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

[littlehorn]

Here's a thought I don't think has been mentioned. Maybe she was the victim of mistaken identity. IF the killer attacked her from behind, he may have thought she was someone else. My husband once grabbed a handful of hiney that he thought belonged to me simply because the girl's hair was down to her waist and same color as mine. :blushing:

Interesting thought...That would explain the lack of repeated stabbings and/or the quick exit. Might even explain the "Somebody better help that girl" if he realized the target of his aggression had just been mistaken.

 

[littlehorn]

That's an idea I've wondered about, too. That might explain the single knife wound - the killer struck once, realized his mistake, and got the heck out of there.

But I just can't get past the fact that this murder took place in such a public place. Mistaken identity or not, this was a very risky undertaking for the killer. That's why I think this was a "thrill kill", because the risk would be part of the thrill. There must have been plenty of other opportunities for someone to kill Betsy, if this was a personal attack.

Agreed, the killer must either have had a very high thrill factor, or an expectation that he would get caught, in order to do this the way he did.

 

[littlehorn]

This is another of those elements that I keep coming back too with this case whenever I try to get a sense of the type of person the killer might have been and his involvement or lack thereof with Betsy.
Probably one of the most puzzzling elements to me.
I could be wrong but it just seems to me that by rights the killer should have had very little expectation of not being apprehended.
Its preposterous.
He didnt slit her throat why would he think she wouldnt scream bloody murder?
Reportedly from what Ive read that was Jack The Ripper's M.O. a throat slashing from behind to silence the victim first.
Even a direct stab wound to a vital area wouldnt automaticly mean instant death...she could very easly have raise quite a bit of commotion.
I wonder if his being able to walk off was something that just happened.
And of course if the murder was something he was willing to be caught for as weve discussed, that raises a whole truckload of other questions.

I definitely believe he got a lucky shot. If he hadn't pierced the pulmonary artery, and she hadn't bled out into her lungs, she could likely have walked, talked, and maybe even screamed, which would have brought the whole thing crashing down around his ears.

I think likely he: tried it, nothing happened, he walked away, and figured "well, if that's how it goes, I guess I got away."

He may or may not ever have spoken of it again.

 

[Jade]

Thank you for the update on Durgy.

I did read that the memorial had RIP and “I’m back” written on the carpet. Wonder if there were any English 501 students that came back as Profs?

Like another poster who knew some one who used the “someone better help” words after he had beat someone up I know someone who I can just hear him saying that. Some reports had the man saying “Someone had better help that girl” Something about that had in there makes it sound more like the guy I know.

The man stated it normally -too normally for the situation.
The guy I know once told me he had been diagnosed with anti social personality disorder [sociopath?] but recanted that and said it was severe bipolar.
If this makes any sense he is so crazy that when everybody is normal acting he’s crazy acting but when everybody is going crazy he’s normal.
He is disassociated from emotions so he can keep calm in a crisis.

It seems sociopaths don’t equate their action to consequences because they are so arrogant.

I notice the memorial doesn’t seem sentimental.
I do wonder why he left the clippings? What specific clippings were they I wonder? Maybe some that had clues?
He probably just thinks he is so great that he doesn’t need them for souvenirs.

On the other hand from violent civil disorders/ protests theory maybe serving in Vietnam might have prepared someone for hand-to-hand combat with a knife?

 

[Lyn1001]

I'm pretty much a lurker, and I don't have much time to get online, but this case seems to be sticking out to me. I can't explain why, but something is bothering me about the female that heard a scream. From the second I read that, something went off in me. I can't say it's because she's the only one who heard it, because there could be a lot of explanations for that. I've been debating whether or not to post, but finally felt I needed to. I don't claim to be really good at the sleuthing thing (just really interested) or have any sort of "special" abilities. For some reason, that part just doesn't sit right with me and I have NOT been able to get it out of my head.

 

[Jade]

To add to the mystery news reports describe the scream various ways.

Maybe littlehorn has the official word on what actually was heard.

Was the one who heard the scream the same that went to Betsy’s aid and said no one stopped to help for the longest time?
That is just odd no one would even offer to call for help.

 

[Stella]

This point really baffles me. All these people see her on the floor, obviously in some sort of distress and not a single one of them stops to see if they can help? To even see what is wrong? Somebody better help that girl? Why didn't he? Or anyone. Where I come from, that's just COLD. Doesn't make since to me.

