IL IL - Debbie Fijan, 10, DuPage County, 11 Feb 1966 - #1

[Cubby]

Is it possible that the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings are available for review?

Good question. Where would I find them? At the Dupage County Court house? I'm only about a 15-20 min drive from there with traffic. I can try to get there when my son is at school.

Or would we have to fill something out for the freedom of information act?

I'm not really sure how to go about doing that.....

 

[shadowangel]

The court administrative office can be reached at 630-407-8904. Maybe they can provide some guidance.

Schofield carried ducks in his trunk. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[shadowangel]

<snipped> During the first polygraph test that Schofield took he reacted strongly when confronted with a mounted duck that Debbie had taken to school on Friday for show and tell. This mounted duck was found along with her books near her body. I had never heard about this duck before. But I remember reading an article that said feathers were found in Schofields car and wondered what the heck that meant.

Capt Mertes grew up in the area and had known the Schofield family for years. And I read in another article the Schofields had sold eggs from their farm to the local jail that they used to feed the inmates.

Debbie's books and the mounted duck didn't get out of the killer's car by themselves...If this murder had taken place today, I'm thinking they would provide a wealth of forensic evidence (prints, possibly DNA).

Schofield probably claimed the feathers were chicken feathers from the farm. I'm sure duck feathers and chicken feathers are easily differentiated by someone with any knowledge of such things (ducks being waterfowl).

 

[Cubby]

Is it possible that the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings are available for review?

I'm guessing not, upon reviewing this excerpt from the 18th Judicial Circuit Court (DuPage County) instructions for grand jurors...

"..Unlike many governmental bodies whose actions must be taken openly and their deliberations conducted openly, the grand jury conducts its proceedings in the strictest secrecy. No one but the Prosecutor, a stenographic reporter, the witnesses, or other persons authorized by the Court or by law are allowed to be present in the jury room. In furtherance of justice and upon grounds of public policy, the law requires that the proceedings of grand juries shall be regarded as privileged communications. The secrets of the grand jury room shall not be revealed, except by the Prosecutor solely in the performance of his or her duties, when the Court directs otherwise in the interest of justice, or when a law authorizes the disclosure. As a grand juror, therefore, you should adhere strictly to this rule of secrecy."

Well that stinks.

 

[Cubby]

Debbie's books and the mounted duck didn't get out of the killer's car by themselves...If this murder had taken place today, I'm thinking they would provide a wealth of forensic evidence (prints, possibly DNA).

Schofield probably claimed the feathers were chicken feathers from the farm. I'm sure duck feathers and chicken feathers are easily differentiated by someone with any knowledge of such things (ducks being waterfowl).

I agree.

I'm curious to know how much of this evidence was preserved and how much can still be extracted from it today. I mean, we see scientific stories of DNA and information being found from remains that are 5000 years old. They could determine the last meal from the Ice Man.....

I'm betting there is a lot more there too that wasn't printed in the media. We've put this together just from media, not the actual files!

 

[shadowangel]

The secrecy of grand juries may only apply while the case is current and that particular court is in session. Secrecy may not apply to closed cases, especially where no indictment is handed down. Keep in mind, this was from an instruction to prospective jurors, and may have been intended to ease their minds as to serving.

 

[shadowangel]

I agree.

I'm curious to know how much of this evidence was preserved and how much can still be extracted from it today. I mean, we see scientific stories of DNA and information being found from remains that are 5000 years old. They could determine the last meal from the Ice Man.....

I'm betting there is a lot more there too that wasn't printed in the media. We've put this together just from media, not the actual files!

Considering how much we've been able to find out just from new reports, there's probably evidence which is even more incriminating in the file that hasn't seen the light of day since 1966.

 

[Cubby]

From Abbey5's post.

Capt Mertes stated that it was very strange that Schofield remembered everything on Sat & Sun but on Monday couldn't remember anything that happened.

I imagine it is because LS had time to talk to someone about this over the weekend, most likely his father, who told him to shut up and quit cooperating. I don't buy for a moment that LS had a sudden case of amnesia on Monday. His father had too much to lose if his son was convicted of this murder.

jmo

 

[Cubby]

The secrecy of grand juries may only apply while the case is current and that particular court is in session. Secrecy may not apply to closed cases, especially where no indictment is handed down. Keep in mind, this was from an instruction to prospective jurors, and may have been intended to ease their minds as to serving.

In that case I will ask, however I have the feeling it will be no because this case has not yet been solved.

 

[Cubby]

Can anyone help determine if JS is still alive?

I've tried checking the SSDI records and can't make out which one might be JS.

