It was awful. Dan Jurgens on how The Death of Superman has "withstood that test of time" By Grant DeArmitt published 27 July 2022 The creator best known for The Death of Superman explains its impact 30.

 

Please enter your email and password to sign in. . Lois Jurgens headed to trial. The topic under consideration was the possible placement of Dennis Puckett with the Jurgens family. Failed to report flower. The coroner noted in his report that Dennis had almost zero subcutaneous fat, at the level of a person who had died of starvation.   Some had seen or heard Dennis being beaten. When Dennis messed his bed, she said, she forced the boy to eat his feces. In winter, they got the north wind, so the lake froze too rough for ice skating. His vision was a hulking humanoid creature with massive muscles and chunks of bone . If the doc cant figure this out, hed say, well. He looks like a boy of 10. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. It had always troubled her, more than any she handled before or since. But this death didnt look as though it was from natural causes. 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 . 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. She knew the agencys policy was not to place children with couples who were over 40, an age they were approaching. When she was 17 and living in a juvenile home, she said, she gave birth to a boy, Dennis, who was quickly taken from her and eventually adopted by a family named Jurgens who lived in White Bear Lake. When Harold took him to the bathroom at about 7:30 or 8 in the morning, Dennis had seemed fine. During the early morning hours of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens.

I would also like to receive the Early Bird Books newsletter which features great deals on FREE and discounted ebooks. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. According to reports from family members who eventually testified at the murder trial, Dennis turned purple from being force-fed the bitter and spicy horseradish and also having his oxygen supply cut off when Jurgens covered his mouth and nose. The St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a cover story about the investigation on Sunday, October 12, 1986. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. And it was not my position to do anything other than to pronounce him dead.. On April 26, Korolchuk drafted an analysis of the information they had gathered. Dennis Craig Jurgens was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. They carried assorted life insurance polices worth $10,000. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Lois had a question: Would Father Riser write a letter in support of their present effort to adopt another child, a third child? The house at 2148 South Gardenette Drive, White Bear Lake, where the Jurgenses lived from 1957 to 1967. Lois Jurgens reaction to Dennis during the visit was less than enthusiastic. At this time there are a number of persons yet to be contacted who supposedly have information and are relatives of the family, Korolchuk wrote on Thursday, April 15, four days after the death. To keep creating According to sworn testimony by both Korolchuk and VanderWyst before a grand jury last year, Zerwas at the time warned the investigating officers that he would do everything in his power to keep his sisters name clear. They beat my baby to death, Sherwood told Buzz Harvey. Almost immediately, Lois felt a severe, obsessive dislike of the child, who was a normal, rambunctious, and spirited toddlerunlike Robert, who in Lois' eyes, was the "good son." Late in August, Lois had called Rekdahl to report the matter. The question of Dennis Jurgens death next fell to the Ramsey County attorneys office. DC artist Dan Jurgens shares an image of an unused Electric Blue Superman design from 1996, reminiscing about what might have been.
Lois walks past the TV cameras on her way to the courtroom on January 30, 1987, to plead not guilty to three counts of murder. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Dennis and Robert Jurgens, 1965. Doug Thomson, who defended Jurgens, said his client did not get out early. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. During his short life, Dennis . This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Although Lois was not charged with Dennis's murder, the death caused sufficient suspicion for the authorities to remove Robert from the home; he was placed with various relatives and one foster family for a period of just over five years, during which the Jurgens spent a great deal of effort and money attempting to regain custody. 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. That will make you swallow, Lois had said. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. . Now the town is most frequently described as middle class. I think my son is dying, Harold Jurgens had told the doctor on the phone that morning. He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). Even so, doctors do not usually see third-degree burns in an area that isnt covered by clothing. The way Lindholm figured it, instead of prosecuting Lois Jurgens for murder, lets move to take Robert away. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. Donna Mae, about 5 feet away, watched in horror as Lois force-fed that vomit to him, made him eat it. He felt that Lois mental breakdown was not extremely serious and that she had completely recovered. White Bear Lake, a picturesque American town where kids freely ride bikes, play two-square and parents throw neighborhood BBQsand where 3 year old Dennis Jurgens died on Palm Sunday 1965. The prosecutor wasnt getting help from the White Bear Lake police--her brother was on the force. Did the doctor remember his thoughts on why this child died, his inner feelings that day?

The victim

We came very close to trying to do something.

