MD MD - Carolyn Wasilewski, 14, murdered, Baltimore, 8 Nov 1954

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coco

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I do apologise if this topic has already been posted. I remember hearing about a murder that took place in the 1950's in Baltimore, and it was of a 14 year old girl. I think her first name may have been "Lana" or "Alana". As far as I know it is unsolved, I may be wrong, but does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? I don't know any other details, and sorry if this is the wrong place to post this.
 
Sorry everyone, I totally got the name wrong. I don't know, must have been getting mixed up with a different case. The girls name was actually Caroline Wells aka "Peaches" . I hope this time I got it right. Does this make anymore sense now? Thanks=)
 
Sorry everyone, I totally got the name wrong. I don't know, must have been getting mixed up with a different case. The girls name was actually Caroline Wells aka "Peaches" . I hope this time I got it right. Does this make anymore sense now? Thanks=)

No wonder I spent two hours digging in vain :furious:

:D
 
Her name is Carolyn Wasilewski and was a fellow student in high school. I never talked to her, but noticed her since she was, I thought then, very pretty, and dressed a little flashy. She was what we termed then, a "drapette," someone who would date "The Fonz." I only saw her in class, and she never spoke. The class was shocked to hear of her murder. Here is the most recent news about the case that I could find: In the Baltimore Sun Features section:
FEATURES
Slaying of student remains mystery
By Frederick N. Rasmussen | Frederick N. Rasmussen,SUN STAFF | March 18, 2000
In his column last week, Jacques Kelly referred to the 1954 murder of Carolyn Wasilewski, the 14-year-old Morrell Park resident whose battered and partially nude body was found on the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks beneath the old Belvedere Avenue bridge, now Northern Parkway. Today, while File No. 1625 marked "Carolyn Loretta Wasilewski" still sits in the Baltimore Police Department's homicide unit, unsolved, little remains of the once semi-rural nature of the crime scene. The spidery two-lane iron bridge was replaced by a four-lane concrete one spanning the Jones Falls Valley.
 
Thanks very much for that Lapsang. Do you recall if there was any main suspects?
 
i grew up hearing this story from my grandmother. she went to school with her and knew her. as i got older i looked into it and found a few things online and also had some stuff sent from the library but it wasnt much. its a shame of what happen to her
 
Carolyn Wasilewski was my wife's Aunt. She obviously never met her,but we all feel an obligation to keep her name alive somehow. Her case has never been solved and sadly will probably never be. One of our family's peeves about the investigation was how it was described by the media and police. They were quick to label her a ''drapette'' to describe her way of dress. As if her wardrobe made her less of a citizen or in someway white trash. We cannot say if the investigators were influenced by this or not. We certainly hope not. Anyone with any information or even an old memory, even if faint please let her family know ,as we miss her terribly. Thanks Jim R.
 
Reminds me of Jeanne French, the woman who was stripped nude and stomped to death in 1947 Los Angeles. Her killer wrote "Tex", among other things, on her body in lipstick.
 

From the Spokane Daily Chronicle, 11/11/54: "Police also questioned but released a man charged in a carnal knowledge case involving one of Carolyn's girl friends and in which Carolyn testified November 1." (bbm) A week before her murder, Carolyn testified against a man accused of a sex crime against her friend—coincidence? I would love to know more about the trial and the accused!
 
Palm Beach Post 11/13/54, "Police Hunt Man Who Knew Murdered Girl"

Police investigating the murder of 14-year-old Carolyn Wasilewski today hunted a man they said knew the girl and two-tone car similar to one reported seen near the spot where Carolyn's body was found.

A Baltimore County fireman said he saw such a car on the Belvedere Ave. bridge the night before the girl's body was found on railroad tracks under the bridge.

Lt. Charles F. Morris said he saw a car parked on the bridge with its lights out at 11:40 pm last Monday. An autopsy report fixed the time of the girl's death as around 11 pm.

Morris said the car he saw was driven by a man who sped off as Morris' car approached, the other vehicle went through a red light near the bridge. And the lieutenant said he was curious and gave chase but lost the other car.

Police meanwhile still held a 28-year-old man for questioning and sought still a third man. Police say he is 23 years old.

Could the man who drove the two-tone car, who "knew" Carolyn, be the man accused in the carnal knowledge case? If not, who was he?
 
