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

[joellegirl]

I just found another article about the tape recording of a LaFarge, WI man admitting his involvement in the Evelyn Hartley case. This article is from the Charleston, IL Journal- Gazette and is similar to the La Crosse Tribune article but it includes a little more detail, including names.

Evelyn and her family lived in Charleston, IL prior to living in La Crosse. The town had a moment of silence for Evelyn in the days follwing her disappearance. Like La Crosse, this community has not forgotten Evelyn.

Link:

http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2004/05/24/news/news09.txt

 

[Marilynilpa]

I just found another article about the tape recording of a LaFarge, WI man admitting his involvement in the Evelyn Hartley case. This article is from the Charleston, IL Journal- Gazette and is similar to the La Crosse Tribune article but it includes a little more detail, including names.

Evelyn and her family lived in Charleston, IL prior to living in La Crosse. The town had a moment of silence for Evelyn in the days follwing her disappearance. Like La Crosse, this community has not forgotten Evelyn.

Link:

http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2004/05/24/news/news09.txt

I need to go back through my notes, because I think this man was later ruled out as having anything to do with Evelyn's disappearance. If I can find the info, I'll post it here.

 

[Usher737]

Wow! What an interesting article! I wonder if LE did a full investigation into the cofession like try to locate her body?

 

[joellegirl]

Wow! What an interesting article! I wonder if LE did a full investigation into the cofession like try to locate her body?

According to the new book "Where's Evelyn?" by Susan Hessel, this is all still being investigated as we speak but unfortunately it is a very slow process and it is put on the backburner often due to current cases. From what I understand, LE has and is still taking this whole tape recorder confession (which came to light in 2003) very seriously. I check the LaCrosse Tribune daily hoping for an update. I just wish they could go out there today and start looking where her grave is supposed to be. Practically two years have gone by since the discovery of this tape, that is another two years for more evidence to be obliterated. Of course it may have all been obliterated many years ago but still! I'm hoping there is alot of investigating going on right now (as it has been reported) and maybe they are just keeping it quiet for the time being.

In the new book there is a transcript of the majority of the tape recording.

According to the confession, it sounds like THREE men were involved. We've all assumed at least two had to have been, but three, wow.

 

[joellegirl]

I need to go back through my notes, because I think this man was later ruled out as having anything to do with Evelyn's disappearance. If I can find the info, I'll post it here.

You might be thinking of some older confessions(and there have been several). From what I have read this is the most current lead and is still being investigated, though not as fast as I would like!

This whole LaFarge story sounds quite believable to me. The articles of clothing were found on Rt 14 ( bloodied panites, bra-thought to be Evelyn's, bloodied jacket and shoes-thought to have been abductor's) . To go to LaFarge from LaCrosse one would start out taking RT 14.

I hope we can start hearing more about this soon.

The article mentions one of the men either knew or knew of Evelyn and knew she was babysitting that night. I wonder if he saw her walking home from school in the days leading up to the abduction and started stalking her, or maybe he worked odd jobs in that new neighborhood and had seen her when she babysat for the Rasmusen's that summer. All accounts say Mr Rasmusen picked up Evelyn from her home that night and drove her to his house. Maybe these men followed them.

Or maybe these men were after the Rasmusens' regular babysitter....

 

[docwho3]

Sooo, whatever happened to the possibility of the man caught with a lead pipe beng involved. Has any more been done to follow up on that?
Sorry if it was posted & I missed seeing it.

 

[Marilynilpa]

Sooo, whatever happened to the possibility of the man caught with a lead pipe beng involved. Has any more been done to follow up on that?
Sorry if it was posted & I missed seeing it.

I have been digging without success regarding this. The man who was arrested with the lead pipe in his car could never be connected to the assaults in Madison, Wisconsin. I'm hoping to find out if anyone was ever arrested for the Madison assaults, it seems like the story was just dropped.

If I can uncover anything else, I'll be sure and post it here.

 

[Marilynilpa]

You might be thinking of some older confessions(and there have been several). From what I have read this is the most current lead and is still being investigated, though not as fast as I would like!

This whole LaFarge story sounds quite believable to me. The articles of clothing were found on Rt 14 ( bloodied panites, bra-thought to be Evelyn's, bloodied jacket and shoes-thought to have been abductor's) . To go to LaFarge from LaCrosse one would start out taking RT 14.

I hope we can start hearing more about this soon.

The article mentions one of the men either knew or knew of Evelyn and knew she was babysitting that night. I wonder if he saw her walking home from school in the days leading up to the abduction and started stalking her, or maybe he worked odd jobs in that new neighborhood and had seen her when she babysat for the Rasmusen's that summer. All accounts say Mr Rasmusen picked up Evelyn from her home that night and drove her to his house. Maybe these men followed them.

Or maybe these men were after the Rasmusens' regular babysitter....

You're right, I was thinking about Elder G. Frisled, a man who was questioned about Evelyn's disappearance. Apparently he had gone from tavern to tavern in Hanover, Illinois, claiming he knew what happened to Evelyn. He also claimed to have dated Evelyn several times. The police found out that this guy wasn't even near La Crosse, WI on the day Evelyn vanished.

