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

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I have just spent the past two hours reading newspaper articles about this case. There are literally hundreds of articles about this case, so it will take a while to peruse them all.

I found a few things of interest, in no particular order (joellegirl, you may already know these since you've read a lot about this case!):

1. At no time did the police consider this to be a burglary gone wrong.

2. The police refer to this as a kidnapping after "a fierce struggle." They later say they believe she was kidnapped by a "sex maniac".

3. After five days, the police chief admitted they were up against a stone wall and desperate for clues!

4. There was a mass check of all cars in the city made by gas attendants and police on a voluntary basis. The interior and trunks were inspected for blood. The owner of the car would be given a sticker to place on the car that said "my car is OK".

5. 1700 male students and teachers from two public high schools, one Catholic high school, city vocational and adult education schools, and La Crosse State College were given lie detector tests.

6. The basement window only measured 14 inches.

7. The kidnapper's tennis shoes were eventually found tossed beside a highway. They were size 12 1/2, and identified as having been worn inside the house where Evelyn was babysitting. A bloodstained denim jacket was also found, along with bloodstained panties and bra, all Type A blood - same as Evelyn's.

8. Evelyn Hartley was not supposed to be babysitting that night - she was filling in for a friend who wanted to go to a football game.

There are a lot more interesting elements to this case, but I don't have time to list them all.

One thing that really seems odd - the tennis shoes are 12 1/2, implying they belonged to a pretty big fellow. How did he get in through a 14 inch window?

FYI, there is no mention in any of the articles about an eyewitness. I'm not disputing that this man exists, I just wonder why police didn't say "Joe Blow, driving past the house to pick up his brother-in-law, reported seeing two men supporting a woman, and later saw the same men in a car, one driving and one in the back seat with the woman." Curious.
 
Marilynilpa said:
One thing that really seems odd - the tennis shoes are 12 1/2, implying they belonged to a pretty big fellow. How did he get in through a 14 inch window?
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One of the articles from NewspaperArchive. com mentioned that some LE did not think the jacket and shoes belonged to the same person, since the jacket was a size 36 and seemed too small for someone wearing size 12 shoes.
 
shadowangel said:
One of the articles from NewspaperArchive. com mentioned that some LE did not think the jacket and shoes belonged to the same person, since the jacket was a size 36 and seemed too small for someone wearing size 12 shoes.
Click to expand...
That's right, which adds some credence to the thought that two men may have been involved in this crime. I just cannot see a man large enough to wear size 12 shoes being able to get into a 14" window.
 
Marilynilpa said:
....
7. The kidnapper's tennis shoes were eventually found tossed beside a highway. They were size 12 1/2, and identified as having been worn inside the house where Evelyn was babysitting. A bloodstained denim jacket was also found, along with bloodstained panties and bra, all Type A blood - same as Evelyn's.

8. Evelyn Hartley was not supposed to be babysitting that night - she was filling in for a friend who wanted to go to a football game.
Click to expand...
I wonder if the shoes and Jacket are still being held in an evidence locker somewhere. Perhaps DNA could be extracted from them today? Any fingerprints found on the shoes or in the house?

Was the blood ever checked for DNA matches to Evelyn's family?

The size of the shoes would indicate a rather large fellow, probably over 6 feet tall. Was the jacket size stated?

The locations of the shoes and other clothing would give a general direction of travel, and would possibly indicate that a furthur attack upon Evelyn took place between the house and the location of the clothing.

Was the other babysitter or her family interviewed regarding anyone fitting the possible description of Evelyn's abductor(s)?

From what I have read, it sounds to me like this crime was origionally planned as an abduction by one or two rather moronic individuals. If they were burglers, they certainly could have found a house easier to enter. If they had been watching the house for the occupants to leave, they certainly would have seen the babysitter arriving first. Likely, they thought they would break in easily and then go out the same way. What they didn't count on was Evelyn putting up such a fight.

They obviously did not cut the phone line in advance. They could have tied and gagged her, had they thought to bring rope or cloth with them. They obviously could have walked right out the front or rear door. But they were idiots, and you have to take the idiot factor into account.

