WI WI - Cecilia and Ann Cadigan (sisters), 85 & 90, Village of Casco (Kewaunee County), 16 November 1991

[Teamir]

From an article: “About 6 p.m., neighbors found the sisters fatally stabbed and brutally beaten. Ann, who was 90 years old, was slumped over in her favorite chair. Cecilia’s body was under a toppled couch. Blood stains were smeared into the living room’s rose-colored carpet. The victims’ purses were stolen.”

There is DNA from the case entered into CODIS per reports. I think this case would benefit from forensic DNA genetic submission.

Someone was convicted and then exonerated due to DNA.

I’m unsure if the evidence is currently with Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Dept or with WI DCI.

 

[Teamir]

I just sent an email to Kewaunee Co and DCI. I’m pasting it here so that if anyone (or @othram ) wants to provide wording suggestions or corrections for the next time I send a similar email on a different case. Please let me know thoughts because if we like it, others might be able to use it as a template(of a sort) for advocating?

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Hello, I am a cold case advocate, contacting you about the 1991 Cadigan Sisters murders from November 16, 1991 in Kewaunee County. I’m unsure if the case is currently with DCI or with Kewaunee County, so I’m sending this email to both. I would like to advocate that the case DNA evidence be submitted to a forensic genetic genealogy company for testing, in order to determine who the killer was. I believe this case is very solvable now with the advances in forensic genealogy.

I am not personally affiliated with Othram Labortories but am familiar with their work via the Websleuths forum. They are a leading forensic genetic genealogy laboratory with many many cold case solves. Othram has an online portal, on which your case can be submitted for review. If the case is determined to be feasible for them, they will then provide a cost estimate. If you do not have the funds, they may be able to utilize crowdfunding for the cost.

This is a link to Othram’s website (Solve Your Case page):


Othram - A Revolution in Cold Case Resolution


This is a link to the press release regarding Othram and Websleuths cold case efforts:


DNASolves and Websleuths Join Forces to Drive Funding and Resources to Cold Case Investigations


Please let me know which agency has the lead on this case, as I will be following up.

 

[Teamir]

From an article: “About 6 p.m., neighbors found the sisters fatally stabbed and brutally beaten. Ann, who was 90 years old, was slumped over in her favorite chair. Cecilia’s body was under a toppled couch. Blood stains were smeared into the living room’s rose-colored carpet. The victims’ purses were stolen.”

There is DNA from the case entered into CODIS per reports. I think this case would benefit from forensic DNA genetic submission.

Someone was convicted and then exonerated due to DNA.

I’m unsure if the evidence is currently with Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Dept or with WI DCI.

From that same article “Kewaunee County investigators caught what could have been a major break in the case: Someone, the likely killer, had left his genetic material all over the crime scene, including on one of the weapons used in the slayings. ”

 

[Teamir]

A zoomed out map of where Casco is.

 

[Teamir]

“(Published in Green Bay Press-Gazette (Green Bay, Wisconsin) - 19 Nov 1991 - Tue - Page 8)

Cecelia Cadigan, 85, N6860 Cty. C. Casco, died Saturday, Nov. 16, 1991 at home. She was born Nov. 16, 1906 in the Town of Casco to the late Patrick and Nancy (Smithwick) Cadigan. She graduated from Casco High School and the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in home economics. She taught in East De Pere and Milwaukee before her retirement. She was a member of the Holy Trinity Rosary Society.

She is survived by five first cousins, Fr. Dennis M. Burke O. Praem, De Pere; Marion Sloan, Green Bay; Dorothy Pausat, Fond du Lac; Dr. E.M. Smithwick, Sacramento, Calif.; Richard C. Smithwick, Green Bay. She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Hannah Cadigan and Margaret Cadigan; one brother, Jeremiah Cadigan.”

Cecilia Cadigan (1906-1991) - Find a Grave...