JOHN M SCHOFIELD 05 May 1913 18 Jan 2003 (P)34232 (Sarasota, Sarasota, FL)(none specified) Illinois

the above is likely. Birth year would be about right if LS was 27 in 66.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JOHN C SCHOFIELD 11 May 1914 06 Feb 2003 (V)60433 (Joliet, Will, IL)(none specified)

This one the birth year could be close, but I can't see JS moving from the West Chicago/Wayne area to Joliet and not staying in a more rural area near DuPage or further west.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JOHN SCHOFIELD 20 Dec 1904 15 Feb 1991(not specified)(none specified)


the above maybe too.

Anyone? If we can determine he is deceased we can use his full name vs. initials.

All of the above were issued in Illinois

 

[Abbey5]

I've heard the DuPage County cold case unit is no longer active, but I don't know if that is rumor or not.

I don't know if this is true but why do they bother to put it on their website.

Do we know if the Daily Herald journalist Zimmerman, who wrote a story about Debbie several years ago when the cold case unit was opened in DuPage is still around?

I will find out tomorrow.

Abbey, I was curious about the farm and digging found this article, a ptv, can you read it and see if this is the same schofield family? Did they abandon the barn soon after this happened? or different family entirely?

Unfortunately, Ancestry newspaper archives have VERY few articles from the Chicago Tribune. I did run across an article about a John Schofield from May 26, 1967. It said he died when his boat capsized while fishing in Canada. I have no idea if this is the same John Schofield but it was in the Daily Herald and how many John Schofields lived there at that time?

 

[Abbey5]

Abbey,
I caught another bit of a p-t-v article which stated the feathers were in LS's trunk. If they can be proven to be the same what good reason would they have to be in LS's trunk?

It's dumbfounding to me this case wasn't solved a long time ago. Maybe the forensics are what will solve it now. I can only hope and pray.

I read about them being in the car. The trunk, that is scary.

 

[Abbey5]

Good question. Where would I find them? At the Dupage County Court house? I'm only about a 15-20 min drive from there with traffic. I can try to get there when my son is at school.

Or would we have to fill something out for the freedom of information act?

I'm not really sure how to go about doing that.....

I would guess that The Dupage County Court house would be a good place to start. I would call first. And even if they say no, I would go in.

 

[Abbey5]

Schofield carried ducks in his trunk. Makes perfect sense to me.

OMG, I'll have you know that you just made me spit out my ice tea!!

 

[Cubby]

LS's father was alive at least until the early 80's. There are ptv in the google archives from the Chicago trib. I didn't know that ancestry doesn't archive many of them. thanks for looking.

 

[Cubby]

LS didn't teach for two long. The 65/66 school year was his second year with Benjamin School. Don't know if he taught anywhere prior to Benjamin.

SEEK KNIFE IN DEBBIE DEATH

[SIZE=-1]Pay-Per-View - Chicago Tribune - ProQuest Archiver[SIZE=-1] - Feb 16, 1966[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]... H. Edward Brid- wall, the principal, said. "Loren Schofield was in his second year here and I never saw anything to indicate there was anything wrong." [/SIZE]

 

[Abbey5]

I agree.

I'm curious to know how much of this evidence was preserved and how much can still be extracted from it today. I mean, we see scientific stories of DNA and information being found from remains that are 5000 years old. They could determine the last meal from the Ice Man.....

I'm betting there is a lot more there too that wasn't printed in the media. We've put this together just from media, not the actual files!

What has me worried is what evidence they do still have. I truly hope that they were at least smart enough to keep what they collected.

 

[Abbey5]

From Abbey5's post.




I imagine it is because LS had time to talk to someone about this over the weekend, most likely his father, who told him to shut up and quit cooperating. I don't buy for a moment that LS had a sudden case of amnesia on Monday. His father had too much to lose if his son was convicted of this murder.

jmo

This was exactly my thoughts. And add in fact that they switched out the clothes that LS was wearing on Friday to something else that they turned in on Monday as evidence.

 

[Cubby]

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...3245669&dq=loren-schofield+west+chicago&hl=en
The above is one of the articles which mentions the small pen knife.
(note the dates in the search is wrong, it says Feb 10, and the copy of the paper is dated Feb 16)

"Lynch said the murder weapon had not been found. He said apparently it was a small pen knife."

 

[Cubby]

This is confusing.

A copy of the snippet from a PTV Tribune article.

Find W. Chicago Girl Slain

[SIZE=-1]Pay-Per-View - Chicago Tribune - ProQuest Archiver[SIZE=-1] - Feb 12, 1966[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]The possessions, a few school books, and a small white statue of a duck, have been sent. school [/SIZE]

The confusion of the different information in the news articles again. Maybe when Debbies brother gets back he can give us a better idea about the duck she took to school for show and tell that day.