You mention "maybe these men were after the Rasumusens' regular babysitter". I've wondered about that myself. It kind of sounds like Evelyn was a last minute substitution. One article I read reported that Evelyn didn't want to babysit that night.

I located an article today that I haven't seen before. A black man was arrested for raping and murdering a woman In Wauwatosa, WI in 1953, and he was looked at very closely in Evelyn's disappearance. The police said a "negroid" hair had been found in the tennis shoes believed to have been worn by Evelyn's kidnapper. This man had previously been convicted of raping a 14 year old white girl, and the evening he attacked and killed the woman in Wauwatosa, he had also attacked another white female. The police stated "substantial evidence" had been found linking this man, John J. Watson, to Evelyn's disappearance. Watson refused to answer any questions about the case, except to state that he was the victim of a conspiracy.

 

[Ang50]

Hi all -

This is a fascinating case. My mother's maiden name is Hartley, and she grew up about 2 counties away from La Crosse. I will have to ask my parents about this case. Also - we have family land near La Farge. Does anyone happen to know what the confession said about the location? It's deer hunting season again, which seems to be the time when missing people are found. Incidentally, La Farge is now home to quite a large organic farming operation - Organic Valley. Oh - and one more strange connection - as a little girl I lived in Bangor WI, and just up the street from my school was a large beautiful residence - the home of John Bosshard - a big name in that area, and the DA on this case.

So was Ed Gein eliminated as a suspect in this case?

On the topic of this Watson - there was an area outside of La Crosse, actually towards La Farge which had a small African-American population. A settlement that had been there quite a while - pre Civil War, I believe. So although La Crosse was very white and a black man would have been very conspicuous, it is possible that Watson could have had family in the area.

 

[joellegirl]

Hi all -

This is a fascinating case. My mother's maiden name is Hartley, and she grew up about 2 counties away from La Crosse. I will have to ask my parents about this case. Also - we have family land near La Farge. Does anyone happen to know what the confession said about the location? It's deer hunting season again, which seems to be the time when missing people are found. Incidentally, La Farge is now home to quite a large organic farming operation - Organic Valley. Oh - and one more strange connection - as a little girl I lived in Bangor WI, and just up the street from my school was a large beautiful residence - the home of John Bosshard - a big name in that area, and the DA on this case.

So was Ed Gein eliminated as a suspect in this case?

On the topic of this Watson - there was an area outside of La Crosse, actually towards La Farge which had a small African-American population. A settlement that had been there quite a while - pre Civil War, I believe. So although La Crosse was very white and a black man would have been very conspicuous, it is possible that Watson could have had family in the area.

Welcome!

From what I understand LE knows the house that is in question and the location of where these men said Evelyn is buried. I'm not sure if they know the exact location, or just an area. They are keeping this all quiet for now. According to the article I posted a link to in an above post, one of the people originally invloved in the new book went to this house and spoke with the current owner.

Ed Gein has pretty much been eliminated as a suspect. Most of us(including myself) don't believe he was involved, but no one knows for sure completely. When his grisly crimes were discovered in 1957, detectives searched the evidence for any sign of Evelyn but came away believing she wasn't there, and that he was not involved. He also denied involvement, for what that is worth. Anything is possible though, and I'm not sure if he has been "officially" eliminated.

That is interesting about the small African American community near LaCrosse. I remember reading about the "negroid" hair as well but never saw anymore about it. Sometimes I think LE should take another look into these leads they once eliminated. But I realize they barely have time for a new lead, let alone a very old one that was eliminated.

Maybe your mother could be related to Evelyn, though from internet searches Hartley appears to be a common last name, there are even other Evelyn Hartleys out there. Her family is not originally from La Crosse but they could still be related in some way.

I hope someday LE will let the locations in LaFarge be known. I'm up in La Crosse one or twice a year visiting family, and these locations would be interesting to see.

I guess we just have to wait and see if anything more comes of this LaFarge story.

 

[Ang50]

Thank you for the link to that story - I will talk to my father about the names mentioned. I sure wish my grandpa was still around, he would probably have something to say about all these guys. I very much wonder what their reputation was around the area - liars, storytellers, or if the tale is likely to be true.

And - even as recent as last year, a large area around La Farge was flooded. We were up during that time and had to take different roads b/c the water was so deep. If Evelyn was buried on a floodplain, definitely her body could be gone by now. AND - back around that time, there was a big push to create a man-made lake in that area. If someone had been smart, they would have buried her in the area that was planned for the lake. Once flooded, her bones would have never been found.

 

[joellegirl]

Thank you for the link to that story - I will talk to my father about the names mentioned. I sure wish my grandpa was still around, he would probably have something to say about all these guys. I very much wonder what their reputation was around the area - liars, storytellers, or if the tale is likely to be true.

And - even as recent as last year, a large area around La Farge was flooded. We were up during that time and had to take different roads b/c the water was so deep. If Evelyn was buried on a floodplain, definitely her body could be gone by now. AND - back around that time, there was a big push to create a man-made lake in that area. If someone had been smart, they would have buried her in the area that was planned for the lake. Once flooded, her bones would have never been found.