 

[littlehorn]

Thank you for the update on Durgy.

I did read that the memorial had RIP and ?I?m back? written on the carpet. Wonder if there were any English 501 students that came back as Profs?

Like another poster who knew some one who used the ?someone better help? words after he had beat someone up I know someone who I can just hear him saying that. Some reports had the man saying ?Someone had better help that girl? Something about that had in there makes it sound more like the guy I know.

The man stated it normally -too normally for the situation.
The guy I know once told me he had been diagnosed with anti social personality disorder [sociopath?] but recanted that and said it was severe bipolar.
If this makes any sense he is so crazy that when everybody is normal acting he?s crazy acting but when everybody is going crazy he?s normal.
He is disassociated from emotions so he can keep calm in a crisis.

It seems sociopaths don?t equate their action to consequences because they are so arrogant.

I notice the memorial doesn?t seem sentimental.
I do wonder why he left the clippings? What specific clippings were they I wonder? Maybe some that had clues?
He probably just thinks he is so great that he doesn?t need them for souvenirs.

On the other hand from violent civil disorders/ protests theory maybe serving in Vietnam might have prepared someone for hand-to-hand combat with a knife?

I thought about the Vietnam connection...However, anyone of that age who was likely to have military experience, would likely have been in Vietnam.

18-22 years old, not in college, likely = draft.
18-22, in military, likely on tour in 'Nam.

It seems as though this guy may have been just lucky with his knife.

There are a few things I know which may indicate that the "Somebody better help" guy may have been either involved in shady behavior in the library and felt it would be pinned on him, or something else.

Just a thought.

 

[littlehorn]

I'm pretty much a lurker, and I don't have much time to get online, but this case seems to be sticking out to me. I can't explain why, but something is bothering me about the female that heard a scream. From the second I read that, something went off in me. I can't say it's because she's the only one who heard it, because there could be a lot of explanations for that. I've been debating whether or not to post, but finally felt I needed to. I don't claim to be really good at the sleuthing thing (just really interested) or have any sort of "special" abilities. For some reason, that part just doesn't sit right with me and I have NOT been able to get it out of my head.

Thanks for joining in!! Any insight is appreciated.

I have heard numerous reports about the "scream." I've heard it called a "muffled cry," and I've heard that this girl heard a "commotion." The only part I believe for sure is that she heard books falling as Betsy pulled a shelf down. I honestly believe a lot was misreported by the newspapers, and some recollections may have been unintentionally false.

A good example is the reports that said that Betsy "was found in a pool of blood." This is completely untrue but if you read many of the syndicated news articles (not on my site, as I felt they were too inaccurate or contained redundant information) that are available from that time period, you would tend to think it was a real butchery.

Fact is, there was so little blood that it was assumed by first responders that she had a seizure and bitten her tongue. She bled out 3,000 mL into her lung cavity before dying which indicates to me that she LIKELY was unable to scream or do much.

 

[littlehorn]

To add to the mystery news reports describe the scream various ways.

Maybe littlehorn has the official word on what actually was heard.

Was the one who heard the scream the same that went to Betsy?s aid and said no one stopped to help for the longest time?
That is just odd no one would even offer to call for help.

As mentioned in my post above this one, I tend to believe there was no scream at all, or perhaps just a muffled cry, which wouldn't be uncommon if someone dropped something or tripped, etc.

The amount of blood in her pleural cavity virtually precludes her being able to scream.

The issue of who the girl is who came to Betsy's aid is something that I grapple with every day. I have at least two or three names of people who claim to have been "the first" to respond. A couple of them are now dead. The police never released the girl's name because she asked not to be identified -- I suppose she felt it was unnecessary, or was afraid. At any rate, it's a rather disputed "fact" as to who found her first or who provided aid.

I'd love to know the names of the "ambulance" drivers who took Betsy to Ritenour. They were just students, not even trained medical people.

 

[littlehorn]

This point really baffles me. All these people see her on the floor, obviously in some sort of distress and not a single one of them stops to see if they can help? To even see what is wrong? Somebody better help that girl? Why didn't he? Or anyone. Where I come from, that's just COLD. Doesn't make since to me.

Not in any way to defend the people who didn't help, but this is another disputed fact.

