PA PA - Betsy Aardsma, 22, murdered in Pattee Library, Penn State, 29 Nov 1969

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Anyone reading this thread in the Los Angeles, CA area who would be willing to check a local library for an obituary?
 
littlehorn said:
Found some interesting information including the name of a former suspect. Trying to track him down. Despite being ruled out by police he's an interesting character and seemed willing to talk back then about what happened and try to assist the investigation.
Click to expand...
I cant wait to see where this leads.
Ill bet youve got a question or two if you locate him!:)
 
littlehorn said:
Found some interesting information including the name of a former suspect. Trying to track him down. Despite being ruled out by police he's an interesting character and seemed willing to talk back then about what happened and try to assist the investigation.
Click to expand...

That's great..I hope you can track him down as well as the African student. It sure would be interesting to hear what either one of them has to say after all these years!
 
littlehorn,

That was a fantastic article!! Thank you for the link.
 
You're welcome! I really thought it turned out great as well.

I have a meeting in a few weeks with another reporter from a different newspaper to try to put something together.

Will keep you posted on that as well.
 
Wonderful article, littlehorn! I'm so glad this is getting exposure again.

Interesting that her fiance said he thought she was being pursued.

I'm hoping whoever did this is still alive and that they're aware of all this recent interest and news articles. Hopefully they are feeling the heat right now!

Good luck with your meeting with the other reporter next week.
 
Great work littlehorn!! You guys have done a great job keeping this case in the news. Did you notice this comment at the end of the article? I don't know why but it gave me a chill.

Posted by Talking point detective 11:56 PM, 07/30/2008
Has anyone met a penn state grad that wasn't a total dbag? They go to a state school, then act like they went to Harvard. Also, they cover their car with paw prints into their mid 30s, since most of them have accomplished nothing since graduation.
 
MaryBeth said:
Wonderful article, littlehorn! I'm so glad this is getting exposure again.

Interesting that her fiance said he thought she was being pursued.

I'm hoping whoever did this is still alive and that they're aware of all this recent interest and news articles. Hopefully they are feeling the heat right now!

Good luck with your meeting with the other reporter next week.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm hoping he's still alive also. If the police will DNA test some things maybe that will help also.

I will have to call the fiance and see if I can find more info about his thoughts on this. I'd been waiting to get an intro from an article like this so I have some backing for myself -- don't want to come off like a kook.
 
rozey said:
Great work littlehorn!! You guys have done a great job keeping this case in the news. Did you notice this comment at the end of the article? I don't know why but it gave me a chill.

Posted by Talking point detective 11:56 PM, 07/30/2008
Has anyone met a penn state grad that wasn't a total dbag? They go to a state school, then act like they went to Harvard. Also, they cover their car with paw prints into their mid 30s, since most of them have accomplished nothing since graduation.
Click to expand...

Yes, I saw that too. I don't know why but it did kind of give me the willies, also. How would that relate to the article, you know? Just random bile-spewing...Which in itself says something about the person who left the comment.
 
Derek,I cant belive how much youve accomplished in raising the profile of this case in the public conciencness.
Nice work!
I still think thats whats going to make the difference.
Im sure you were as pleased as I to read that LE is 'Actively Working The Case'...well thank goodness for that!
You could give them lessons IMHO....
It was a little disconcerting to read about the gal who turned the case into a scifi Time Travel story.
Werent you and I joking about that very subject in that very context not long ago?
I thought about contacting the investigators with the Time Jumping Jack the Ripper theory except I was afraid they would throw us both in jail until we revealed who was leaking evidence from their case file.
"We were moving in a new direction Your Honor... about to make an arrest when these Meddling Kids and their talking Turtle ruined everything..."
 
kline said:
Derek,I cant belive how much youve accomplished in raising the profile of this case in the public conciencness.
Nice work!
I still think thats whats going to make the difference.
Im sure you were as pleased as I to read that LE is 'Actively Working The Case'...well thank goodness for that!
You could give them lessons IMHO....
It was a little disconcerting to read about the gal who turned the case into a scifi Time Travel story.
Werent you and I joking about that very subject in that very context not long ago?
I thought about contacting the investigators with the Time Jumping Jack the Ripper theory except I was afraid they would throw us both in jail until we revealed who was leaking evidence from their case file.
"We were moving in a new direction Your Honor... about to make an arrest when these Meddling Kids and their talking Turtle ruined everything..."
Click to expand...

LOL, Exactly. We had to come along and expose their theory about time travel and everything else. Now it's blown. ;)

Seriously though, the best part about this article, besides that it has people talking, is that we're already receiving some tips and information that probably hasn't come to light in 39 years. I'm actively following up on several leads that came about simply because enough people saw the story again and were kind enough to want to tell someone who might be able to use the information.

There are a couple more news articles in the pipeline, I'm meeting with a reporter in a few weeks for one that will come out closer to the anniversary.