There were no credible demands for ransom. And Evelyn has not turned up in the past 50 plus years. My feeling is that these guys killed her, disposed of her body, and drove away.

Were there any recently released sex criminals in the area? Were there any previous or subsequent reports of rapes or abductions, or home invasions in any other nearby towns?

What was the other school that was playing LaCrosse that night? Maybe these guys were in town for the game, but decided to go cruising instead, and one thing led to another. Was there much checking done in the other town? Was that town located in the direction indicated by the discarded bloodstained clothing and shoes?
 
Now the jacket that was found that had blood stains has a whole story on it's own. Investigators at the time noticed wear marks on the back, and paint flecks scattered about. To make a long story short theycame up with the theory that one of Evelyn's abductors had been a steeplejack. That maybe he wore some kind of harness while swinging from a boatswain's chair to clean such things as water towers to prepare for painiting. This jacket went on tour to various surrounding towns to see if someone could identify. Today they realize that was not a good thing as lots of evidence may have been destroyed while this jacket toured the region. I believe it is in the Wisconsin crime lab in Madison today, or still at the LaCrosse police, not sure. Among the other evidence they still have, according to the book, I believe is hair rollers belonging to Evelyn, menstrual pads(it appears she was on her period, must have got these out of the garbage from her home-such a private thing to have among these items) and an exact replica of the outfit she wore that night-all for identifying purposes. Reason why they have the same clothes is she and her best friend had bought the exact same outfit for fun, and this friend gave her outfit to police in case it would help someday.

She still has a surviving brother and sister, but they have not responded to request from police to submit DNA samples. I believe they were requested after the new clues with the tape recorder came about, and a house(and surrounding property) that is mentioned in the recording may be fully
searched someday if Evelyn's case can get off the backburner.

As I mentioned earlier, investgators fear that even if they find where Evelyn is supposed to be buried, they are not sure, due to passage of time, animals, and floods have done to her remains. Hopefully something could be found.

About the Whizzer, the book has a picture of one and it looks like some kind of motorized bicycle-not quite a motorcycle but more snazzy than a bicycle. It cost $97.55 in 1948.
 
LaCrosse State College(now University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse) was playing against rival River Falls State College that night. I'm assuming maybe from Black River Falls, Wi.
 
joellegirl said:
She still has a surviving brother and sister, but they have not responded to request from police to submit DNA samples. I believe they were requested after the new clues with the tape recorder came about, and a house(and surrounding property) that is mentioned in the recording may be fully
searched someday if Evelyn's case can get off the backburner.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I missed something....?
 
Black River Falls is in the opposite direction of where the articles of clothing were found. I could be wrong about where River Falls college is/was. I'll have to look further. The evidence found along Hwy 14 is south of LaCrosse, in the direction of LaFarge, Wi where this tape recording mentions where Evelyn was taken. The man on this recording (the book has most of the transcript of this conversation, police had exact locations eliminated). From the transcript this man doesn't sound like the brightest of the bunch. I agree with with Richard that it appears one or two idiots ironically somehow pulled off one of our greatest mysteries, and still seem to have everyone guessing.
 
joellegirl said:
. . . . The reason this man saw them twice was he was in the neighborhood picking up his brother -in-law to go to the homecoming game. He first saw the men and woman while on his way to pick up his brother-in-law. After he had picked him up and was heading out of the subdivision to the game is when he saw who he thought to be the same group in the car. I get the impression he did not live in this neighborhood, just his brother-in law. One interesting thing is when he dropped his brother-in law back home at what he thought was approx 9:45 he didin't notice any police around, yet they were already there.

It is all very confusing I agree.
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Just kicking around possibilities here:
The witness might well be telling the truth but just to be thorough I have to ask: What if he is not truthful? Could the story have just a couple of touches of truth in it? 1. That he and brother-in-law were there (incase they were seen by someone) and 2.that no police were around (because maybe none were around at the time they committed a crime.)

What is known about mr x who saw these things and his brother-in-law? And has the brother-in-law ever confirmed what was seen & maybe added his own description?

Something seems not right about that witness account. Possibly they either had involvement in the crime or (it doesn't have to be anything sinister) perhaps he was just wishing very strongly that he might have helped bring the girl home as did many residents. Only maybe he wished hard enough to "remember" seeing something odd and then go tell police. That sort of thing has happened before.
 