(Published in Marshfield News-Herald (Marshfield, Wisconsin) – 19 Nov 1991, Tue – Page 5) CASCO (AP) – The killing of two elderly sisters at their rural farmhouse had an immediate, chilling impact on people in this part of east central Wisconsin, Sheriff Cole Kuehl says. “I would say there are...

www.findagrave.com

 

[bettyboop]

@Teamir , Thank You for starting the thread, and all the work you have done on the case!!! And I appreciate your posting the template for sending emails. I have a few cases I would like to work on and send something similar. Thanks again!!

 

[Teamir]

I’m in contact with the county, and will give an update when there’s more info. I need to research more about degraded DNA samples and I need to educate myself on touch DNA. It seems like a tricky case.

 

[Mb20yah]

Initial Timeline of the case …

Timeline: Cadigan sister murders

Nov. 16, 1991 – Ann Cadigan, 90, and Cecilia Cadigan, 85, are slain in their living room about 20 miles east of Green Bay.

www.postcrescent.com

 

[Teamir]

Initial Timeline of the case …

Timeline: Cadigan sister murders

Nov. 16, 1991 – Ann Cadigan, 90, and Cecilia Cadigan, 85, are slain in their living room about 20 miles east of Green Bay.

www.postcrescent.com

One of the clarifications that I got is that, contrary to what the linked article said, the DNA did not point to a different culprit. It was simply DNA that was at the scene that did not match the woman initially charged. It could have been DNA from someone that they knew in general, not necessarily the culprit. So I’m advocating for that DNA to have a genetic genealogy analysis done just to determine whose it was. A loose end to tie off.

 

[Teamir]

Beth LaBatte - National Registry of Exonerations

www.law.umich.edu

This is a write up on the exoneration of Labatte. She was convicted based on testimony from others that she had confessed. And then exonerated by “The tests, conducted on several pieces of evidence, including the handle of the knife used in the murders, excluded LaBatte and her conviction was vacated in November 2005.”

However, per my discussion with the county today, just because Labatte’s DNA was not found during the tests, doesn’t mean she didn’t do it. It could have been incidental DNA. Basically it sounds like they don’t begrudge the Innocence Project and are keeping an open mind to all suspects (including Labatte). It’s a very reasonable perspective IMO.

 

[Teamir]

I’m not sure if there were multiple murder weapons? Because that article above mentions a knife handle, but this one mentions a shattered pool cue. “ And they found that her (Labatte) DNA was not on the shattered pool cue that was said to be the murder weapon”Woman freed for murders she didn't commit dies in traffic accident

It also mentions her boyfriends name from after her release. In 2007 (at time of article) he was 35, so approx year of birth would be 1972. I wonder if he knows if she did or didn’t do it.

 

[Teamir]

I also found this site which is Labattes appeal. It contains quite a bit of case info, and details.

State v. Beth LaBatte

 

[Teamir]

Now this article really describes the DNA evidence “The killer had left DNA on one of his murder weapons- a bloody pool stick, which snapped during the slayings. Its sales tag was traced to a Kmart in Sturgeon Bay. The killer also left DNA on a pair of white socks he used to wipe up Cecilia Cadigan’s blood. Additional DNA was extracted from two hairs found on Cecilia Cadigan’s body, court documents show.”

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/29/sisters-murders-unsolved-years-after-dna-freed-wom/

 

[Teamir]

From an article: “About 6 p.m., neighbors found the sisters fatally stabbed and brutally beaten. Ann, who was 90 years old, was slumped over in her favorite chair. Cecilia’s body was under a toppled couch. Blood stains were smeared into the living room’s rose-colored carpet. The victims’ purses were stolen.”

There is DNA from the case entered into CODIS per reports. I think this case would benefit from forensic DNA genetic submission.

Someone was convicted and then exonerated due to DNA.

I’m unsure if the evidence is currently with Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Dept or with WI DCI.

From that same linked article, there was a male suspect who moved to CO.

“
a young man from Colorado as their prime suspect. The man, then 22, had lived in rural Casco and several people told investigators that he had an explosive temper, was supposedly broke and regularly shot pool, court documents reflect.

