IL IL - Debbie Fijan, 10, murdered, DuPage Co, 11 Feb 1966 #3

[Kayo - 55]

Winward1, have you looked at a map with the points of interest in this case? I'm terrible at maps, but if you Google map Fair Oaks and Lies, Wayne Township, you will see the proximity from the school, Ben Franklin Middle school on St. Charles. Debbie's home was on Wynn, just west of Fair Oaks and just south of Lies. What was the Schofield Farm is the huge area on the west of Fair Oaks and north of Lies which is now a forest preserve. The location of the Schofield home on the farm was west of Fair Oaks and all the way up north on Fair Oaks and Big Horn Trail. The location Debbie body was found was not within view of the home.

Might help you W1 with orientation purposes.

 

[Kayo - 55]

Winward1, have you looked at a map with the points of interest in this case? I'm terrible at maps, but if you Google map Fair Oaks and Lies, Wayne Township, you will see the proximity from the school, Ben Franklin Middle school on St. Charles. Debbie's home was on Wynn, just west of Fair Oaks and just south of Lies. What was the Schofield Farm is the huge area on the west of Fair Oaks and north of Lies which is now a forest preserve. The location of the Schofield home on the farm was west of Fair Oaks and all the way up north on Fair Oaks and Big Horn Trail. The location Debbie body was found was not within view of the home.

Might help you W1 with orientation purposes.
Sorry about some of this duplication. I'm very IT challenged.
View attachment 271075 View attachment 271076

 

[Cubby]

@Kayo - 55

Wow! Thank you so much, I've never seen those before. It helps so much to see what the area looked like in 1966 instead of today.

Do you any more pictures of the area from 1966? If you do, please post them.

 

[Cubby]

@Kayo - 55

I'm looking at the map with the various property owners. Did Fair Oaks zigzag at Lies when Debbie went missing? It looks like Fair Oaks wasn't straight through past Lies like it is today?

And, am I correct that the lone house which currently sits on the west side of Fair Oaks surrounded by the forest preserve was the Schofield home? It's a ranch home and iirc it's brick.

 

[Cubby]

Were Fair Oaks and Lies paved roads back then, or gravel?

 

[Winward1]

Thanks. Good to have these.

 

[Kayo - 55]

Suspicion can be a strange thing. I looked into a case that had some amazing theories, some proposed by area law enforcement but which I found just couldn't be true.

Also, if an otherwise ordinary person who works at a school suddenly finds himself a prime suspect in a child murder but he didn't do it and they're trying to pin it on him he might do some incriminating things as a result.

That said, something's telling me that whoever did this, unless they were on the very young side, was seriously violent prior to this and afterwards as well.

Very sad that LS's youngest daughter Joanna drowned on her 2nd birthday - 08/16/1978, Genoa - DeKalb County, IL. Not sure why I posted X2 in response to W1, other than the "prime suspect in a child murder", and the "violent prior to this and AFTERWARDS(?) as well". I believe this would have been after the "family farm" in Wayne Township was sold for roughly $650K, and just before LS & MAS moved to the KC area. I think all of their children (4) would have moved with them. MS, their oldest son, would have been about 13 in 1978.

 

[Kayo - 55]

@Kayo - 55

Wow! Thank you so much, I've never seen those before. It helps so much to see what the area looked like in 1966 instead of today.

Do you any more pictures of the area from 1966? If you do, please post them.

Pre DPC West Branch Forest Preserve below. Lies is not shown in this, but is just a short distance to the south from the bottom of this pic. The John S. "family farm" was very close to the Greco property pit/quarry. Back then, a knife/weapon could have easily been dumped here, and both LS & father J knew the area "like the back of their hands". I'm sure this area, now under water, was NEVER searched. "Father J" probably purchased road stone from Greco for his Wayne TS HC road projects, maybe even "side jobs" for extra $$. If any interest, "Google" or other sites, the history of Greco. They have been(were) involved with numerous IDOT highway construction projects as vendor/supplier - multi million dollar $$$ jobs. Low bidder at "bid openings" in Springfield, IL back then DID NOT always get the job (i.e. "you take this project, we'll take the next one"). HA!!

