WI WI - Catherine Sjoberg, 16, Concord, 5 June 1974

[amber1]

McSpy,
I absolutley agree! It reminds me of some of the 4H buildings located by county fair grounds we have here in the upper midwest where they show farm animals.
Has a very eery location, being by I-94 and all, anyone could have really taken her.

 

[Backwoods]

In the last article I posted, there are several comments at the end of the article that allude to someone at the prom being responsible for Cathy's disappearance. The commenter seems like a local. If this commenter knows something, they need to be flushed out. Everyone who was at the prom are now in their 50s. Most have kids, so there should be a better understanding of how the Sjoberg family feels. Even if the info is only a rumor, sometimes there are truths to rumors. Maybe a billboard in the local area on Cathy's case and a reward may help. Even without a reward, the billboard could act as a constant reminder of her case on anyone who knows something. Who knows, maybe someone born after Cathy's disappearance overheard something in their own home or at work. You never know . . .

Another thing, I noticed that Cathy was last seen at 3 am. Seems very late to me. I'm surprised the Concord House stayed open that late. I wonder how late the prom ran? Could staff be waiting in the wings to clean up? Was the band packing up? Was there a band? Just some thoughts . . .

bbm: I think some of the reports say the event was not the actual prom, but a post-prom party. If that's true, maybe it was a private party -- not supervised by school, etc., whatever. I wonder if the Concord House was the type of place that could be rented for events, etc. -- looks like it may have been.

 

[Gypseagirl]

McSpy,
I absolutley agree! It reminds me of some of the 4H buildings located by county fair grounds we have here in the upper midwest where they show farm animals.
Has a very eery location, being by I-94 and all, anyone could have really taken her.

That is a very good point. Especially since hitchhiking was very popular back then. I hope this case is closed soon.

 

[amber1]

Does anyone know of any known predators that were around WI during this time period? How about David Spanbauer? He was arrested for rape and roberry in the 60s I believe, and he was released from prison in 1971.
In 1972, he abducted and raped a hitch hiker off a highway, but it sounds like he may have been in prison when Cathy vanished.
Then there's the Northside WI Strangler, Walter Ellis, who strangled 11 women. I wonder what his activities were before 1981? Did he really start killing in 81?
Then there's Robert Nelson, who killed a still unidentified woman in the early 80s in Blue earth, MN. I know its a long shot, but he was a patrolman in elmore, mn, and the woman he killed was a hitch hiker. He had some criminal offenses before, it's possible at some point in the 70s he could have been in WI. He was in a cult, Into the Light Ministries, and would follow where ever his group went. He even followed them to TX.

 

[McSpy]

bbm: I think some of the reports say the event was not the actual prom, but a post-prom party. If that's true, maybe it was a private party -- not supervised by school, etc., whatever. I wonder if the Concord House was the type of place that could be rented for events, etc. -- looks like it may have been.

In my experience, most proms are usually held at outside facilites, such as a place like the Concord House. My own proms (jr and sr) were held at privately owned halls set up for big events. Maybe it is easier to set up, because they have kitchens and/or caterers available. I do find the 3 am time quite late, so it could have been a post prom party.

I wonder if it was possible she got hit by a car and it was covered up. On another note, I am curious as to what she and her boyfriend were fighting about. I also wonder if others witnessed their argument and if it was a heated argument.

 

[McSpy]

Does anyone know of any known predators that were around WI during this time period? How about David Spanbauer? He was arrested for rape and roberry in the 60s I believe, and he was released from prison in 1971.
In 1972, he abducted and raped a hitch hiker off a highway, but it sounds like he may have been in prison when Cathy vanished.
Then there's the Northside WI Strangler, Walter Ellis, who strangled 11 women. I wonder what his activities were before 1981? Did he really start killing in 81?
Then there's Robert Nelson, who killed a still unidentified woman in the early 80s in Blue earth, MN. I know its a long shot, but he was a patrolman in elmore, mn, and the woman he killed was a hitch hiker. He had some criminal offenses before, it's possible at some point in the 70s he could have been in WI. He was in a cult, Into the Light Ministries, and would follow where ever his group went. He even followed them to TX.

Something to look into. Although, 3 am seems like an odd time for someone to troll round that area for young women. The perp had to know a function was going on at the Concord House. Otherwise, the area looks very rural. If she did something crazy like hitchhike, then anything was possible, especially since the freeway was closeby.

It seems Cathy was upset, since she left the Concord House alone. She could have been very emotional and decided to take off for home by hitchhiking or excepting a ride from someone. Makes me wonder what her date did for the rest of the evening? Did he look for her? Who drove them to the prom? Was he the driver? Did he spend the rest of the evening looking for her? Also, supposedly she had planned to spend the night at a friend's house. Was the friend alarmed that she didn't show up? What did she do when Cathy didn't show up?

I'm still curious as to what they were fighting about too.

Sorry to repeat myself here . . Trying to make too many points! Lol!

JMO

 

[McSpy]

McSpy,
I absolutley agree! It reminds me of some of the 4H buildings located by county fair grounds we have here in the upper midwest where they show farm animals.
Has a very eery location, being by I-94 and all, anyone could have really taken her.

Yeah, maybe an event like a prom, with pretty young women in gowns caught a local's attention.

