White Bear Lake was recognized as an All-America City in April 1965. The trial of Lois Jurgens for the murder of 3yearold Dennis made national headlines and was the to Witnesses testified to incidents of forced feeding, Jurgens' pulling Dennis' ears and lifting him up by the ears, striking him with her hand, tying him to the toilet until he had a bowel movement, and tying him to his crib. The trial court had the benefit of an extensive examination of Jurgens' mental state, which was her primary mitigating factor. Dennis blood had cried out from the ground, penned Siegel. Born on December 6, 1961 as Dennis Craig Pucket, Dennis would later be adopted by a family where he suffered abuse and eventually died at the hands of his adoptive mother. On the evidence available, the jury was left largely to speculate on the nature of the human act which caused the injury. The evidence was amply sufficient, under Loss, Schleret, and similar battered child cases, to support the conviction for second degree murder. 6 Photos. The trial court declined to submit this lesser offense although Jurgens indicated she would waive the three-year statute of limitations applicable to that offense. 720 E Robert St Crookston, MN 56716. McGee testified the peritonitis would have caused Dennis great pain and it was not possible he had been in the bathroom, talking, shortly before his death. When his mother said she was going to be investigated because of his brother's death 22 years ago, "I Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Jurgens was charged with two counts of third degree felony murder, one requiring intentional infliction of great bodily harm, the other assault with a dangerous weapon. You already receive all suggested Justia Opinion Summary Newsletters. His body was also emaciated, it was noted, like he had been starved. 609.205(1) & 609.20(2) (1965). We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Even Dr. Perkins, after testing Jurgens in 1967, concluded that he could not say she was mentally disturbed. Golden Eagle Insider Podcast. December 6 1961 - April 11 1965. No ACT/SAT Needed for Admission. 4. Call now! Rev. 2d 226 (holding the limitations can be waived); see also State v. Tupa, 194 Minn. 488, 260 N.W. *551 Jurgens has not shown the prosecution intentionally delayed seeking an indictment in order to obtain a tactical advantage. Minn.R.Evid. 1 (1965) (court "may" order a presentence investigation). . Save . Honsa had used a strong solution in the embalming process and put the organs in a plastic, rather than muslin, bag. Twedt also remembers her mother Donna telling her years later, We didnt talk about that stuff then., The Gardenette neighborhood was a great place to grow up, Twedt said. Court of Appeals of Minnesota. The 1965 autopsy report and morgue photographs were introduced. Also, Jurgens' 1965 MMPI was interpreted as showing no indication of psychotic disturbance. See, e.g., State v. Swanson, 307 *559 Minn. 412, 416, 240 N.W.2d 822, 825 (1976) (jury could have found defendant culpably negligent where defendant pointed and fired gun at victim who was advancing at him). [3] The series of battered child syndrome cases beginning with Loss have affirmed the principle that circumstantial proof of manslaughter can be inferred from the evidence present here: evidence of an assault and the presence of the battering syndrome, along with defendant's exclusive control. If Dennis had been baptized other than Catholic, the Jurgens would have rejected him. Assault, in turn, was defined as an act done "with intent to cause fear in another of immediate bodily harm," or "intentional infliction of bodily harm." 609.115, subd. A staunch Catholic and member of St. Mary of the Lake Church, Lois Jurgens only wanted a baby of the same faith. View 223 Gorgas Ave, Crookston, MN 56716 property records for FREE including property ownership, deeds, mortgages, titles & sales history, current & historic. $125,000. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. 117 W Robert St, Crookston, MN 56716. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism In 1986 he enlisted in the US. Jurgens' counsel admitted Dennis was an abused child, but contested the extent of the abuse. The state presented the medical testimony of Dr. Thomas Votel, who was the coroner in 1965; Dr. Robert Woodburn, who performed the autopsy in 1965; Dr. Michael McGee, who is the current Ramsey County medical examiner; and Dr. William Sturner, who is an expert in pediatric forensic pathology. It heightened my feelings, although they were already strong, Siegel replied. United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 324, 92 S. Ct. 455, 465, 30 L. Ed. The cases have never created a hypothesis of murder from the same evidence without evidence the assault was aggravated or committed with intent to cause great bodily harm.[4]. The small child was in perfect, if weathered shape, like an ancient man preserved in time. Jim was relieved someone was eventually charged, Honsa said. Evidence great bodily harm was suffered is not evidence of intent to cause the same. 321 West Robert Street, Crookston 0.1 miles. In August 1963, Dennis was hospitalized with severe burns on his lower abdomen, genitals and buttocks. State v. Johnson, 422 N.W.2d 14 (Minn.Ct.App. Eighteen years later, she discovers that her child is dead, and that he was possibly murdered by his religiously -strict adoptive mom. Moreover, the confusing verdict also leaves open the possibility that the jury speculated on a dangerous weapon and specifically found the absence of an intent to inflict great harm, a finding that emphatically supports consideration of a manslaughter offense. From the injury to Dennis' small bowel and medical testimony as to the force required to inflict that injury, the jury could have inferred the intent to inflict great bodily harm which the aggravated assault statute required. I went to Dennis' bedroom I saw Lois picking Dennis up out of his crib, she kept yelling his name "Dennis, Dennis, Dennis". 