GUILTY IL - Kristina Wesselman, 15, raped & murdered, Glen Ellyn, 21 July 1985

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According to Harris, Kristy was wearing a family heirloom the night she was murdered. Investigators believe the killer still has the ring in his or her possession or has given it to a family member or friend.

The heirloom is a gold band and mounting with a pearl in the center. The pearl has a small chip and is a size 4.5, Harris said.

"The ring has been a topic of investigation since the murder," Harris said.

Investigators have used the item as a way to check tips. However, since the investigation has been ongoing for 26 years, authorities decided to release the information.

Investigators checked pawn shops and jewelry stores around the time of the murder, but never found the ring. That’s why they believe it’s still in possession of the killer.


<snip>


Harris advised anyone with information about Kristy's murder to call the DuPage County Sheriff's Office at (630) 407-2333.

Full article at link:

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/wheat...leased-to-move-Glen-Ellyn-murder-case-forward


Am now looking for a photo of the ring. 26 years is a long time. A photo of the ring may help trigger the memory of anyone who saw the ring. Especially if it was an antique family heirloom.

Also a size 4.5 is tiny. Hopefully LE has released or will be releasing this information to any jewelers in the area who handle antique rings. Someone may at one time have had it resized. It is possible a jeweler may recall and still have customer records.

Needing work done on an antique ring myself many many years ago I found out not all jewelers will handle antique jewelry. Most won't touch it for fear of damaging the jewelry. I found one local jeweler who would repair antique jewelry at the Oak Brook Mall. It's been more than a decade and I am not certain of the name of the jeweler but it may be C.D. Peacock Jewelers in the Oak Brook Mall. C.D. Peacock has been in the business in the Chicago area since the 1800's.

Still hoping to find a transcription of the full presser.
 
dd61ed212d30202764457996a7a00f7d


http://glenellyn.patch.com/articles/wesselman-killer-may-have-kept-trophy#photo-7096804

Beautiful ring. Those are small prongs that would wear easily and may have needed repair at some point. I'm not a jeweler so I don't know if any jeweler would work on this particular ring. The ring I had repaired needed the prongs redone but it also has fine details in the band which was the cause for only the one local jeweler willing to work on it. IF the ring has been repaired since it was removed from Kristina's hand it may not look exactly the same today as it did in '85. I'd guess if anything looked slightly different it may be the prongs.
 
Kristina Wesselman&#8217;s killer may have kept a trophy, an antique pearl ring, DuPage County Sheriff&#8217;s detectives revealed today on the 26th anniversary of Wesselman&#8217;s slaying.

When Wesselman was murdered July 21, 1985, she was wearing the ring, which had a small chip in the pearl, on her left hand. But, when her body was discovered the next day, the ring was nowhere to be found. Detectives believe her killer kept the ring as a memento, however they're not discounting that the ring is no longer in the killer's possession.

Detective Robert Harris, the lead investigator on the Wesselman murder, said the information about the ring has been withheld all these years, but in an attempt to stimulate new leads in the case, they decided to make the information public knowledge. The size 4 ½ ring was golden, with a small mounted pearl with a chip on the top.

&#8220;We&#8217;re hoping that someone has some information about this ring and will come forth,&#8221; Harris said.

Harris said searches of pawn shops and jewelry stores after the crime came up empty. Detectives speculate the killer could still have the ring, or could have given it to someone close so he could see it and be reminded of what he did.


Much more at link:

http://glenellyn.patch.com/articles/wesselman-killer-may-have-kept-trophy#photo-7096804
 
I like it.
The press release and LE updates.
I give them credit and respect for the update
and what they are doing now.

Going back and asking residents whom still leave there.
They run that DNA every week.
They seem to be starting over and redoing the investigation as if it happened yesterday. As best as they can as far as redoing the investigation.
I commend them for that.

And now we wait and see if any one has any recollection
about that year or year after and that ring.

I have seen stranger things happen.
As we all have. So it is a possible.
But before i seen the ring, i thought it was going to be
a gold band and a pink peal. Fore whatever reason.

Anyways thank-you again to LE for the update.
It is truly appreciated, and i hope other LE agencies will follow
your example and post an update on there cold cases.
Well check back later this weekend or so.
​
 
The ring in the picture police released is similar to the one they believe her killer took from Kristie at the time of the murder. Police say the pearl ring, which was a family heirloom, is unique enough to spark someone's memory.

"It's very likely or at least very possible this ring could have been handed down from the killer to another woman in the area," said Sgt. Robert Harris, DuPage County Sheriff's Office. "We believe Kristie's case is solvable and feel we need the public's assistance in bringing the killer to justice."

Investigators are in the process of canvassing about 120 homes in the area near Route 59 and Butterfield Road in unincorporated Glen Ellyn. They are offering a $10,000 reward in the case.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8264392
 
There is a slight error in the above article. The intersection where this crime occured is Rt. 53 and Butterfield Rd, not Rt. 59.
 
Harris said seven teams of investigators would be in the Valley View subdivision in coming weeks to interview about 120 homeowners who lived there when Kristy was killed and remain there still.

He asked locals to think back about any changes in behavior they might have noticed among family, friends and acquaintances during the time of Kristy's death, such as increased drug or alcohol use, impulsiveness and depression. He said the killer also might have taken an interest in Kristy's case &#8212; or even visited her gravesite.