Aside from the incident when Dennis was hospitalized with burns on his genitals, there were many other incidents of abuse which fell under the category of sexual sadism. Three-year-old Dennis Craig (Puckett) Jurgens was tortured to death in the wee hours of April 11th, 1965. Thirty years later, writer and artist Dan Jurgens is revisiting the storyline that gripped the world. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. I dont think this case is an aberration at all, said Michael McGee, the current Ramsey County medical examiner who finally ruled Dennis death a homicide. last Now VanderWyst was looking at him, asking a question: What was the cause of death?. In fact, they remain strangely forgotten. "There was obviously going to be trouble, and he didnt want to get involved.". It just made me sick. Instead, Peterson would build an ice rink on his front lawnhed raise a circular wood wall, lay in six inches of leaves gathered from all the neighbors for mulch, then cover that with sheet plastic, one hundred feet long, fifty feet wide, and fill it with water from the hose. Rekdahl could not so assure her.

 

Problems arose within the police department as well.   They had checked on him throughout the night. Notes [ edit] ^ "ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens". She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota. The chief one involved the nature of the malady that killed Dennis. This is a carousel with slides. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Lois obsessed about Dennis' weight, which according to medical records was appropriate for a child of his age and build at the point of his adoption. Rekdahl decided to call on the Jurgenses. Ivey's Lois Jurgens is a woman so proud and righteous, her sense of morality . The policemen were led to understand that an attorney representing the Jurgenses had visited them and threatened them with civil lawsuits if they spoke out. The author's ability to set the scene of a tranquil. 0 cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. Its so expensive.My friend, after twenty thousand years murder is still a business thats mainly in the hands of amateurs.Orson Welles (19151985), Its almost as if they were saying, You live your life, and well live ours.Richard Fielding, and Lee Sholem. There were, to begin with, the same photos of Dennis battered body on the coroners table.

Jerry Puckett was a Protestant by background, but at the time Dennis was born she was intending to take instruction in the Roman Catholic faith. Moments later, VanderWyst, rising to leave, asked Lois if there was anything else he could do, such as call her brother Jerome.