Derek
 
I think I saw a mention of this in one of the posts, or one of the articles. Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to put together some info on the other unsolved murder at PSU, that of Rachael Taylor.

On March 28th of 1940, Rachael Taylor was a freshman at PSU, returning from Easter break at her parents' home in Wildwood NJ. At around 1:30am, she got off a bus near the campus and began the 1/2 mile walk to her dorm. Rachael was never seen alive again.
The next morning, the janitor of a nearby township school discovered her multilated body on a driveway near the school's parade field (as an aside, the janitor would face his own tragedy a month later when his 2 year-old daughter fell into a stream and drowned). The school was four miles from the bus stop, indicating that Rachael had accepted a ride with someone. Friends from school stated she was shy, and would not have accepted a ride from someone she didn't know. A later autopsy would reveal undigested chocolate donuts in her system. As there were no restaurants open at the hour she got off the bus, it was believed the donuts had been given to her by her murderer.
Rachael's skull had been crushed, and her body mutilated ("torn", was the word one investigator used). Her clothes had been pulled up over her head, and some articles of her clothing lay strewn about. The coroner estimated her death was around 3:30 that morning (her watch had stopped around 3:15). Her suitcase was later found several miles away in a cemetery, unopened. A bloody mens' handkerchief was found nearby. Casts of tire and footprints found at both scenes were taken by LE.
Police were looking for a "dark-haired man" who had been reported to be asking coeds to "go for a ride" a few days before the Easter vacation.
Several suspects were questioned, but none proved out. The murder of Rachael was similar in style to that of 19 year-old Margaret Martin, whose body was found in Kingston PA in December of 1938.

In September of 1954, an Oklahoma convict, Jack Ray, confessed to Rachael's murder. He wove a complicated story of drugs and a letter that somehow had come into Rachael's possession. He had killed Rachael in order to retrieve the letter, which would have implicated him in the New Jersey mob's drug trade.
A few days later, Ray admitted the story was a hoax. He had made up the story after reading a detective magazine. Ray stated he had made the false confession in order to get attention in regard to the case he was in prison for, a murder he claimed he did not commit.

Rachael's murder remains unsolved.
 
littlehorn said:
LOL, Exactly. We had to come along and expose their theory about time travel and everything else. Now it's blown. ;)

Seriously though, the best part about this article, besides that it has people talking, is that we're already receiving some tips and information that probably hasn't come to light in 39 years. I'm actively following up on several leads that came about simply because enough people saw the story again and were kind enough to want to tell someone who might be able to use the information.

There are a couple more news articles in the pipeline, I'm meeting with a reporter in a few weeks for one that will come out closer to the anniversary.

Derek
Click to expand...
Thats whats exciting about this,things have been is stasis for so long everytime your able to get this case in the news people who havent thought about it in years start thinking.
Or they may never have been questioned and have never seen an overview of the case but now maybe that one strange thing they heard or saw back then starts to make sense in context and....that could be the ballgame.
I think your timing is great for this type of story too ,its perfect for the usually news slow back to school time of the year.
I think if the killer is still alive(which I feel in my heart he is)he better watch his six.
This is a just cause your striving for Derek I hope the people in your life are as proud of what your doing as we are:clap:
 
shadowangel said:
I think I saw a mention of this in one of the posts, or one of the articles. Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to put together some info on the other unsolved murder at PSU, that of Rachael Taylor.

On March 28th of 1940, Rachael Taylor was a freshman at PSU, returning from Easter break at her parents' home in Wildwood NJ. At around 1:30am, she got off a bus near the campus and began the 1/2 mile walk to her dorm. Rachael was never seen alive again.
The next morning, the janitor of a nearby township school discovered her multilated body on a driveway near the school's parade field (as an aside, the janitor would face his own tragedy a month later when his 2 year-old daughter fell into a stream and drowned). The school was four miles from the bus stop, indicating that Rachael had accepted a ride with someone. Friends from school stated she was shy, and would not have accepted a ride from someone she didn't know. A later autopsy would reveal undigested chocolate donuts in her system. As there were no restaurants open at the hour she got off the bus, it was believed the donuts had been given to her by her murderer.
Rachael's skull had been crushed, and her body mutilated ("torn", was the word one investigator used). Her clothes had been pulled up over her head, and some articles of her clothing lay strewn about. The coroner estimated her death was around 3:30 that morning (her watch had stopped around 3:15). Her suitcase was later found several miles away in a cemetery, unopened. A bloody mens' handkerchief was found nearby. Casts of tire and footprints found at both scenes were taken by LE.
Police were looking for a "dark-haired man" who had been reported to be asking coeds to "go for a ride" a few days before the Easter vacation.
Several suspects were questioned, but none proved out. The murder of Rachael was similar in style to that of 19 year-old Margaret Martin, whose body was found in Kingston PA in December of 1938.