201 days on Zillow. [*] Acting as judge of the Court of Appeals by appointment pursuant to Minn. Const. However, there was evidence of interference in the 1965 investigation of Dennis' death by Jurgens' brother, White Bear Lake police lieutenant Jerome Zerwas. The school bus stopped in front of the Jurgens house and Lois made sure the children stayed off her grass. There is no indication the trauma to Dennis Jurgens was a misdemeanor assault. The jury, however, must have some reasonable basis for concluding that defendant's conduct, while intentional, was not intended to produce the degree of harm that resulted. No. Thus, we do not know whether the jury found an underlying felony assault (1) with intent to inflict great bodily harm or (2) without that intent but with a dangerous weapon. The best result we found for your search is Robert James Jurgens age 40s in Minneapolis, MN. This testimony was impeached by attempts to show bias against Jurgens, and by the witnesses' failure to report the abuse, to testify to it in neglect proceedings in 1965 concerning Robert Jurgens, or to report it to police investigating Dennis' death. 609.22 (1965). Robert Jurgens Co-Founder, COO, CFO and Marketing Director at Keselowski Motorsports Mooresville, NC. She was 61 when she went to prison and served eight years before being paroled. I wasnt used to going to pancake breakfasts and I remember I was surprised not to have to pre-pay for gas. I can picture the boys still, Rodvald said. At some point during the fight, which did not last long, Nelson grabbed . Robert testified against his mother at her trial, telling the jury he thought she had killed Dennis. This was defined as the defendant's causing the death of another: Minn.Stat. She appeared dowdy and rigid, outwardly indifferent and unmoved by the scene at hand. Private Schools. The court concluded: The evidence here established not only a history of prior abuse, making Dennis Jurgens a battered child, but also medical evidence of a fatal injury which doctors testified could not have been caused accidentally, as initially described by the Jurgenses. Sister Rose Mary was born in St. Rose, MN, one of six children of the Rose Weber and Robert Toenyan who later moved to Blackduck, MN. Details. After the Jurgens moved to Stillwater, Twedt would babysit for the new family at 2148 S. Gardenette. Twenty-three years after the boys death, Los Angeles Times correspondent Barry Siegel drove into town and saw the All-American city sign. We note Dr. Garvey, the psychiatrist who examined Jurgens in 1965, was available, but not called by either side. Directions. You have permission to edit this article. Times Staff Writer. In Schleret, the cause of death was a blood clot in the brain. Browse Locations. [5] Therefore, we are called upon to independently determine whether a manslaughter instruction was mandated. In the second phase of the trial, Jurgens presented two expert witnesses to support her mental illness defense. Midcontinent Communications offers the fastest internet access. We found 52 addresses and 55 properties on 3rd Avenue in Crookston, MN. She was 10 at the time. He was a faculty member at the University of Minnesota from 1974 to 1998, and he was the head of the Department of Agronomy . I also wanted to write about the evolution of our understanding of child abuse. She did establish that some of her medical records had been lost or destroyed. 3131 Sumter Ave N #202, Minneapolis, MN 55427, lived here in 2011 - 2012 $1,290: C . You're more than a number herewe're family. Her reply: In 1965, people didnt think white, middle-class families on a nice tree-lined street in White Bear Lake would murder their children. Ironically, there is another 50th anniversary this month the death of an abused 3-year-old boy named Dennis Jurgens. $21,000. He was baptized at an early age and later confirmed at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Windom. This appeal is from a judgment of conviction and sentencing for third degree felony murder, Minn.Stat. Cf. In State v. Ortlepp, 363 N.W.2d 39, 44 (Minn.1985), the court ruled the prior statement of an available witness admissible within the catchall exception where the witness admitted the statement and it was consistent with the other evidence produced by the state. 628.26 (1965). May 3, 1988. Review Denied July 6, 1988. . single-family home with a list price of $159000. Virgil was born on January 26, 1954 at Columbus, OH, the son of Virgil Robert and Margaret (Tiede) Love Sr. You can explore additional available newsletters here. Local grocer Bill LeVasseur was elected president of the White Bear Lake Chamber of Commerce in 1965, replacing Bob Brass. The average household income in the 3rd Avenue area is $65,804. Search background report . Close this dialog. He grew up to be a police officer and moved to Crookston. A vintage 1940-style white felt pillbox hat plumed with a feather and veil sat atop her head.. The state presented the expert testimony of Dr. Erickson, the court-appointed psychiatrist, who testified that, in his opinion, Jurgens was not psychotic in April 1965. At the age of five years old, Robert Jurgens was woken up by noises in his home. Harold and Lois Jurgens, who lived in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, adopted Dennis and his name officially became . 