IL IL - Valerie Percy, 21, Kenilworth, 18 September 1966

[Winward1]

It was a huge renovation, and taking off the home's original facade and what they did to the back just make it look the the garage is the only original ('23) exterior remaining. I can't imagine anyone being able to get away with what was done to it in '69, today. It was less than 40 years old then but still, yikes. In the listing pictures it's interesting one really can't see the stairway. Described originally, it sounds like it was one of the more distinctive interior features.

 

[Luckymanuh]

Winward do you have any idea who owns the property now and if they are building another house on it? What a dirty rotten shame to have such a wonder home be demolished.

 

[Winward1]

Winward do you have any idea who owns the property now and if they are building another house on it? What a dirty rotten shame to have such a wonder home be demolished.

Again, it would appear the shame was the renovation done after the Percys sold it but long before it was demolished last week.

Generally, despite the fact that families in 50s and 60s tended to be quite larger than they are today (as in number of family members, not girth... nobody's bigger than kids today, lol) many sizable old places in the area have been torn down in the past 20 years, with even more massive places taking their place.

Word has it that the owners of the property will be building a huge place there, to live there, and that they have, believe it or not, twin girls.

 

[Bargle]

Word has it that the owners of the property will be building a huge place there, to live there, and that they have, believe it or not, twin girls.

Cue the creepy music. :violin:

 

[Winward1]

I have seen it noted here that a small, wet, cloth and leather glove was found in a shrub. And some accounts say it had blood on it and it has not been linked definitely to the murder.

The story a few years back said that all evidence from this crime in recent years was subject to new testing using the latest technology. I wonder if it ever linked or disproved these things played a role in the crime. As for the dog not barking, someone did say there were many strangers in this house often. I know that was the case at the time of the crime. Also, of course, it was a large house and the dog was on the other side of it, and on a different floor and perhaps locked behind at least one door from where the crime took place.

 

[Winward1]

I'm interested in the serial killer theory. I'm aware of the earlier, unsuccessful attack, in Evanston. But other than that, were there really other attacks with the same MO?

 

[Winward1]

Why didn't anyone hear Valerie being attacked...

If you believe Mrs. Percy, and I do, she actually did.

 

[Winward1]

O
Were there signs of a sexual assault? When Loraine returned to Valerie's room after tripping the alarm, Valerie's nightdress was above her waist. Loraine pulled it back down. Whether the nightdress was pushed up by the killer or rode up during the struggle, we don't know.

Of course, everything's second hand in this case, filtered through the press. I can't remember ready ANY account of Valerie's clothing as it was when the family, or anyone else, first attended to her.

I thought, or assumed, that perhaps her clothing had been raised by the neighbor/doctor who first examined her, who had only a few minutes earlier been sleeping. He must have been as shocked as anyone, and may have left her clothing as it was during his examination? Just a guess. Also, didn't the first cop on the scene attend to her (I can't remember who got there first, the cop or the doctor.)

 

[Winward1]

Something I forgot to mention when I posted the suspect sketch from the Bubes assault. While Loraine said the sketch is similar, she did say in her description of the killer that he had bushy hair.
Maybe someone with more artistic skills than I have could alter it to show bushy hair.

Just a thought, but if Valerie put up enough of a fight, or even if the guy when all out as it appears he did, perhaps any guy with enough hair would have had it described as bushy?

 

[Bargle]

Hi Winward. It's going to be a few days or more before I have the time to answer your questions as they deserve. I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring them.

 

[Winward1]

Thanks, Bargle.

 

[liz b.]

So Valerie's mother described her daughter's attacker as a "bushy haired stranger " ? Really ?
All JMO

 

[Luckymanuh]

Winward,
When I read your post about the new family having twin girls I got the chills!

 

[TallCoolOne]

Winward,
When I read your post about the new family having twin girls I got the chills!

Yeah, me too. That's enough to send shivers down my spine.....

 

[watermelonlady]

I couldn't begin to imagine going back to that house to live after that. I wouldn't have slept a wink. I read somewhere that Valerie's dad described her stepmother and Sharon as very jittery in the house after that. Yeah, no kidding.

 

[Luckymanuh]

I found this short article on Valerie's murder ran today. I wonder why?

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/news/2285150,north-shore-percy-052010-s2.article

 

[Luckymanuh]

Another article....due to the fact the house is being torn down along with some great pix after Valerie's murder and during demo. What a shame such a beautiful house is just destroyed like that.

 

[TallCoolOne]

I found this short article on Valerie's murder ran today. I wonder why?

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/news/2285150,north-shore-percy-052010-s2.article

Hmmm..... that's odd, it isn't an anniversary, so that isn't what renewed the interest. Unless it somehow was brought back up because of the demolition of the home perhaps?

Thanks Luckymanuh for bringing that to our attention.

ETA: Whoops. I see we posted at the same time.

 

[Winward1]

Stories in local papers related to real estate, especially expensive real estate, might be a draw for readers, especially in an economy where for the first time real estate prices have actually fallen, and in publications which are supported by, more than small part, real estate ads. I see they noted how much the property sold for. Anyway, right, it's not the anniversary, but it is when it was torn down (another case of history going under the wrecking ball) and it appears the property was notable for more than just the homicide. So, it's a news story with a features (history, real estate) story spin?

 

[Bargle]

I'm interested in the serial killer theory. I'm aware of the earlier, unsuccessful attack, in Evanston. But other than that, were there really other attacks with the same MO?

I've been thinking about the case very much over the past week. I've taken a one month subscription to Newspaper Archive and read and saved many wire service stories about the case from the time.

I've decided to modify my opinion on it being a serial killer. In addition to that possibility, I'm going to say that he may have been a serial criminal of some other type, a peeper, a thrill burglar, a rapist, a clothing fetish thief, etc. Something with a sexual bent, but that hadn't excalated to murder before or after.

LE at the time checked out many other cases of knife attacks on women from around the country. Captured knife attackers David Mumbaugh, Michael Herrington and John Mulig were cleared of involvement in Valerie's slaying.

For an example of the type I lean towards it being, I'll cite the case of Joseph Baldi, the Queens Creeper that killed 4 young women and attacked several others in 1972. He attacked women in bedrooms at the rear of the homes. He had a bra fetish and usually slashed them. He had been in and out of mental health facilities for several years.