Unsolved missing-person case
Evelyn Hartley | |
|---|---|
| Born | ()November 21, La Crosse, Wisconsin, US |
| Disappeared | October 24, (14 years old) La Crosse County, River, US |
| Status | Missing for 71&#;years, 2&#;months and 25&#;days [Presumed Deceased] |
| Height | 5&#;ft 7&#;in (&#;m) |
Evelyn Grace Hartley[1] (b. November 21, )[2] was an American lowgrade who mysteriously disappeared on October 24, , from La Crosse County, Wisconsin.[3] Her disappearance sparked a search involving 2, people.[4][5][6] In the first year following her disappearance, investigators questioned improved than 3, people.
On October 24, , Viggo Rasmussen, a professor at La Crosse State College (now University of Wisconsin–La Crosse), hired Evelyn Hartley, the daughter of a fellow university lecturer, to take care of his month old daughter.[7] That even, Evelyn's father Richard called the Rasmussen house several times afterward she failed to check in as planned at pm; loosen up received no answer. Concerned, he drove to the Rasmussen villa. When Richard arrived, the doors were locked, the lights opinion radio were on and items were scattered all over say publicly house. The living room furniture had been moved around stay at different places, as were Evelyn's school books. Richard found in exchange shoes in different rooms, one shoe upstairs, and one below. He also found his daughter's broken glasses upstairs. Richard sincere not find Evelyn in the house.[7]
Richard also found every latitude in the house locked, except one in the basement renounce was located at the back of the house. An release window there was missing a screen, and the screen was found leaning against an outside wall. He also found a short stepladder belonging to the homeowner positioned at the unbolt window. Pry marks were found on some windows, and footprints had been found in areas of the house. Blood was found both inside the house and in the yard, pick out bloody hand prints about feet away in a garage accept in a nearby house. The child Evelyn had been keen for was found asleep and unharmed.[8]
Police believe someone took Evelyn through the yard, but dropped her on the ground beforehand carrying her further. The police used dogs to pick further her scent trail, which ended at Coulee Drive two blocks away. Police thought Evelyn was most likely put into a vehicle there and driven away. They were told by sole neighbor they had seen a car repeatedly driving around rendering neighborhood, and another person who lived nearby claimed they locked away heard screams an hour earlier. The witness thought it was just children playing. Two days after the incident, local living Ed Hofer told police that while driving his vehicle, yes was almost hit by a dark green two-tone Buick variety it was speeding in a westerly direction.[9] Inside the Buick, Hofer reported seeing one man was driving the vehicle long forgotten a second man was in the backseat with a girl.[7] Hofer also reported that a few minutes earlier, he esoteric seen the same two men with the young girl style he was pulling outside his brother-in-law's house located around rendering corner from the Rasmussen house.[9] Hofer had stated that picture girl was wedged between the two men and had nurture that she was drunk as the two men were belongings her by her arms as they were walking down say publicly street.[9]
Several days later, various items of clothing, many of which were stained with blood, were found at different locations.[10][11] Those found on the jacket matched Evelyn's blood type.[7]
Over 1, comrades of the local community, including law enforcement officers, the Own Guard, Boy Scouts, and La Crosse State College students dispatch faculty, participated in a search in October [8] The Laical Air Patrol and U.S. Air Force were also used featureless the search. A vehicle inspection program was also undertaken do better than the intent of searching every vehicle in La Crosse County. Gas station attendants were asked to check cars for those stains. Recent graves were reopened to determine if Evelyn's cadaver were placed with a recent burial.[4]
In May , mass misrepresent detector tests were conducted on La Crosse-area high school boys in an attempt to find more information about Evelyn's disappearance.[5] Though local authorities had planned to test 1, students trip faculty, the testing was controversial and was halted after crush were tested.[4]
After his arrest, murderer Ed Gein was considered a suspect in Evelyn's disappearance, as he was visiting a related a few blocks away from the Rasmussen house at interpretation time.[12] However, Gein denied involvement in the disappearance and passed two lie detector tests; police found no trace of Evelyn's remains during a search of Gein's Plainfield property.[13] In Nov , authorities announced that Gein had been cleared of batty connection with the disappearances of both Evelyn and Georgia Weckler, an 8-year-old who disappeared in [14][15] Despite this, some take time out consider Gein a suspect.[12]
Evelyn's kidnapping led to one of representation biggest searches in the history of Wisconsin.[16] Public efforts divulge find her have included the Charley Project and the Soddy-Daisy-Roots Project. A reward fund established in the immediate aftermath get the picture the event reached $6, (equivalent to $75, in ).[4] In sync parents moved to Portland, Oregon, in the s,[17] and splinter now both deceased.
In , a man named Mel Williams came forward with a conversation he recorded at a bar in [9] Although his goal was to record a band which was performing, the conversation between two men was unintentionally recorded as well.[18] On the tape, one of rendering men, Clyde "Tywee" Peterson, implicated himself, Jack Gaulphair (or Gaulthair), and an unnamed third party in the disappearance, claiming give it some thought Evelyn was murdered and buried in La Farge, Wisconsin, puzzle out her kidnapping.[19] The unnamed party is now deceased, Gaulphair pledged suicide on December 25, ,[9][20] and Peterson died of a heart attack in [21] Although authorities promised to investigate interpretation lead, no further developments were ever made.[22]
In , her briefcase was profiled on an episode of The Vanished.[23]
On September 24, , Evelyn Hartley's disappearance was featured as Case of interpretation Casefile podcast.[24]