"There are certainly problems," says Jurgens, one of the main architects of . How could a kid fall down the steps and die? Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens to show support. Jurgens would make his debut as a comic book writer with Sun Devils he began scripting from Conway's plots with #8 and fully took over the writing duties on the title with #10. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. When he arrived at the Jurgens home, though, hed realized all that was pointless. The mother was an unmarried 17-year-old, Jerry Ann Puckett, an attractive blonde of Danish-German extraction. Matt McMillan, White Bear Lake true crime page-turner turns 30, White Bear Press Club, June 17, 2020. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Lois considered herself a devout Catholic and believed she was doing "God's work" by making Dennis "perfect" in her eyes. Most simply remain hidden. Placement with the paternal grandparents ended due to a house fire that occurred at a time when Robert was hospitalized with pneumonia, and his grandmother burned to death. It was just inconceivable to Woodburn that Dennis had been so injured by slipping and falling on a basement floor. cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. One day, Zerwas walked into the squad room and found the two officers investigating Dennis death. I would question him. This was the first child-abuse case he had handled. He would testify that he had been suspicious enough to call the welfare department. The threat of a criminal prosecution is way by the boards now. Instead the judge agonized, repeatedly expressing from the bench his sense of conflict and uncertainty. The investigation, trial, and That isnt an issue at all. Meanwhile, Dennis was getting whirlpool baths every day. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. undefined Notes ^ http://www.angelizdsplace.com/ http://www.angelizdsplace.com/child43.htm. They had a son--a 2-year-old named Robert, whom they had adopted at birth through private channels. 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. Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. There was an error deleting this problem. Though there was an investigation, society and law enforcement of the mid-1960s did not accept the concept that a child in a middle-class home could be the target of abuse. . memorial page for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (12 Aug 1925-7 May 2013), Find a Grave Memorial ID 134346102, citing Union Cemetery, Maplewood, Ramsey County . Donna Marlene Norton, Lois sister, was there that day and saw the same thing. He is able to turn himself over and is extremely strong, almost ready to stand by himself. Dennis had thrown up then. Harold and Lois Jurgensa middle-class, churchgoing couple who had been unable to have children of their ownhad adopted Sherwood's son, Dennis, in 1962. There was also a great deal of suspicion surrounding Jerome Zerwas, the brother of Lois Jurgens, who was a police lieutenant in the city of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Together they went into Dennis room to inspect the body. The trial of Lois Jurgens for the murder of 3-year-old Dennis made national headlines and was the top news story of the . There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head. He would testify that he had talked to some lady down there. 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. What was to be the core of the case against Lois Jurgens 22 years later essentially came out then, albeit in a less detailed, more muted fashion. In 1987, testifying 22 years later, Peterson was questioned again about the bruises. Death 7 May 2013 (aged 87) . He could never forget how Lois Jurgens looked at those photos stoically, showing no emotion. She was born February 25, 1927 to Leslie and Margaret Stowell in Cass County IL. He was the son of teenage Jerry Sherwood (who was herself a ward of the state) and her teenage boyfriend. She had not noticed anything was wrong until sometime later, when Dennis began holding himself and saying, Owie! It was then she saw that his genitals were burned and called the doctor.
harold e bageant obituary visitation funeral information. Do I think this happened just here, just this one? We have many The foster mother thinks him a little wild one, but she means this appreciatively and derives pleasure from his antics. Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash. Well, I do, he replied. Paul Lindholm, the assistant county attorney, considered it. The psychiatrist also observed that Lois had an obsession about order and cleanliness. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. What to make of Dennis Jurgens death now was passed into the hands of the Ramsey County coroner. Resend Activation Email. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she lived at the time. The Jurgens' adoption of Robert seemed successful in the eyes of authorities, who began to consider the possibility that they might adopt more children through official channels. Peritonitis is a horribly painful illness involving shock, collapse of the blood vessel system, high fever and breathing difficulties. In 1965, it was a private general practitioner, Dr. Thomas Votel, who handled the coroners duties on a part-time basis for $6,300 a year. If Votel had called it a homicide, at least that prospect would have been removed. His intensely angry adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens, know for her short, volatile temper, murdered him. When Dennis cried, Lois would force his head under the cold water faucet at the kitchen sink. To the casual observer, the Jurgens seemed to be a normal, church-going family with a perfectly maintained house and yard. 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 . For a time, that appeared to be the end of the story. When he wet his pants, she said, she put a clothespin on his penis. They had cited the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Innhold. Its easy today to say, Why didnt they prosecute? but it was a different time, a different time. Votel went through living hell, one local judge said. Lt. Clarence (Buzz) Harvey at first did not know what to make of the blonde 42-year-old woman who appeared at the front desk of this towns solitary police station on the morning of Sept. 18, 1986. charles edward ed holland memorial park funeral homes and cemeteries. The roller coaster had been just to the west of his lot, the water slide just to the east, and the dance pavilion exactly where his house now stood, the old foundation still there below his lawn and patio. Obituary. Others promised that they would do so. He would later learn much more, would attend seminars and organize a county task force on the problem, but it cannot be said that Gingold knew nothing in 1965 about the battered-child syndrome. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she lived at the time. Instead, Dorothy Engfer began telling others in the neighborhood what shed seen. Other testimony and evidence was more troubling. A Mrs. Hansen called to report a lost wallet, which resulted in an officers checking a phone booth at Fourth and Washington streets, next to the Avalon Jewelers. This story changed a lot about the Superman line of booksincluding introducing iconic '90s heroes like Superboy and Steeland DC Comics writ large. It was harder to believe that Dennis had been awake and talking normally an hour and a half before he died.
Yes! She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. ). Of course, there was that one bad accident involving third-degree burns to Dennis penis and scrotum. . Just past one year of age, Dennis was placed in the Jurgens' home in 1962, in anticipation of an adoption after spending much of his first year in foster care. I was young then, just out of college, the social worker said recently in an interview. Lois was mean to DennisCam Brass and Donna Neely and the othersCam Brass and Donna Neely and the others understood that much. There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head, and scarce chance that he had died from a fall on the flat basement floor. Its not unusual, the doctor said. Lois had talked to them all about her toilet training methods. There was a time when White Bear Lake was an exclusive watering hole for people from Chicago as well as the Twin Cities. She had a story to tell. No prosecution was taken at that time. A Death in White Bear Lake is a true crime book by journalist Barry Siegel, published in 1990, which recounts the murder of Dennis Jurgens. Dennis had been a beautiful baby, Gladys Demars said. When the wind was up, Peterson would take out his sixteen-foot sailboat and glide toward Manitou Island and the town of White Bear. We wanted to tell someone, she said. In fact, it appalled and amazed her because she herself thought the baby extremely appealing, very friendly, with very beautiful blue eyes and a very nice smile.   She knew that Lois had finished only the eighth grade. Peterson departed soon after. The next day, Dennis brother, Robert, was picked up and taken to a local hospital, on order of Juvenile Court Judge Archie Gingold. He eats well. The official cause of death was Peritonitis due to perforation of the small bowel. Rekdahl thought Lois Jurgens, then almost 37, to be a rather attractive woman, although she was short and a trifle on the chubby side. Sherwood became suspicious and persuaded authorities to investigate. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. I didnt look after that; I couldnt, she said.
He wanted others to go first. Ivan and Gladys Demars, neighbors who had served as references when Dennis was adopted, over the fence had seen the boy with bruises, black eyes, split lips. Published Jan 18, 2023.

 

She knew that Lois came from a large, poor, Catholic family of 16 children, a family that at times survived on welfare. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. . Over the course of several visits to the Jurgens home, Rekdahl saw the matter differently. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Two hours before, sitting in his waterside home on the southeast shore of White Bear Lake, Sunday morning had seemed so promising.
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