case/scene may-had matched in some way to each other?

Quote...There were strange things about the case: Rofstad had been attacked about a year earlier in her room at the sorority house by a man who crawled up the fire escape. That case was never solved, and some people still think the two incidents were related, Daniels said.
...END OF QUOTE.

The attack above occurred on July 15 1974.
Ill assume at the time, she was off from school for another school break?

The April 14 break ins, at least two were committed by the same person.
depending on the distance, within an hour of the two, same description as far as the face covered with pantyhose or something similar.
Was anything personal taken from either case that you know of?
Could have been a student at one of the schools?

The two attacks outside, may have been the same person.
Rape may have been the motive, and the killing may not had been a motive. Since she died on Christmas eve, i don't think he meant to kill her, just knock her out, like the other one before in 74 i believe coming home from the pajama party.

All of the break ins and the killing could have been committed by a student.

And she was seen, by a witness outside with the two men.
December 1975
After this death, things seemed to have gotten quite, as far as other attacks break ins as far as i read.

If they still have those prints, that they retrieve from something personal from her, and still have not found a match. I would look back at the time, and any students whom may had been a p0I at the time, i would check to see if there still living, and ask for prints for comparison.
If they can do that , that is. This person may had stopped after the death. And has gone on to live a crime free life. Just speculation on my part.

ALL MOO AND SPECULATION, NOTHING FOR CERTAIN OR KNOWN AS FACT, UNLESS OTHERWISE KNOWN TO BE.
​

 

[STANDREID]

This case always reminded me of the movie Black Christmas which came out the year before. I'm in that town about once a week so I suppose I should check out the murder site.


There was a serial killer named Jesse Donald Sumner who was preying on ISU coeds (among others) in the early 70s but he'd been captured before Rofstad's slaying. He died incarcerated in 2005.

 

[STANDREID]

Jennifer Lockmiller, 22, was found Aug. 28, 1993, strangled in her Main Street apartment. Normal police said the murder of the 22- year-old Illinois State University student remains open and under investigation.

A Lockmiller acquaintance named Alan Beaman was convicted of her murder and sent to prison where he remained for 13 years until his conviction was thrown out. Just today, he was given the ultimate exoneration when a judge granted him a declaration of innocence. DNA on the victim's body did not match Beaman.

 

[STANDREID]

This case always reminded me of the movie Black Christmas which came out the year before. I'm in that town about once a week so I suppose I should check out the murder site.


There was a serial killer named Jesse Donald Sumner who was preying on ISU coeds (among others) in the early 70s but he'd been captured before Rofstad's slaying. He died incarcerated in 2005.

Today, I drove past the 602 S. Fell address and there's a building there that looks old enough to have been there in 1975 so I assume that's it. I could have missed something since I was driving and looking at the same time but I didn't see any sign that it's still a sorority house.

 

[Fiddlehead]

A Lockmiller acquaintance named Alan Beaman was convicted of her murder and sent to prison where he remained for 13 years until his conviction was thrown out. Just today, he was given the ultimate exoneration when a judge granted him a declaration of innocence. DNA on the victim's body did not match Beaman.

This case is very interesting if you read up on it, a fine example of shoddy police work and an overzealous prosecutor who wants an arrest and he wants it now. Beaman didn't help himself by being arrogant at the trial. Everyone who knew him knew he was innocent, though. There was another suspect early on, an acquaintance of hers, but prosecutors quickly set their sites on Beaman and the other suspect probably got away with murder.

 

[annegrete]

Carol was a Delta Zeta. Any perps with a fascination for the Delta Zeta sisters?

 

[Gunther Toody]

This is the oldest unsolved case on the Illinois State Police website.

"Carol Rofstad, who was 21 when she was killed, lived in Normal, IL while attending Illinois State University. She was found beaten unconscious about noon December 23, 1975, outside her sorority house at 602 S. Fell Street. The suspected murder weapon, an 18-inch piece of railroad tie, was found nearby. Rofstad wasn't found until roughly 12 hours after the attack. She died Christmas Eve as a result of head injuries.

Two men, one of whom carried a club, were seen between 10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. on December 22, 1975. Both were white males and between the ages of 18 and 25. The composite at right is for, Suspect #1, the suspect carrying the club.

At the time of the attack, most students had already left campus for the holiday break. Instead of returning to Elk Grove Village, though, Rofstad had stayed in the Twin Cities to work at a retail store. Money was found in her purse and there was no evidence of sexual assault. Two women, in the sorority house, neither saw nor heard anything unusual."

http://www.isp.state.il.us/crime/unsolveddetails.cfm?ID=2

I stumbled upon Carol's case while perusing through the Cold Case forum and few things stuck out from Claudette's initial offering.

The first thing I find odd is why the beating with a club?
It would seem initially that one or two men may have followed her from the bar and wanted sexual involvement. I imagine it wouldn't take a club to force a girl into compromise if two men were threatening her, so it would appear they had bodily harm in mind from the start...but why?

Even a rejected suitor or ex-boyfriend would have to be extremely anti-social or borderline (BPD) to commit such a crime. Could it have been a case of "graveyard love" (If I can't have you, no one will)? I imagine cops looked at that angle already. So what did Carol possess that would drive someone to kill her?