"We strongly believe that this killer was from the area and that somebody has a bit of information they can give to us," he said. "We know from the past that it can often be the hardest thing to come forward, especially if you're going to be giving information about a loved one. We feel, though, that enough time has gone by, and we've turned over enough stones."

Sheriff's officials also are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction.


Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110721/news/707219794/#ixzz1SnXqsXwQ
 
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=8264392

At 39 seconds on the above video posted above.
It shows a good video of the path!
It looks similar to the one i had imagine it may resemble.

We were told LE reads here.
So I am posting to them
first and foremost.

When you do your recanvesing.
If any of the people whom were living near where she was found.
About a 100 yards/feet or less away. they were having a party i believe it was.
Go there and see if any one still lives there from that time. And ask whom was there, and if they still live around there etc etc.

After viewing the video.
JUST SPECULATING OF COURSE.
After she left to go to the store. Someone close to the path, that was nearby at the party or one of the other homes. May have seen her walk down it and they waited for her return.
And meet her when she was on her way back by the trees.
The field is to wide opened. So from looking it maybe possible he was waiting for her to return from the store inside those trees and high brush. But if he was waiting. then he knew she would be coming back.
So i don't i know. Or maybe he did follow her down the path back towards home, and when they got closer to trees and hi brush to hide from view he then grabbed her from behind and left her there at the base of the tree. near the people whom were outside. If she left a trail, we would know for sure. If the receipt was found away from her, and the candy-bar and soda.....DID she leave a trail of receipt, candy-bar and soda.....Or was everything found in one spot near her or all in one spot beside the small path but not near the tree.

At 39 on the video.
The view. Is that showing as she would have been walking back to her house. And not walking to the store. The store would be in the other direction yes.

Thats all for now.
But i do wish you would have mentioned something else in your press release. Or mention it now to put it out there. I know we are wondering about it being given to a female. And would like for any female to come forward whom may have received such an item.

But it is also possible.
Instead of giving away.
He may-had been wearing it as a necklace of somek9ind.
the ring necklace and perhaps something else like a cross.
or other pendant around his neck. I would ask for any females if they remember any guy at the time wearing something like that around his neck they noticed. If any asked about it at the time. He could have said something like it was his mother, or girlfriend whom passed and they were to marry. Or he could have been honest and say it belonged to his girlfriend whom was murdered, and he wears it in remembrance of her.
JUST SPECULATION.

Thanks again for your update.
​
 
Thank you for pointing out the video showing the path. I miss a lot in video's without working computer speakers so I almost never view them unless someone points out something specific too look at like yourself Mr.TT

I'm not sure which direction was towards the store or home in that video. Hard to tell based on the parked cars, but it was probably towards the store. Perhaps Quessie can view the video and clarify that for us.

Praying this newly released information leads to the break which will solve this case.
:praying:
 
I have one question regarding the ring. Why has it taken the police so long to release a picture of it?
This young lady was just a year and a half older than me. I hope her killer is found and brought to justice soon.
 
Cubby said:
Paul Darrah, spokesman for the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, said no one has been charged with the murder. He said he did not know what information the Sheriff’s Office will release.

“Whatever they plan on talking about, our office has not had anything to do with it,” Darrah said.

full article at link:

http://glenellyn.patch.com/articles/sheriff-to-release-new-information-on-1985-murder
Click to expand...

In the patch article you linked above there is an interesting comment about someone possibly having info but that the police never followed up on it. I wonder what they may know and if they think it's so important why haven't they tried more then twice to get the info to police? Maybe they should try again.
http://glenellyn.patch.com/articles/wesselman-killer-may-have-kept-trophy#comment_1087444
 
I read that too Kitty Kat. If they feel the information is so important, why not take it to the police station instead of waiting for a phone call back?
 
cdasa5 said:
I have one question regarding the ring. Why has it taken the police so long to release a picture of it?
This young lady was just a year and a half older than me. I hope her killer is found and brought to justice soon.
Click to expand...


BBM. Probably newer investigators with the Cold Case unit meaning new strategies. With the info on the ring being released and the detectives going back to recanvass the area it sounds like LE is going back and reviewing the entire case from square one.


hth
 
Kitty Kat said:
In the patch article you linked above there is an interesting comment about someone possibly having info but that the police never followed up on it. I wonder what they may know and if they think it's so important why haven't they tried more then twice to get the info to police? Maybe they should try again.
http://glenellyn.patch.com/articles/wesselman-killer-may-have-kept-trophy#comment_1087444
Click to expand...


Don't know when these people tried to pass on this information. From the comment it sounds like 26 years ago shortly after Kristina's murder. Why not try again?

They need to contact the sheriffs office and ask for Detective Harris who is the lead investigator in this case. They can also contact the sheriffs office to obtain Detective Harris's email and direct line. I've communiated with him via email regarding a different case and he is good with following up and replying to emails.
 
:bump:

Praying tips are rolling in based on the recently released information about the ring removed from Kristy's finger.
 
I sent the detective working Kristy's case the link to the above Patch.com comment with the info regarding the possible info on Kristy's perp. Hopefully D.H. has already followed up with DPC and just not updated she did so at the comments in the previously linked article.
 
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