IL IL - Valerie Percy, 21, Kenilworth, 18 September 1966

[Winward1]

Investigators, too, probably followed a theory that the wrong twin may have been attacked. But they apparently weren't any more successful locating someone that wanted to harm Sharon, either.

And if someone was really that mad at Sharon (this was a no-hold's-barred attack, whoever did it inflicted what would have been four fatal wounds, it was serious overkill) they likely would have attacked her at some point, later on. But no one ever did. I think it was someone who had a grudge with Valerie, period.

If he did follow Sharon home, he waited around something like five and a half or six house before coming in, seems kind of unlikely, but certainly possible.

 

[Winward1]

During this investigation, or reporting of it, what was used to cut the screen may have indeed been referred to as a "screen cutting tool," and tin snips never mentioned.

However, I worked in the hand tool department of a hardware store for years and was never asked for, nor referred to, any tool as a "screen cutting tool," despite the fact that I sold screen, screen frames and screen supplies, as well as replaced screen on the job.

What's more, I just did a search for "screen cutting tool," and not one photo came up listed along with that term, and not one close match to that term came up when searching by text. Lastly, it is not a stretch to call tin snips a screen cutting tool as they most certainly can and have been used as such, and to purport them to have been made in blue (painted blue) or to imply that screen cut with a tool that left blue paint in its wake was, indeed, done so with tin snips.

That said, Bargle, you appear to be trying to split hairs where none exist. You have come up with some great pictures and thoughts. I will only say that I have been following this case since the mid 70s (some 25 years), and grew up two miles from the crime scene (which I have seen first hand, multiple times, and appear to have first reported its razing, here.)

 

[Bargle]

During this investigation, or reporting of it, what was used to cut the screen may have indeed been referred to as a "screen cutting tool," and tin snips never mentioned.

However, I worked in the hand tool department of a hardware store for years and was never asked for, nor referred to, any tool as a "screen cutting tool," despite the fact that I sold screen, screen frames and screen supplies, as well as replaced screen on the job.

What's more, I just did a search for "screen cutting tool," and not one photo came up listed along with that term, and not one close match to that term came up when searching by text. Lastly, it is not a stretch to call tin snips a screen cutting tool, as they most certainly can and have been used as such, and to purport them to have been made in blue (painted blue) or to imply that screen cut with a tool that left blue paint in its wake was, indeed, done so with tin snips.

That said, Bargle, you appear to be trying to split hairs where none exist. You have come up with some great pictures and thoughts. I will only say that I have been following this case since the mid 70s (some 25 years), and grew up two miles from the crime scene (which I have seen first hand, multiple times, and appear to have first reported its razing, here.)

My use of 'screen cutting tool' was indeed drawn from reports on the attack. As someone who's been building things of one sort or a another since I was a kid, I'm familiar with many tools and I've never heard of a specific 'screen cutting tool' either. I think the use of that term in the reports was due to LE not having found the tool and there being nothing distinct about the cut screens other than the blue residue. I think the screens were most likely cut with the knife we know he was carrying.

I assure you I wasn't doubting you, just curious. I do greatly appreciate having someone local with a long term interest in the case as part of the discussion here.

 

[Winward1]

Good points. Perhaps it should have just been reported as the object used to cut the screen. I'm sorry the place is gone. Yesterday, they were tearing up the foundation and literally using a wrecking ball to break up the pool, which I'm nearly certain was Percy's addition (the house was built in '23, the pool house, though a very good job was done to match the country stone exterior of the main house, had doors and windows that looked circa mid-50s, and the pool itself looked very much from that era.) I can tell you that place was BUILT. The backhoe that was tearing up the foundation was dropping chunks of it down that shook the entire grounds, which are substantial.

 

[Bargle]

Very sorry to hear that. Are they tearing down the guest house as well?

 

[Winward1]

From what I gather, what would have been referred to as the guest house (at least when the Percy family lived there) may have been long gone, or the first to go last week. It was basically between the main house and the tennis court. What I thought might be a caretaker's house actually was a completely separate property, with a separate address on an adjoining street. The more I learn about it, the more I am intrigued by the place. I do know the other house was very, very old, and local historians were sad to lose the Percy house, knowing it was the work of a notorious architect, but doubly sad to lose the smaller, separate house. As in so many cases it was offered to them if they could move it but even in Kenilworth no one could raise the funds. It's a dang shame.

