Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. They are good people. Though autopsy photos showed Dennis body was covered in bruises at the time of his death, the coroner never declared it an accidentor rather, what it really was: murder. Harold's testimony in 1965 showed he was in Wisconsin from the evening of Friday, April 9, until 9 or 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 10. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer[1] responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. He looks like a boy of 10. Jurgens was the only fatal victim of Lois Jurgens, his adoptive mother and a prolific child abuser, who abused a total of six adopted children from 1950 to 1970. Father Riser told her he definitely would. As he viewed the body, he thought: This boy has been murdered. Over the course of several visits to the Jurgens home, Rekdahl saw the matter differently. He had read the early articles that by then had been published. Lois and Harold Jurgens lived in a comfortable, meticulously maintained three-bedroom house with a big, fenced backyard on a large corner lot on Gardenette Drive. Robert would remain in county custody for the time being. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. That was not binding on the prosecutor, but the defense attorney would zero in on this. She believed that Lois Jurgens was accepting and embracing Dennis, and he seemed healthy and adjusted. Add to your scrapbook. Lets not build up some fiction that now we have done everything we should do.. Gladys and Dorothy talked frequently to each other about what they had seen, not unaware that theyd recommended the Jurgenses to the welfare department caseworker. Late in August, Lois had called Rekdahl to report the matter. What had happened--and how--and why? Lois Jurgens, 61, was convicted of third-degree murder of her adopted son Dennis in the first phase of her trial a week ago and the jury, after deliberating five hours, rejected her insanity. From a newspaper notice of his death she had learned that the boys body bore multiple injuries and bruises. They were informed they would not be allowed to foster or adopt any additional children. The welfare department case work was very limited. Those looking back now, those who unraveled the case, tend to shrug and shake their heads when Votels name comes up. Lois Jurgens released after serving eight years, The Winona Daily News, June, 7, 1995. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. On Feb. 11, 1964, the commissioner of public welfare, as legal guardian for Dennis, consented to his formal adoption by Harold and Lois Jurgens. Lois Jurgens headed to trial. conviction
Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? . Dennis died that evening of Peritonitis due to a perforation of his small bowel. Donohue, their attorney, had allowed Lois before the hearing to be examined by a psychiatrist only under the strictest conditions. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lois_Jurgens&oldid=1133446799, Articles lacking in-text citations from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 21:13. Dan Jurgens, one of the chief minds at DC who spearheaded the Man of Steel's death and rebirth in the '90s, took to Twitter to share an unused design of Electric Superman -- sometimes called . Lois Jurgens served only eight years of her sentence, released early for good behavior, and lived a secluded life in Stillwater, Minnesota, until her death in 2013. He does not sound very well behaved, she said. Years later, the attorney representing Roberts interests at the 1965 custody hearing would still remember those photos. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). From their patio, they could see huge bass jumping in the water. He doesnt look like a tiny little kid, he thought. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Lois Jurgens was convicted in May 1987 of murder (by abuse) in the death 22 years earlier of her adopted son, Dennis. He naps both in the forenoon and the afternoon. Death 7 May 2013 (aged 87) . Nine months earlier, on Dec. 6, 1961, Dennis Craig Puckett, 8 1/2 pounds, had been born at St. Michaels Hospital in Sauk Centre, in nearby Scott County. Instead the judge agonized, repeatedly expressing from the bench his sense of conflict and uncertainty. Its not unusual, the doctor said. When he arrived at the Jurgens home, though, hed realized all that was pointless. It did not occur to him to question Robert. In summer, Peterson caught little sunfish off his dock or from his motorboatthey had the loveliest taste, the fillet just the size of a half dollar, two good bites each. .. They had checked on him throughout the night. She talked about it all the time, in fact. Dennis struggled with such training and was forced to pray and recite his Rosary kneeling on a broomstick for extended periods, until he did it correctly. Most simply remain hidden. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 - May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. She would be a poor candidate for adopting a child at this time, the psychiatrist in 1955 had advised St. Pauls Bureau of Catholic Charities, where the Jurgenses for years had vainly sought children. Rekdahl did not know that a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic had diagnosed Lois Jurgens as having a longstanding psychoneurosis dating to her childhood--a childhood spent in a tension-filled home with an alcoholic, abusive father. Lois is survived by her husband, Floyd Jurgens; children Gary Jurgens and Caron Klein (Bruce);. They wanted an infant under a year old, and they wanted a Catholic child. Petersburg, ILLois A. Jurgens (92) of Petersburg passed away September 25, 2019. . from United States. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. In the decade preceding the adoption of Dennis, Lois Jurgens had suffered bouts of depression and psychosis, including an extended stay at a psychiatric institution where electroconvulsive therapy was administered. Clayton Robinson Jr., a former prosecutor in the case, said Jurgens should not have been released yet. It would have been difficult at the time to prove that Lois Jurgens had committed murder. During his short life, Dennis . Dennis lay in the ground at St. Marys Cemetery, no name given to his death. He couldnt push Votel on this. Petersons house sat precisely on the site of the old Wildwood Amusement Park. All I could do was shake my head.. Statements in the police logs were riddled with discrepancies. Father Bernard Riser of the St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church had known the Jurgenses for years and considered them to be among his parishs best families. . Robert fit in well at the Jurgens household, as he learned from a young age not to get in his mother's way or cause an undue mess that would likely send Lois Jurgens into a rage. . Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. He never wanted to say a bad word about anyone. Adopted just after his first birthday, Dennis suffered years of abuse at the hands of his adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens. It is one of a few crimes that FBI agent Kenneth Lanning argues can legitimately be described as "ritual abuse". The boy was obviously dead. [citation needed], Dennis Jurgens was born Dennis Craig Puckett in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Walter Moore, a co-worker of Harold Jurgens, also came to the funeral. We thought it would be no use.. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Death of Superman By Jurgens, TPB, DC Comics 1993, New, Sealed. My deputy reassured me from time to time. updates From the bench, he said he hoped that they could find something to explain the mistreatment of Dennis. Innhold.

Mornings there were wonderful, but the dusk was the doctors favorite time, for the sun set each evening over the water and trees, falling behind Manitou Island, leaving behind a fiery orange sky. I was willing to wait. Votel was still waiting about two years later, when he retired from office. Their investments and savings totaled $2,200. Two or three couples signed written statements. Due to this frequent starvation, Dennis gained only three pounds in a two and a half-year period as he aged from one year old to three and a half years old. She was born February 25, 1927 to Leslie and Margaret Stowell in Cass County Il. . We did not have enough evidence of any kind to deny them. There was also pressure from supervisors to place, especially because there were so few Catholic children. Together they went into Dennis room to inspect the body.