So this was a tape-recorded interview/interrogation by the police? (Sorry, I'm a little slow today...)
 
Marilynilpa said:
That's right, which adds some credence to the thought that two men may have been involved in this crime. I just cannot see a man large enough to wear size 12 shoes being able to get into a 14" window.
Click to expand...
My son wore size 13's but was skinny as a toothpick as a teenager.
I am not familiar enough with coat sizes of the day to say he could have worn such an item but the window would have been doable for him I think. After all one account says the dad went in through the same window which puzzles me.
 
joellegirl said:
. . . About the Whizzer, the book has a picture of one and it looks like some kind of motorized bicycle-not quite a motorcycle but more snazzy than a bicycle. It cost $97.55 in 1948.
Click to expand...
By the 50's the price had gone to about double the '48 price according to the catalog I saw (if I remember correctly.)

I also posted some links to whizzer pics & info in an earlier post (for those readers who might not be aware of that.) And yes they were sold originally as a motor kit that was added to your own existing bicycle.

Whizzer info:
[post]858219[/post]
 
Richard said:
I wonder if the shoes and Jacket are still being held in an evidence locker somewhere. Perhaps DNA could be extracted from them today? Any fingerprints found on the shoes or in the house?

Was the blood ever checked for DNA matches to Evelyn's family?

The size of the shoes would indicate a rather large fellow, probably over 6 feet tall. Was the jacket size stated?

The locations of the shoes and other clothing would give a general direction of travel, and would possibly indicate that a furthur attack upon Evelyn took place between the house and the location of the clothing.

Was the other babysitter or her family interviewed regarding anyone fitting the possible description of Evelyn's abductor(s)?

From what I have read, it sounds to me like this crime was origionally planned as an abduction by one or two rather moronic individuals. If they were burglers, they certainly could have found a house easier to enter. If they had been watching the house for the occupants to leave, they certainly would have seen the babysitter arriving first. Likely, they thought they would break in easily and then go out the same way. What they didn't count on was Evelyn putting up such a fight.

They obviously did not cut the phone line in advance. They could have tied and gagged her, had they thought to bring rope or cloth with them. They obviously could have walked right out the front or rear door. But they were idiots, and you have to take the idiot factor into account.

There were no credible demands for ransom. And Evelyn has not turned up in the past 50 plus years. My feeling is that these guys killed her, disposed of her body, and drove away.

Were there any recently released sex criminals in the area? Were there any previous or subsequent reports of rapes or abductions, or home invasions in any other nearby towns?

What was the other school that was playing LaCrosse that night? Maybe these guys were in town for the game, but decided to go cruising instead, and one thing led to another. Was there much checking done in the other town? Was that town located in the direction indicated by the discarded bloodstained clothing and shoes?
Click to expand...
From I've read so far, there was very little blood in the house, most of it was outside by the basement window, and there was a bloody handprint on the side of the house next door. LE stated the blood pool was Type A blood, which was Evelyn's blood type. I've seen no mention of bloody footprints or fingerprints. However, when the size 12 1/2 tennis shoes were found, LE identified them as having been inside the Rasmusen home so there must have been some sort of shoe print left, although not necessarily a bloody print.

Regarding the jacket, it was a size 36, which I believe would be pretty small for fellow wearing size 12 1/2 shoes. The blood on it was Type A. Joellegirl mentioned in her post that LE at one time speculated a steeplejack might have worn the jacket. In 1961 LE questioned a steeplejack who reportedly talked about Evelyn. That was a dead end.

I saw no mention of the other babysitter or her family being interviewed. I only saw one mention of the other babysitter, in the article that said Evelyn was filling in for her. LE did not release the name of the other babysitter.

Regarding any released sexual criminals, one article mentioned that 35 to 40 sexual criminals were interviewed regarding Evelyn's disappearance. I found that number to be rather high, considering La Crosse at the time had a population of 50,000.

Evelyn's father requested and took a lie detector test shortly after her disappearance and apparently showed no deception. I don't know if any other people close to Evelyn took such a test.