 

[Luckymanuh]

I can't believe they are tearing that beautiful house down. I took some picture of it a couple years back when I road up there to do some research. Glad I did.

 

[Bargle]

I found this realty listing with pictures for it. Apparently from when it was for sale a few years or so back.
http://real-estate-for-sale.vht.com...-Devonshire-Ln_Kenilworth-Illinois_60043.aspx

Click on the View Property Tour link for many interior pictures.

 

[Luckymanuh]

I wonder if that guest bedroom was Valerie's? What beautiful house. Not my style but very elegant. Isn't the den where the murder broke into?

 

[KLCD620]

I can't believe they are tearing that beautiful house down. I took some picture of it a couple years back when I road up there to do some research. Glad I did.

Yeah, that was beautiful looking house with 1960 style furniture's. Was Charles Percy left all furniture inside when his family moved out due to murder of Valerie?

 

[Luckymanuh]

I don't know but I doubt it

 

[Bargle]

I wonder if that guest bedroom was Valerie's? What beautiful house. Not my style but very elegant. Isn't the den where the murder broke into?

I thought the guest bedroom was Valerie's at first, but when I compared the inside and outside shots, I saw the windows didn't match. It must be one of the others.

I see the french door and patio where the killer entered at are now hidden by the family room.

I tried to visualize the layout of the ground floor from the pictures, but I couldn't do it. I think some of the rooms may have changed uses over the years. I wish someone had done an accurate floor plan drawing of the 2 floors. The killer's path drawings look to be only approximately right.

I was surprised by how steep the back yard is. The old newspaper photos don't show that well.

 

[Winward1]

Great find. This doesn't resemble the original house in the least, save the garage, from the outside (not including the pool house, which Percy likely added.) I had been told in not so many words that it had been changed and saw it from the outside during the holidays. No wonder it didn't look like anything I'd seen before.

 

[Winward1]

The so called "Green House" was a Sheridan Road address at one time. I don't think the properties were ever merged officially though past owners may have owned both. For local historians, this was the biggest loss (I guess they figured the main house had been altered too much.) I think I saw the original stairs at the north east side, when only the foundation was left. Yes, the slope down to the beach is a significant grade, and is that for most places along the lakefront down through Wilmette.

 

[Winward1]

I wouldn't make any assumptions based on the windows. In the 50s and 60 the windows were leaded glass design, probably original. I have that from someone who spent much time there. It was a terrible move to take those out. It may be deceiving, but the way these photos appear the guest bedroom is not sized as the originals were, not close, at least from what I was told by someone who worked as well as socialized there.

 

[Bargle]

I wouldn't make any assumptions based on the windows. In the 50s and 60 the windows were leaded glass design, probably original. I have that from someone who spent much time there. It was a terrible move to take those out. It may be deceiving, but the way these photos appear the guest bedroom is not sized as the originals were, not close, at least from what I was told by someone who worked as well as socialized there.

Oops, I see I wasn't clear about what I was comparing. I wasn't comparing the recent pictures with the ones from the crime period, I was comparing the recent pictures with each other. Here's some marked copies for comparison.

 

[Luckymanuh]

WOW It has been changed alot

 

[Bargle]

Yes, it looks like they pushed out a portion of the roof to enlarge the bedrooms on this end and converted the patio into the family room.

 

[Winward1]

And removed the tower, the most distinctive feature, and original north west facing front door and porch, replacing it with an entry way that looks to be southwest of the garage. The kitchen looks small for a place that big. I stood on those tiles on the lake side after the house had been taken down. My friend's wife remarked that they were slate. I thought so, too. They looked old but after all the renovations I'm not sure they were THE slate tiles referred to back in '66. But they certainly looked like they could have been. Good work on the comparisons.

 

[Bargle]

Thank you. I thought the doorway in the recent pics didn't look right, but I wasn't certain since the only ones I had from back in the 60s were of poor quality. I thought the kitchen small as well. I was expecting something much larger.
Looks like subsequent owners made lots of changes, but I don't know that I'd call them improvements.