Palm Beach Post 11/13/54, "Police Hunt Man Who Knew Murdered Girl"



Could the man who drove the two-tone car, who "knew" Carolyn, be the man accused in the carnal knowledge case? If not, who was he?

This case is interesting because there are a number of possibilities. Obviously the guy who hanged himself in view of the train yard is suspicious. Then you have the guy she testified against, the above guy, if he's not the same as #2, plus the same guys you always have in these cases: family (unlikely but deserves mention), jilted ex-lover, angry rejected man, or even a jealous female, given that there were no signs of sexual assault.

I would love to see what they had on the guy she testified against.
 
I just added this case to my classic list at #648. The 61st anniversary of Carolyn's murder is coming up Tuesday.
 
Her name is Carolyn Wasilewski and was a fellow student in high school. I never talked to her, but noticed her since she was, I thought then, very pretty, and dressed a little flashy. She was what we termed then, a "drapette," someone who would date "The Fonz." I only saw her in class, and she never spoke. The class was shocked to hear of her murder. Here is the most recent news about the case that I could find: In the Baltimore Sun Features section:

Sad to hear that nobody was caught. I have to say thank you for teaching me something today. I've never heard the term "drapette" that's a new one for me.
 
Im sorry for you and your family. Not knowing who or why would be horrible. I have a relative murdered when I was younger and I hate it because I was so young I only have a few vague memories of her but the difference is we know who killed her ( her husband ) as to why we have heard many reasons but I think it came down to he was just a jealous violent jerk on drugs. My prayers to all of Carolyn's loved ones and that one day you will have the answers you seek
:angel:
 
Carolyn Wasilewski was my wife's Aunt. She obviously never met her,but we all feel an obligation to keep her name alive somehow. Her case has never been solved and sadly will probably never be. One of our family's peeves about the investigation was how it was described by the media and police. They were quick to label her a ''drapette'' to describe her way of dress. As if her wardrobe made her less of a citizen or in someway white trash. We cannot say if the investigators were influenced by this or not. We certainly hope not. Anyone with any information or even an old memory, even if faint please let her family know ,as we miss her terribly. Thanks Jim R.

Dear Jim R.

I am a writer and I have just finished the manuscript for my next book which is about Carolyn and her tragic demise. I've been searching for people who might have known Carolyn but I've been unable to find anyone, perhaps it has been too many years but if any of your wife's family would agree to an interview it would be very advantageous to me and would add value to my book which I think would help keep Carolyn's memory alive. You can either post a reply or contact me directly via my email: brattint@aol.com

Regards,

Thom Bratt
 
I'm interested in the lipstick/paint on Carolyn's leg. Is there any information publicly available about the sex case Carolyn testified in? What I mean is, was her friend(?) willingly involved with the boy?man? on trial? Or was she a witness to rape? Is this a case of a young girl in love having relations with her boyfriend and her parents found out, or something more sinister?

Was Carolyn coerced into her testimony? Was it damning to the male involved? Or did she defend the girl and her relationship? Deny any wrongdoing?

It seems - to me - that this case could be easily solvable *if* we had more facts available.

My first instinct is to deny the older man who hanged himself had anything to do with her murder. He may very well have had a crush on her, or simply had his own issues, but if he was - for example - a stalker? Well I think there would be evidence of a forced sexual encounter.

As to that, there is no evidenced of a "violent" "forced" sexual nature reported. No mention of consensual relations prior to her death.

Whoever did it - or was involved - had access to a car. I keep coming back to this trial she testified in. Someone who was angry at her. The girl and her boyfriend she condemned? The family of the girl/boyfriend she *didn't* condemn?

We need just a little more information, I think.
 
Hi, I am new to web sleuths, and have been researching the mysterious slaying of Carolyn. I have seen conflicting statements so I was wondering if there is anyone who could clear this up: is the man that Carolyn testified against in the sexual assault case then same man that hung himself after her murder? I have seen reports stating they are two separate men, and some that they are the same man and if that could be cleared up, I think that might answer a lot of questions. If he is not the man who hung himself (because we have that mans name) then who is the man she testified against, and why was he so quickly dismissed as a person of interest by the police?
 
What a beautiful young girl! I wish there was a way to see this solved.
 

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