One interesting thing to note: in Madison, Wisconsin around the same time as Evelyn's disappearance, someone entered a woman's home through the basement window, slugging her on the head with a blackjack. This took place in a newly developed housing area. A week later, another Madison woman was assaulted in the same way. I haven't had a chance to research the details of this, so I don't know exactly what transpired. I do know that a black man was arrested and had a lead pipe in the back of his car that had blood and hair on it. He claimed he had no idea how it got there. I'm going to see what else I can find out about that, but at the time, LE did not think this was connected to Evelyn's disappearance.
 
docwho3 said:
My son wore size 13's but was skinny as a toothpick as a teenager.
I am not familiar enough with coat sizes of the day to say he could have worn such an item but the window would have been doable for him I think. After all one account says the dad went in through the same window which puzzles me.
Click to expand...

It is puzzling I agree. That window must have been larger than 14 inches. I have seen it from the street but of course it looks small from that distance. It is true(accoding to everything I've read) that is how the father entered the house as well because he found all the other windows and doors locked.
 
docwho3 said:
Just kicking around possibilities here:
The witness might well be telling the truth but just to be thorough I have to ask: What if he is not truthful? Could the story have just a couple of touches of truth in it? 1. That he and brother-in-law were there (incase they were seen by someone) and 2.that no police were around (because maybe none were around at the time they committed a crime.)

What is known about mr x who saw these things and his brother-in-law? And has the brother-in-law ever confirmed what was seen & maybe added his own description?

Something seems not right about that witness account. Possibly they either had involvement in the crime or (it doesn't have to be anything sinister) perhaps he was just wishing very strongly that he might have helped bring the girl home as did many residents. Only maybe he wished hard enough to "remember" seeing something odd and then go tell police. That sort of thing has happened before.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree with you about this. It seems like this eyewitness would have been mentioned by the police, if only to establish the time the kidnapping took place.

However, it's possible this man did see something, and the police later found out it was unrelated to the kidnapping - maybe it really was just two guys helping an intoxicated female get home. That was homecoming weekend, so maybe someone just partied a little too much.

One article I read reported that someone heard three "piercing screams" around 7:15 p.m. that night, and thought it was just the sound of kids playing. No one else reported hearing any screams.
 
I found it! I knew I had seen it but i kept missing it when going through the pagesin the book. In the book "Where' Evelyn" there is a copy of the newspaper article about "Mr X "and what he saw. This copy is from the Chicago Tribune. The title says "Here is Mr X's Story of Night Girl Vanished" and says "Saw couple stagger, was she Evelyn?" The rest is so small i can't read it, as it is a microfilm copy. Like I mentioned, he went to police on Monday, and was interviewd by two detectives, and even talked with Evelyn's parents. I'm not sure why he didn't go to police sooner than Monday but he made it sound like that is when he put 2 and 2 together. I ,too, wonder if the brother in law was ever talked to. Someday when I have the money I am going to request copies of all articles the LaCrosse Tribune about the Hartley case, maybe there is more info in these little snippets here and there.

I can make out some of the text which goes on to a different topic of the abduction and mentions "maybe Evelyn recognized her abductor and let him in the front door,she also trusted him to let him go into the basement for whatever reason he may have given her-where he could have opened the basement window from the inside, pushed out the screen and planted the stepladder under the window. "

"Some feel the abductor was familiar with the Rasmusen home and knew how to operate the front door latch,which is a difficult self locking one for getting out in a hurry.."

If the abductor did go into the basement and do all that, he must have come back up and grabbed a still trusting Evelyn at that point because of all the evidence of the struggle in the livingroom, then dragged her back down. Still very confusing.
 
I keep thinking that the perps were there to take Evelyn. Perhaps they were out that night looking for a victim and spotted her going into that house. They waited and saw the couple leave. They used the basement window perhaps because it was the easiest one to gain entry. The perp wanted to suprise her. They could have left thru that same window not to be noticed. The front door could have drawn too much attention to them, especially with Evelyn bleeding.

I wonder how well searched the area where her clothes were found. I cant imagine these type of perps taking her very far or taking a large amount of time to dump the body. I believe her remains are within a small proximity from the clothes and abduction scene.
 
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