Suzanne Degnan William Heirens

1 suzanne degnan

1.1 witnesses
1.2 hector verburgh arrest
1.3 sidney sherman investigation
1.4 mystery phone calls solved

suzanne degnan

on january 7, 1946, six-year-old suzanne degnan discovered missing first-floor bedroom @ 5943 north kenmore avenue, edgewater, chicago. after searching apartment , not finding girl, family called police.

her disappearance attracted significant publicity, , police vowed find whoever responsible. police found ladder outside girl s window, , discovered ransom note had been overlooked family. note read:

gei $20,000 reddy & waite word. not notify fbi or police. bills in 5 s & 10 s [sic].

on reverse of note written,

burn safty [sic].

a man repeatedly called degnan residence demanding ransom, hung before meaningful conversation take place.

chicago mayor edward kelly received note:

this tell how sorry not not ole [sic] degnan instead of girl. roosevelt , opa made own laws. why shouldn t , lot more?

at time, there nationwide meatpackers strike , office of price administration opa talking of extending rationing dairy products. degnan senior opa executive transferred chicago. executive of opa had been assigned armed guards after receiving threats against children and, in chicago, man involved black market meat had been murdered decapitation. police considered possibility degnan killer meat packer.

police questioned degnan family s neighbors, few had seen unusual. later telephoned police anonymously, suggesting police in sewers near degnan home. police did, , discovered young girl s head in storm-drain sewer in alley block degnan residence. in same alley, discovered girl s right leg in catch basin, torso in storm drain , left leg in drain in alley, each location progressively further home. arms found month later in sewer on other side of howard elevated train line more 3 blocks degnan residence. drains capped circular cast-iron manhole covers, yet no 1 had heard them being lifted or replaced. searches of apartment building near head found uncovered basement laundry room 4 tubs contained evidence indicating had been dismembered there. killer had mopped floor, blood found in drains of 4 tubs. press called murder room although autopsy showed had been alive when taken home, murdered @ second location never identified, , taken laundry room.

police questioned hundreds of people regarding degnan murder, , gave polygraph exams 170. on several occasions, authorities claimed have captured killer, suspects released.

witnesses

coroner brodie fixed time of death @ between 12:30 , 1:00 am , stated sharp knife had been used expertly dismember body. site later found in basement laundry room @ 5901 winthrop avenue, near degnans home; however, determined suzanne dead when taken room. dr. kearns, coroner s expert, stated killer either man worked in profession required study of anatomy or 1 background in dissection...not average doctor skillful, had meat cutter. brodie concurred, adding clean job absolutely no signs of hacking.

several residents of degnans apartment building stated on afternoon before murder, woman dressed in man s coat had chased children after offering them candy. 1 child scratched on face woman s long fingernails.
ethel hargrove, lived in apartment above degnans, arrived home @ 12:50 am. reported hearing loud male voices downstairs , dogs barking in flynn apartment. tenant corroborated barking @ time.
george subgrunski went police shortly after murder , reported seeing man walking degnan home carrying bag @ 1:00 am. described man around 5 ft 9 in tall, 170 lbs , 35 years of age , wearing light-colored fedora , dark coat. evidence found inconsistent , dismissed several investigators.
robert reisner, cab driver, saw woman carrying bundle under each arm near alley behind degnan home @ 1:30 am. got car driven gray-haired man.
missy crawford, lived across road, reported seeing car containing man , woman repeatedly drive , down street @ 2:30 am.
marion klein , jake derosa, looking out apartment window @ 3:00 am, saw man wearing gray hat , tan coat trying enter basement laundry room suzanne dismembered. ran away after apparently being disturbed.
freida meyer, lived above laundry room, saw man enter @ 3:40 am, stay 10–15 minutes, , leave via alley. returned laundry room 15 minutes later, staying several minutes before returning alley. returned third time 15 minutes later stayed moment.

hector verburgh arrest

notably, 65-year-old hector verburgh, janitor in building degnan lived, arrested , touted suspect. police told press man , despite discrepancies between verburgh s profile , 1 developed them kind of skills killer had, including him having surgical knowledge or @ least being butcher. police cited such evidence verburgh frequenting so-called murder room , , grimy state of ransom note suggested written dirty hand such of janitor. police pressured verburgh s wife implicate husband in murder.

police held verburgh 48 hours of questionings , beatings severely injured him, including separated shoulder. throughout, verburgh denied involvement in murder. verburgh s janitor union lawyer got verburgh released on writ of habeas corpus. verburgh said of experience:

oh, hanged me up, blindfolded me ... can t put arms, sore. had handcuffs on me hours , hours. threw me in cell , blindfolded me. handcuffed hands behind , pulled me on bars until toes touched floor. no eat, go hospital. oh, sick. more , have confessed anything.

verburgh spent 10 days in hospital. determined verburgh, belgian immigrant, couldn t write english enough crude standards of ransom note him have written it. sued chicago police department $15,000 awarded $20,000, approximately $222,000 in 2010 dollars. 5 thousand dollars ($55,000 in 2010 dollars) of $20,000 awarded verburgh awarded wife.

sidney sherman investigation

another notable false lead of sidney sherman, discharged marine had served in world war ii. police had found blonde hairs in of degnan apartment building, , nearby wire authorities suspected have been used garrote strangle suzanne degnan. near handkerchief police suspected might have been used gag keep suzanne quiet. on handkerchief laundry mark name: s. sherman. police hoped perhaps killer had erred in leaving behind. searched military records , discovered sidney sherman lived @ hyde park ymca. police went question sherman discovered had vacated residence without checking out , quit job without picking last paycheck.

a nation-wide manhunt ensued. sherman found 4 days later in toledo, ohio. explained under interrogation had eloped girlfriend , denied handkerchief his. administered polygraph test, passed, , later cleared. handkerchief s real owner, airman seymour sherman of new york city, found. had been out of country when suzanne degnan murdered. had no idea how possibly have ended in chicago , presence of handkerchief determined coincidence.

mystery phone calls solved

on day of suzanne degnan s disappearance, several calls degnan residence demanding ransom payment without leaving further instructions or further conversation made. mystery of placed calls answered. while checking out local persons of interest see if had connection degnan case, picked local boy named theodore campbell. under questioning, admitted local teenager, named vincent costello, had killed suzanne degnan. chicago tribune declared degnan case solved.

costello lived few blocks degnan apartment building , attended nearby high school before being convicted of armed robbery @ age 16 , sent reform school. according story campbell told police, costello told him kidnapped , killed girl , disposed of body. costello allegedly told campbell make ransom calls degnans. corroborated mystery ransom calls made degnans morning after suzanne reported missing. police arrested costello on basis , interrogated him overnight.

the story started fall apart when both campbell s , costello s polygraph tests indicated had no knowledge of murder. later admitted heard police officers discussing details of case , came idea of calling degnans ransom.