 

[Kayo - 55]

@Kayo - 55

I'm looking at the map with the various property owners. Did Fair Oaks zigzag at Lies when Debbie went missing? It looks like Fair Oaks wasn't straight through past Lies like it is today?

And, am I correct that the lone house which currently sits on the west side of Fair Oaks surrounded by the forest preserve was the Schofield home? It's a ranch home and iirc it's brick.

Yes, it appears that FO took a zigzag just north of Lies back in the 60's & earlier, at/near the north property line of JS's 90 acre family farm. If I recall from a previous WS post with photo by ??, yes, the house just west of FO where Lies ends at FO was the Schofield home. Not sure when that pic was taken. The "Application for Withdrawal of Condemnation" by EdnaKS in the Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Circuit of DPC IL (DPC Forest Preserve - Plaintiff vs. EKS, et al - Defendants) was issued in May 1975. The land/farm property was purchased shortly thereafter by the DPC Forest Preserve. "And the next thing you know.......... a millionaire, kin folk said.............move away from there. Said.........is the place you ought to be............loaded up the truck..........". Sorry to any LS, EKS relatives/family members if following Debbie's site, just a small amount of needed/un-needed(?) levity during C-19 and the recent 24/7/365 Presidential election. CR...........AP!!

 

[Richard]

Debbie Fijan, 10
Murdered 11 February 1966

 

[Cubby]

Yes, it appears that FO took a zigzag just north of Lies back in the 60's & earlier, at/near the north property line of JS's 90 acre family farm. If I recall from a previous WS post with photo by ??, yes, the house just west of FO where Lies ends at FO was the Schofield home. Not sure when that pic was taken.

RSBM. OK, so if a person were driving north on Fair Oaks towards Lies, did they have to make a right turn onto Lies and then a quick left to continue north on Fair Oaks?

I'm specifically interested in the intersection itself as it appears FO starts to curve north of Lies.


On a different note, I find it odd that after all these years we have never heard a peep about this case from the person who found her and his girlfriend. I wish we knew more about their timeline. They seem to have found Debbie almost immediately after driving to look for her. And he is one of the three white cars.

 

[Kayo - 55]

Were Fair Oaks and Lies paved roads back then, or gravel?

Gravel, without any curbs.

 

[Kayo - 55]

RSBM. OK, so if a person were driving north on Fair Oaks towards Lies, did they have to make a right turn onto Lies and then a quick left to continue north on Fair Oaks?

I'm specifically interested in the intersection itself as it appears FO starts to curve north of Lies.


On a different note, I find it odd that after all these years we have never heard a peep about this case from the person who found her and his girlfriend. I wish we knew more about their timeline. They seem to have found Debbie almost immediately after driving to look for her. And he is one of the three white cars.

The west end of Lies would have dead-ended at FO in the 60's. The Schofield "family farm", south edge of property, would have been at Lies if Lies had continued across FO. This area is now DPC - West Branch Forest Preserve. Fair Oaks traveling north from Lies does not zigzag for almost 3,000 feet, at/near Plum Grove Court. The existing farm land along the east side of FO/north side of Lies was originally owned by G. Klein. GEE, that's a FAMILIAR NAME of notoriety in Wayne Township/DPC; especially when you get a road named after you/your family (i.e. eKLEINs - Loren's mother). That area is still farm-land (10 acres) and Corpus Christi Catholic Church. The Schofield "family farm" was in plain sight of where Debbie was found along Lies, only 200 feet east of FO. No right turns onto Lies, then a quick left are required. I don't think the alignment of Lies & FO has changed, but there are now curbs & gutters, roads are paved, and there are bike paths. The remaining farm-land (10 acres) must be worth a fortune. That area is Carol Stream I think, or is that corner West Chicago? Wasn't that part of the problem/delay with the initial charge? Can't remember? Initial determination where Debbie was murdered could not be made, vs. where she was found?? West Chicago vs. Carol Stream vs. "who knows where"??? Had to be close given the timeline from when Debbie left school, to when she was found.

Didn't the guy/neighbor? that found Debbie die?? He was home on break from UW if i recall?? I could never quite understand why he was a suspect, other than his car, and how soon he found her??

Fair Oaks Rd & W Lies Rd

 

[Winward1]

I see it was the husband of Mrs. Marvel Perkins who saw the girl near the school, who was talking to a man in a car at about 5 p.m. I assume that is the white car described in the same Tribune story of Feb 13, 1966?