I've read about the area being a flood plain as well, and how that is the reason why even if they find where she was buried, she may no longer be there, which is frustrating. The article mentioned that the scent of the body could still be in the nearby trees though, which is interesting.

Even though the bones are likely scattered and there may not even be any bones left due to the passage of time and conditions of the area,I hope maybe someday a hunter(or someone) will come across a skull, or some small bone.

It seems these men were well known around town. Your grandfather may have known of them. Let us know if your father has ever heard of them.

I really hope she wasn't washed away. It would be nice to see her get a proper burial if she is ever found.

 

[Usher737]

This whole LaFarge story sounds quite believable to me. The articles of clothing were found on Rt 14 ( bloodied panites, bra-thought to be Evelyn's, bloodied jacket and shoes-thought to have been abductor's) . To go to LaFarge from LaCrosse one would start out taking RT 14.

That is compelling evidence in favor of the confession.

The article mentions one of the men either knew or knew of Evelyn and knew she was babysitting that night. I wonder if he saw her walking home from school in the days leading up to the abduction and started stalking her, or maybe he worked odd jobs in that new neighborhood and had seen her when she babysat for the Rasmusen's that summer. All accounts say Mr Rasmusen picked up Evelyn from her home that night and drove her to his house. Maybe these men followed them.

Or maybe these men were after the Rasmusens' regular babysitter....

That is the part that got me the most intrigued! How did these men know Evelyn ? Could one of them have had a crush on her? Also, where did the blood outside the home come from. It sounds like she was kept alive until some time later at that farmhouse.

 

[joellegirl]

That is the part that got me the most intrigued! How did these men know Evelyn ? Could one of them have had a crush on her? Also, where did the blood outside the home come from. It sounds like she was kept alive until some time later at that farmhouse.

LE seems to believe the blood outside the Rasmusen home was Evelyn's .Though today we could know for sure with DNA.If they ever dig up the graves of these men they could find out if their blood was at the scene as well. It looks like Evelyn was badly injured at the house and may have been unconscious or barely conscious as they took her away, but still alive.

The blood was type A which was the same as Evelyn's and that is as far as they could go with it in 1953.


It's hard to say if these men really knew her or not. I'm guessing they could have seen her walking down the streetor something and decided to stalk her. Or maybe they knew someone who knew her. Since they were veterans (not sure if all three were) I'm figuring they were quite a bit older than Evelyn in 1953 and not in her circle of friends. Plus they lived almost an hour away, so it's not likely they knew her from church or something like that.

I'm just guessing here of course.

 

[georgiagirl]

I have searched Amazon, Borders, BN....Where can I get it??

Lisa

 

[joellegirl]

I have searched Amazon, Borders, BN....Where can I get it??

Lisa

You can buy it by contacting Susan Hessel (author) at shessel3248@charter.net

It is a self published book so I think it is only available by contacting her at this point.

Hope this helps!

 

[mysteriew]

In regards to the blood found on the neighbors garage, etc.
Depending on where it was found on the garage I can think of two scenarios that might fit.
1) She was attacked and cut inside the house, but managed to break away and run. She ran outside and was attemping to run to the neighbor's home, when they caught up with her. She may have leaned or brushed up against the garage as she went.
2) She was attacked and cut inside the house, but managed to get away and ran outside. She may have tried to hide, and leaning against the wall while trying to do so.
Both instances could be the reason the neighbor heard such a piercing scream. If the scream had occurred inside the house the neighbor would have heard it as muffled, instead of piercing. But a scream from outside, may have very well been piercing.

 

[shadowangel]

Possibly Evelyn was placed into the basement while her attacker(s) were deciding to ransack the house and she herself tried to escape out the window using the ladder, but was caught escaping and further subdued? Or she ran to the basement in an affort to escape and was caught in the process of going out the window?

Were the doors locked by key locks or other means such as deadbolts?

 

[shadowangel]

The ladder should have been had a wealth of fingerprints and other forensic evidence. Is it known if it was removed as evidence, and is still in police possession?

 

[Marilynilpa]

In regards to the blood found on the neighbors garage, etc.
Depending on where it was found on the garage I can think of two scenarios that might fit.
1) She was attacked and cut inside the house, but managed to break away and run. She ran outside and was attemping to run to the neighbor's home, when they caught up with her. She may have leaned or brushed up against the garage as she went.
2) She was attacked and cut inside the house, but managed to get away and ran outside. She may have tried to hide, and leaning against the wall while trying to do so.
Both instances could be the reason the neighbor heard such a piercing scream. If the scream had occurred inside the house the neighbor would have heard it as muffled, instead of piercing. But a scream from outside, may have very well been piercing.

I think that Evelyn was subdued inside the house after a struggle, possibly at knifepoint. Since there was little if any blood inside the house, I don't believe she was seriously injured at first. Once she was outside, Evelyn began screaming and was silenced by the kidnapper(s) - I think a knife was the weapon, and Evelyn was either stabbed or badly cut, accounting for the blood found outside the home. As for the blood on the neighbor's house, I don't really have a good explanation for that.