The girl claims that she called for help for 15 minutes while she waited with Betsy. The stacks supervisor saw Betsy alive around 4:45 and the call to Ritenour went out at 5:01. It's physically impossible for her claim to be true. I feel she was suffering from the effects of extreme stress -- seconds passing like hours.

As far as people not helping, again, she may have blocked them out. There were several library employees and one or two other students there when paramedics arrived, all trying to assist in making Betsy comfortable and keeping her alive (if she still was). Given the reports of how empty the core was, it's unlikely that more than one or two students may have passed by in that time period without helping -- and it's possible that they were going to try to find help.

I really attribute a lot of her story to stress. Given the other, more clear-headed reports, it seems as though her story almost can't be correct.

The "Somebody better help" guy may have been in a hurry out of there for a lot of reasons which I can't go into right now...But we have some theories that we are actively tracking down.

 

[littlehorn]

Just got the link to the Holland Sentinel article about the case.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x2031783486/Web-site-devoted-to-cold-case

 

[hmg]

Like Lyn, I am a long time lurker and this is definitely a case that intrigued me.

I initially thought the mistaken identity thing was a strong possibility but the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. If it was the killer who constructed the memorial in 1994, why would he call attention to himself 25 years after the fact? The memorial to me points more to someone who relishes in the fact that he did it. That wouldn't be the case if someone accidentally killed her.

 

[littlehorn]

Like Lyn, I am a long time lurker and this is definitely a case that intrigued me.

I initially thought the mistaken identity thing was a strong possibility but the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. If it was the killer who constructed the memorial in 1994, why would he call attention to himself 25 years after the fact? The memorial to me points more to someone who relishes in the fact that he did it. That wouldn't be the case if someone accidentally killed her.

I definitely agree with you...Whoever did it, intended to do it, and did it with the express purpose of killing *someone*, whether it was intended to be Betsy or not. I think he relishes the fact that he has gotten away with it -- it almost seems as though he EXPECTED to be caught -- but he may have done the memorial out of some twinge of guilt after reading about who he had killed. Perhaps he was some kind of misogynist who felt that he was justifiable in killing a young woman of that era (with the free love and all) but later realized he had killed someone who was almost a paragon of virtue?

 

[kline]

I dont have access to the actual wording of the letter but Im reminded of one of the letters in the Son of Sam case where the writer exhorted the reader to 'Remember Donna Lauria' (one of the victims.)
The shrine kind of has that kind of feel.I could be wrong though.
A lot of interesting thoughts though in this thread.I think its great.

 

[MaryLiz]

Just got the link to the Holland Sentinel article about the case.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x2031783486/Web-site-devoted-to-cold-case

Thanks for posting the link. It's a good article. I was looking online for it last Friday and Saturday and still couldn't find it!

 

[littlehorn]

Thanks for posting the link. It's a good article. I was looking online for it last Friday and Saturday and still couldn't find it!

Thanks, they were apparently having some trouble with their online archives, and that's why it took so long to come up.

I have it stored in HTML and linked on my site now, so if they have any future issues, it will still be available.

 

[littlehorn]

I dont have access to the actual wording of the letter but Im reminded of one of the letters in the Son of Sam case where the writer exhorted the reader to 'Remember Donna Lauria' (one of the victims.)
The shrine kind of has that kind of feel.I could be wrong though.
A lot of interesting thoughts though in this thread.I think its great.

I agree with you, the shrine is perplexing because it kind of seems like a memorial to the victim, but yet it is obviously something that was done for the killer's benefit.

What was the purpose of the Son of Sam letter, just to get attention, or...? It's been awhile since I've read about the Son of Sam murders.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I definitely agree with you...Whoever did it, intended to do it, and did it with the express purpose of killing *someone*, whether it was intended to be Betsy or not. I think he relishes the fact that he has gotten away with it -- it almost seems as though he EXPECTED to be caught -- but he may have done the memorial out of some twinge of guilt after reading about who he had killed. Perhaps he was some kind of misogynist who felt that he was justifiable in killing a young woman of that era (with the free love and all) but later realized he had killed someone who was almost a paragon of virtue?

Or the memorial is not related to Betsy but to himself. Remember me and what I did.

 

[MaryLiz]

Or the memorial is not related to Betsy but to himself. Remember me and what I did.

Exactly, the shrine was not to remember Betsy, but to remind everyone he got away with murder.