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 1960 to 1975.The trial of Lois Jurgens for the murder of 3-year-old Dennis made national . She was the adoptive mother of six children in the 1960s and 1970s, and brutally abused them all, killing one of them, three-year-old Dennis Jurgens, in 1965. . Here, the circumstantial evidence on appellant's underlying criminal act mandates consideration of a lesser included homicide of manslaughter. Moreover, there is no indication it was foreseeable in 1965. She came after me like a mad man, with crazy eyes, Neely recalled. Dr. Sturner testified the bowel injury occurred 12 to 36 hours before death, was caused by external blunt trauma (most likely to the mid-abdomen), and that, while some of Dennis' bruises could have resulted from the falls described by the parents, the bowel injury could not have occurred in such a manner. As the Minnesota Supreme Court has made evident for cases where a defendant has not deliberately, consciously killed another person, a rational decision on whether evidence shows manslaughter or third degree murder requires a careful depiction of the underlying misconduct that leads finally to death. App.1987), pet. See Minn.Stat. Lawrence Robert Jurgens; Patricia Lynn Jurgens; Robert Andrew Jurgens; Theresa M Jurgens; CTA TEXT. Crookston, MN 56716 lawoffice@nwmnlaw.com (218) 281-4168. Dr. Paul T. Jurgens is a cardiologist in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is affiliated with Littleton Adventist Hospital. (218) 281-3375. Dennis death certificate indicated the cause of death as peritonitis due to traumatic perforation of the small bowel. You're all set! These changes were made before the body was exhumed, and McGee conceded he had no evidence other than that available in 1965. Select an address below to search who owns that property on 3rd Avenue and uncover many additional details. He testified his mother ran down the stairs after him and started to hit and shake him. The state here established not only the battered child syndrome, admitted by the defense, but Jurgens' exclusive control, the improbability of an accidental cause, and medical testimony that the death could not have been caused by an accident as described by the Jurgenses. Features include diocesan news, ministries, events, priests, parishes & schools, descriptions of all diocesan programs and much more! Thank you for reading! The indictment charged Jurgens with one count of second degree intentional murder and two counts of third degree felony murder (one count charged death occurring in the course of an aggravated assault, the other charged death occurring as a result of the use of a dangerous weapon). He was born to Avery and Josephine (Johnson) Stuckey on September 14,1938 in Mitchell County, Iowa, the oldest of 9 children. University of Minnesota Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. Culpable negligence includes: State v. Beilke, 267 Minn. 526, 534, 127 N.W.2d 516, 521 (1964). The book makes our neighborhood sound creepy, but it wasnt.. info@scruffytails.org (218) 281-7225. view our pets. He really believes in honor, given that he plays the game . Robert Johnson's passing at the age of 69 on Saturday, June 11, 2022 has been publicly announced by Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home in Crookston, MN.According to the funeral home, the following services Dennis Craig Jurgens (December 6, 1961 - April 11, 1965) was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. Jurgens also contends she sought submission of first degree manslaughter. CRARY REAL ESTATE. Hestad v. Pennsylvania Life Insurance Co., 295 Minn. 306, 310, 204 N.W.2d 433, 436 (1973). Supreme Court of Minnesota. He knew immediately the two events would be intertwined in his upcoming book: A Death in White Bear Lake: The True Chronicle of an All-American Town. The book was published in 1990 and is still in print. This, however, is speculative. He testified he believed Jurgens had experienced delusions or hallucinations; however, the only references to such disturbed thinking in the extensive medical records were from the early 1950's. Jail records, court & arrest records, mugshots and even judicial reports. Threats of harming another He re-examined the small bowel and reviewed the 1965 autopsy report. Dr. Jurgens is on Doximity. Business Directory; Search; Join Us; Click a category to search: . 2. Aided by the testimony of the Jurgens' other adopted son, Robert, the prosecution saw Lois . So was a gaping tear in the skin at the base of the penis. When he inspected the gastrointestinal tract, McKee found a small, oval hole in the bowel. The verdict form does not indicate on which count Jurgens was convicted. Regardless of the outcome of the statute of limitations issue, however, we conclude the trial court did not err in failing to submit second degree manslaughter as such a charge was not supported by the evidence. A place to call home. [1] Although the passing of twenty-two years need not and did not preclude successful prosecution of appellant for feloniously causing the death of her son, the evidence did not permit submitting the case to the jury to determine only whether or not Dennis Jurgens was murdered. As a Doximity member you'll join over two million verified healthcare professionals in a private, secure network. Douglas W. Thomson, Deborah K. Ellis, Thomson & Ellis, Ltd., St. Paul, for appellant. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. Bob was born in Williston, ND, on September 4, 1937, and was one of six children of the union of Berthel J. and Clara (Weirson) Johnson. Get this St. The death certificate, and the coroner's file *548 generally, were reviewed following inquiries by Dennis Jurgens' biological mother, Jerry Sherwood. 321 W Robert Street Crookston, MN 56716. 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