Another alternative would be that they lied in wait for her, knowing that she lived there and waited for her to come home.
The killer is likely a college peer or someone who knew her because with all the dormitories in proximity to the crime scene a random stranger would not necessarily know that the students would all be gone for Christmas Break and would likely be concerned about any screams during the attack.

Knowledge of some event or crime?
If so, surely she shared that info with her friends.

A prior sexual assault upon her or someone close?
What is known about the attack in her dorm from the previous year?
Was it of a sexual nature, or simply to harm her?

Incriminating information of any kind that had the perpetrator in fear of it getting out.

Questions to ask friends and family...did anything happen in Carol's life that would cause anyone to fear what she knew?

How many times was she struck?
Anything unusual about the blows...like were they all on the right side of her head (indicating a left handed person)

Has anyone attempted to contact family or old friends of hers for information?

A suggestion, start a Facebook group dedicated to the crime and bring attention to it via the media.
This was done with another case I am working on and many people came forward and were willing to speak privately about the case, giving us information that the police never knew.
You may find the same will happen with Carol's case.

If the railroad tie allegedly used as the murder weapon has been maintained properly as evidence, Touch DNA analysis will probably reveal good samples and if the killer is in the DNA database, a hit should come pretty easily.

 

[Gunther Toody]

A railroad runs just north of the crime scene location. The use of a piece of railroad tie would seem to indicate that this was a crime of opportunity, possibly by someone who followed her home from the bar. There are two bars of that same name nearby today. I assume one or the other is the actual bar she was at. Both are near the railroad tracks.

The crime was a moderate risk for the victim and a moderate risk for the perpetrator as well. Not knowing much information about the case leaves a lot to speculation. Was the original intent, sexual assault? Robbery?
Neither of which were fulfilled, possibly due to lights being on and others in the building.
As a last ditch effort to avoid being recognized, the perp simply beat her in the head until she was unconscious?

 

[STANDREID]

Normal was a dry town until 1973 so any local bars she might have gone to would have been relatively new. Before 1973, Normal residents/students had to go the sister city of Bloomington to drink.

 

[Gunther Toody]

Normal was a dry town until 1973 so any local bars she might have gone to would have been relatively new. Before 1973, Normal residents/students had to go the sister city of Bloomington to drink.

According to this Tribune Article... http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-09-07/news/0109070041_1_fingerprints-police-new-clue Carol stopped briefly at The Cellar Bar and walked back to the sorority house with a friend.

The two current listings for "The Cellar" within walking distance of her sorority house are each a few blocks North and East.
Both are located North of the Amtrak tracks, where the killer likely obtained the piece of railroad tie, if that was the murder weapon.

Here is a map image of a bar called The Cellar in Normal..Is it the same bar she attended in 1975?
I don't know but the location and proximity to the railroad tracks fit the scenario.

 

[Claudette]

If you create a FB page for something like this, is your personal page/name tied to it? I don't know if I would do one for this case, but there is another one I have in mind, as long as my name isn't tied to it publicly.

 

[Gunther Toody]

If you create a FB page for something like this, is your personal page/name tied to it? I don't know if I would do one for this case, but there is another one I have in mind, as long as my name isn't tied to it publicly.

You can create the page and name it whatever you wish and simply become the administrator. We did that with the Grimes Sisters Murder case and that site currently has about 675 members.

 

[Gunther Toody]

Carol's case is very solvable in my opinion. Breakthroughs in DNA analysis make obtaining viable DNA much easier and from much less material than was required before.

Epithelial or touch DNA evidence can be defined as evidence with no visible staining that would likely contain DNA resulting from the transfer of epithelial cells from the skin to an object. It has been stated in publications that forensic scientists can obtain a DNA profile from as few as five to six cells. However, just because a surface is touched and a few skin cells are left behind does not guarantee a meaningful DNA profile can be obtained. Detecting and obtaining an interpretable DNA profile are two different concepts. When something is grasped tightly, such as a club (or piece of railroad tie) a much larger sample of epithelial cells is left behind. These cells do not deteriorate and will remain if undisturbed.

Being relatively new technology, it is conceivable that the local law enforcement has never even heard of Touch DNA.

I did a little research and find that Maclean County has online FOIA requests for police records, crime scene photos, and autopsy reports.
While some of these may cost money, having them would go a long way toward learning exactly what happened to Carol.

George Seibel, the leader of the Morton College Cold Case Research group that has been mentioned in the newspapers as having performed their own investigation...is still at Morton College and may provide insight into the case if contacted.

All this case needs is someone to take the initiative and get the ball rolling.
I will assist if desired, but I will leave it to those who are closer to the case to take the reigns.

 

[STANDREID]

This case always reminded me of the movie Black Christmas which came out the year before. I'm in that town about once a week so I suppose I should check out the murder site.


There was a serial killer named Jesse Donald Sumner who was preying on ISU coeds (among others) in the early 70s but he'd been captured before Rofstad's slaying. He died incarcerated in 2005.

Not to sound like a total brute but I wonder if calling it the Black Christmas Case wouldn't elevate the crime to the forefront, which is what it needs. I've heard it said that without the catchy name Jack the Ripper most people would not know of the case.