In September of 1954, an Oklahoma convict, Jack Ray, confessed to Rachael's murder. He wove a complicated story of drugs and a letter that somehow had come into Rachael's possession. He had killed Rachael in order to retrieve the letter, which would have implicated him in the New Jersey mob's drug trade.
A few days later, Ray admitted the story was a hoax. He had made up the story after reading a detective magazine. Ray stated he had made the false confession in order to get attention in regard to the case he was in prison for, a murder he claimed he did not commit.

Rachael's murder remains unsolved.
Click to expand...
Wow,very interesting.
Its something to think that two such savage killers were able to get away with attrocites like this in such close proximity even if there was quite a seperation in years.
This another of those (seemingly) 'stand alone' crimes like Betsy's that I have a hard time getting my mind around...how do you get to such a point to where you could do something like that to another person then what?
Go on with a normal life and never kill again?
Its hard for me to buy.
 
shadowangel said:
I think I saw a mention of this in one of the posts, or one of the articles. Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to put together some info on the other unsolved murder at PSU, that of Rachael Taylor.

On March 28th of 1940, Rachael Taylor was a freshman at PSU, returning from Easter break at her parents' home in Wildwood NJ. At around 1:30am, she got off a bus near the campus and began the 1/2 mile walk to her dorm. Rachael was never seen alive again.
The next morning, the janitor of a nearby township school discovered her multilated body on a driveway near the school's parade field (as an aside, the janitor would face his own tragedy a month later when his 2 year-old daughter fell into a stream and drowned). The school was four miles from the bus stop, indicating that Rachael had accepted a ride with someone. Friends from school stated she was shy, and would not have accepted a ride from someone she didn't know. A later autopsy would reveal undigested chocolate donuts in her system. As there were no restaurants open at the hour she got off the bus, it was believed the donuts had been given to her by her murderer.
Rachael's skull had been crushed, and her body mutilated ("torn", was the word one investigator used). Her clothes had been pulled up over her head, and some articles of her clothing lay strewn about. The coroner estimated her death was around 3:30 that morning (her watch had stopped around 3:15). Her suitcase was later found several miles away in a cemetery, unopened. A bloody mens' handkerchief was found nearby. Casts of tire and footprints found at both scenes were taken by LE.
Police were looking for a "dark-haired man" who had been reported to be asking coeds to "go for a ride" a few days before the Easter vacation.
Several suspects were questioned, but none proved out. The murder of Rachael was similar in style to that of 19 year-old Margaret Martin, whose body was found in Kingston PA in December of 1938.

In September of 1954, an Oklahoma convict, Jack Ray, confessed to Rachael's murder. He wove a complicated story of drugs and a letter that somehow had come into Rachael's possession. He had killed Rachael in order to retrieve the letter, which would have implicated him in the New Jersey mob's drug trade.
A few days later, Ray admitted the story was a hoax. He had made up the story after reading a detective magazine. Ray stated he had made the false confession in order to get attention in regard to the case he was in prison for, a murder he claimed he did not commit.

Rachael's murder remains unsolved.
Click to expand...

One interesting fact is that supposedly, the bite marks on her body were thought to be made by a female -- they were too small for an adult male.

Perhaps a young killer?
 
kline said:
Thats whats exciting about this,things have been is stasis for so long everytime your able to get this case in the news people who havent thought about it in years start thinking.
Or they may never have been questioned and have never seen an overview of the case but now maybe that one strange thing they heard or saw back then starts to make sense in context and....that could be the ballgame.
I think your timing is great for this type of story too ,its perfect for the usually news slow back to school time of the year.
I think if the killer is still alive(which I feel in my heart he is)he better watch his six.
This is a just cause your striving for Derek I hope the people in your life are as proud of what your doing as we are:clap:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kudos. I just heard that the story from the Inquirer was picked up by the Centre Daily Times in State College, and also the York Daily Record (albeit the YDR's version did not mention the website, which is unfortunate because now folks will have to find it themselves if they have knowledge of the case.)

Saw it listed on a API crime blog as far away as Kansas City...

It's certainly blowing up, which was the goal.
 
kline said:
Wow,very interesting.
Its something to think that two such savage killers were able to get away with attrocites like this in such close proximity even if there was quite a seperation in years.
This another of those (seemingly) 'stand alone' crimes like Betsy's that I have a hard time getting my mind around...how do you get to such a point to where you could do something like that to another person then what?
Go on with a normal life and never kill again?
Its hard for me to buy.
Click to expand...

That's the part that gets me. Normally someone with "tastes" like this, would go on to do it again. Did he just move on? Die in an accident? What happened to this guy after he killed Rachael Taylor?
 
is this from another article or just a whacko??? or maybe the killer.....(just kidding...) that would be something if the killer would contact you through one of the message boards!!!


A comment to your story posted in the CDT.
http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=kr-centretm&tid=5136
The night was moist in the Penn State library......deep in the stacks....

Posted by:

8/2/2008 1:20 PM
5136.4 Report as Violation
 
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