The man drew heightened suspicion because he moved back to Colorado just four days after the slayings. During the 1990s, he denied involvement and a warrant to search his station wagon in Colorado yielded no forensic evidence. By 1995, investigators disregarded him as a suspect.”

I’m wondering if they ever got DNA from him.

 

[Teamir]

I actually found crime scene photos in a news article online. I think I can paste the screenshots here?
It’s the 5/18/2017 Post Crescent newspaper.

 

[Teamir]

Now this article really describes the DNA evidence “The killer had left DNA on one of his murder weapons- a bloody pool stick, which snapped during the slayings. Its sales tag was traced to a Kmart in Sturgeon Bay. The killer also left DNA on a pair of white socks he used to wipe up Cecilia Cadigan’s blood. Additional DNA was extracted from two hairs found on Cecilia Cadigan’s body, court documents show.”

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/29/sisters-murders-unsolved-years-after-dna-freed-wom/

In a conversation with the county, I submitted the idea that viable DNA may be found yet near the tip of the pool cue. I also submitted the idea via email. When shooting pool, people often rest their hands on or near the tip, and there is a seam there that DNA could have pushed into. Murder weapons are usually tested where the item was held during the crime. So perhaps they didn’t review that area for DNA yet.

 

[Jlcisler]

In a conversation with the county, I submitted the idea that viable DNA may be found yet near the tip of the pool cue. I also submitted the idea via email. When shooting pool, people often rest their hands on or near the tip, and there is a seam there that DNA could have pushed into. Murder weapons are usually tested where the item was held during the crime. So perhaps they didn’t review that area for DNA yet.

I also asked sheriff why not working this case or trying generic dna. Only answer I got was they waiting on codis match.
Some info of interest I know someone who knew labatte and she did know chuck before this happened. They knew each other since about 1986. I personally think they had it right with her and chuck benoit. I don't think his dna was taken and he is now deceased.

 

[Teamir]

I’m still pulling info together on this. I found another article: Greenbay Press Gazette, dated 12/10/1997. That article names another suspect who was dropped as a suspect because he had an alibi. I actually think they misspelled his name, according to my searches.

 

[Teamir]

I also asked sheriff why not working this case or trying generic dna. Only answer I got was they waiting on codis match.
Some info of interest I know someone who knew labatte and she did know chuck before this happened. They knew each other since about 1986. I personally think they had it right with her and chuck benoit. I don't think his dna was taken and he is now deceased.

I think Chuck Benoit's DNA might have been compared, per this quote "During LaBatte’s post-conviction appeal, Benoit furnished a DNA sample to prove he was not the killer, he recently told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
“I was told it wasn’t a match,” he said." from this article.

So if it wasn't his DNA on the pool cue, and LaBatte's was not found at the scene....we are back to other possibilities that were dismissed. One is a relative from Milwaukee that they looked into, and another is a local that moved away shortly after the murders. OR an unknown person who has not yet had a crime that got them into CODIS.

Interesting. Pondering.

 

[Teamir]

As time goes on, there are people that are being eliminated as the suspect who went into the house, due to DNA into CODIS. There are some associates of LaBatte and Benoit who've had DNA samples taken since, for other crimes. Also eliminated would be any people who attended the church mass that day.

I have a new theory I'm working on. I'd love to know what years the sister's taught school and at which specific schools. Their obituaries state the locations but that is all. Cecilia taught in East De Pere and Milwaukee; Ann taught high school in Wisconsin Rapids and Casco (now called Luxemborg-Casco).

Any ideas on how I can find that info out?

The theory is that there were two men; one who waited in the car and the other who went in. One of them at least had a connection to Casco, and one of them at least had a connection to Sturgeon Bay (where the pool cue was purchased). I'm theorizing that at least one of them KNEW one of the Cadigan sisters from attending high school. Perhaps didn't know them well. There's more to my theory (I have a suspicion about a group of people), but it I'm at a crossroads where the school info would help narrow this down.