 

[Cubby]

I see it was the husband of Mrs. Marvel Perkins who saw the girl near the school, who was talking to a man in a car at about 5 p.m. I assume that is the white car described in the same Tribune story of Feb 13, 1966?

Yes. That is the "witness" you asked about upthread.

 

[Cubby]

The neighbor who found Debbie is not deceased. There was someone, I forget his name, who was from Elmhurst and made some statements to police about the case which were later determined to be false. Police spent a lot of time following that lead before determining it was fabricated. That/Elmhurst guy is deceased.

The area Debbie was found was unincorporated and has since been are annexed to Carol Stream. I don't recall there being any kind of jurisdiction issue over which police agency would investigate.

 

[Winward1]

Yes. That is the "witness" you asked about upthread.

There would seemingly have to be more information from the witness about that man, and car.

 

[Kayo - 55]

Catholic teens make their confirmation in 8th grade. Its hard for me to explain how it works but here's a link.

Confirmation Formation | Queen of All Saints Catholic Church

Or look up "confirmation formation" to learn more.

LS was involved in working with 8th graders preparing for their confirmation before he left Illinois.

LS "working with 8th graders" must have been at St. Catherine of Genoa Roman Catholic Church - Religious Education, Genoa, IL. LS made donations as recent as 2006 & 2007, $1,000.00 each year, towards the "LS Award"/SCGC. This would have been after he left IL. As some of you might recall, LS's mother, wife, youngest daughter, and LS are buried at the SCofGC cemetery. LS "working with 8th graders", his donations, joining the search looking for Debbie, attending her funeral, etc., etc. etc., all quite possibly "reverse psychology"; in hopes that LE at the time would look, and continue to look the other way?? Seemed to have worked, if LS was the perp. An exercise in futility would be to find out where the money from the sale of the "family farm" went@ Lies & Fair Oaks; although, after taxes, "hand outs" to the J & eKs sons & daughter, attorney fees, etc. only (only - HA!) about $$$$ left. Maybe, some to the RCD of Joliet? GK and "family" owned the land that is currently the Corpus Christi Catholic Church, east of FO, north side of Lies; although there was another owner after GK owned this land. Hmm............"Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead".

 

[Kayo - 55]

The "map" below shows the amount of land that G. Klein owned back in 1874, both sides of Fair Oaks, about 150 acres. I believe the shaded area at the corner of Lies & FO is still ag./farm land, about 10 acres. Debbie's body was found ON THIS PROPERTY as shown. Not sure, but I think this G. Klein would have been Edna's paternal grandfather?? Edna's father G.m. Klein died in the 1950's I think.

 

[Kayo - 55]

There are several msm reports online in the months following the murder. Not much after 1967 or so.

I think the case was purposely buried due to this involving a new family in an already tight knit well established neighborhood. There are plenty of cases that involve family members of politically connected families that are swept under the rug. Happens all the time.

I do think there is a possibility LS wasn't involved. There are some other questions which remain unanswered, including what time the neighbor (AV) who found Debbie arrived home from college for the weekend. Was it before or after Debbie was last seen?

Where was Mrs LS during the after school bb game?

Were any of the students, bb team members, members and parents of the opposing team questioned?

Was there anyone in the area suspected of violent behavior? I'm sure kids in the area back then drove earlier than 16. Many operated farm equipment, trucks and worked younger than 16.

What about violence in and around the immediate area if the school?

Lots of unanswered questions.

I don't recall MAS ever at Benjamin. Students, BB team members were not interviewed that I recall. There were 2 older male students, guessing Class of 1967/68(?) that were on the playground/swing area about 5:15 pm.; close to the time Debbie left school. They were the last individuals to see Debbie alive. Very rarely was there any "violence" at Benjamin between students. Yes, some bullying in P.E. class, waiting for the bus to/from school, "smashing" someone's Twinkie at lunch, but nothing serious. Attempts have been made to reach out to another student, Class of 1967, who lives in WT/DPC. I think he was friends with the above 2 students, and he has other siblings that attended Benjamin in the 60's but no longer live in DPC.

The "possibility LS wasn't involved"?