 

[McSpy]

I have so many questions about that evening. I think the answers may make a difference. Here are a few of my questions: Was there drinking? Did Cathy's date drink that evening? Was Cathy seen drinking? Were there drugs? Marijuana?

I don't know the drinking age in Wisconsin at that time, but in New England the drinking age was 18 years old in 1974. It was a lot looser back then too. It was easy to get into a bar at age 15, never mind age 17! Pot and other drugs (hashish, mescalin, LSD, downers, uppers) were fairly easy to find too. Meth and cocaine were not popular yet. I'm just mentioning this, because teens tend to experiment and want to party. Drugs may not have even been in the picture there. Alcohol . . . I'm not so sure. I have no idea if this kind of thing went on in this area of Wisconsin. I'm only going on my experience in my area of the USA. Perhaps alcohol and/or drugs didn't even occur at this prom or any of the post prom activities . .

I ask, because alcohol and/or drugs may have influenced Cathy's decisions, her boyfriend's decisions, or someone else's decisions that evening. People's mindsets change under the influence sometimes. Their decisions and actions can sometimes be stupid or crazy . . .

Just some thoughts and questions . . .

 

[Ghostwheel]

Odd that Edward Edwards was ruled out since the Wisconsin location and the Ohio location are only 8 hours away from each other. Too bad back in the 70's, you didn't hear much about what happened in other cities, much less other states. It makes it harder to connect the dots.

 

[Houston Mom]

Here is Ms Sjoberg's NamUs page.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5658/46?current_page=photos

Do you know if the following Doe was ever compared. She was found in 1978, Estimated postmortem interval 3 Years. Age 18-22, long brown hair and a well healed fracture of the collarbone.

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/11774

 

[vermontaigne]

My recollection is that Ed Edwards was sold out by his son, who encountered the case online many years later, and recalled being bundled up hurriedly a few days after the disappearance by his father, and moved to another location with the rest of the entourage after Edwards was initially, briefly questioned by police (as well as other strange events, and strange comments from his father--in this case, the prediction that she'd be found in a cornfield). People from Concord House recall that he had an injury on one hand after the event. They were nomads, so it seems the police didn't think it unusual that he'd be there one day, gone the next.

If it hadn't been for Edwards' son, this case almost surely never would have been solved.

As for the subsequent disappearance, it seems likely that the son gave reasonably detailed info on the timeline of his family's locations, and that driving that far for a victim would have been out of Edwards' MO. Then, too, showing up in the same location would have greatly raised the likelihood that he'd be fingered for the prior double homicide. I'm just guessing at LE's reasoning, but I imagine it's something along these lines.

 

[Houston Mom]

Here is Ms Sjoberg's NamUs page.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5658/46?current_page=photos

Do you know if the following Doe was ever compared. She was found in 1978, Estimated postmortem interval 3 Years. Age 18-22, long brown hair and a well healed fracture of the collarbone.

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/11774

Since there are dentals available on Catherine and this UID, I submitted them for comparison. Catherine has been missing far too long.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Bumping, Catherine has been missing for 42 years now.

This is the most recent article I could find where she is included although it's mostly a brief summary on her disappearance.

http://www.dailyunion.com/news/article_379d9aaa-024c-11e6-8e90-0fac76805477.html

Twenty-nine years after Weckler disappeared, Catherine Sjoberg, 17, walked out of the Oconomowoc High School post-prom party at Concord House after a disagreement with her boyfriend, Timothy Counsel of Oconomowoc. A girlfriend last saw her as Sjoberg was leaving the building. Her mother, Ruth Schwartz, was not alarmed until that Friday evening because Sjoberg had planned to spend the night at a friend’s house. On Friday night, Counsel called Sjoberg’s mother to report “Nobody can find Cathy.”

In 1995, Mrs. Schwartz held a memorial service for Sjoberg at a Lutheran Church in Ocono*mo*woc.

“It’s been 21 years and I think it’s time to say goodbye,” she was quoted as saying at that time.

Schwartz said she believed her daughter was abducted, saying she was scheduled to distribute programs at commencement exercises the next day and was to serve as maid of honor at a family wedding the following weekend.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Cathy Sjoberg vanished after her Oconomowoc High School prom. According to the Charley Project organization, the teen got into an argument with her boyfriend. She stepped outside the hall and was never seen again. Police found no evidence she ran away.

http://www.postcrescent.com/story/n...ho-they-wisconsins-missing-children/98347286/

 

[marsyao]

Why a prom last till 3 Am ? why did their parent OK with that ?

 

[JerseyGirl]

CATHERINE LYNNE SJOBERG
NCMC978434
-Endangered Missing (View Poster)
DOB: Jan 15, 1957 Age: 61
Missing: Jun 5, 1974 Race: White
Location: CONCORD, WI, US

Missing Kids In Wisconsin: Have You Seen Them?

 

[JerseyGirl]

still missing: Jayme Closs has been found, but nearly 50 other children missing from Wisconsin need your help

 

[meganmfranks]

Hear me out...I believe this is Walker County Jane Doe.

- She was believed to be named "Cathy" or some variant of Catharine.

- When questioned about her age in 1980, she claimed to be 19. This would be her actual age. She was telling the truth.

-She matches the physical description of Walker County Jane Doe. Both are brown haired/green/hazel eyed height: of 5 foot 5 inches. Both have freckled complexions and pierced ears.

 

[SAMS]

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[CastlesBurning]

https://www.wimissing.org/post/wisconsin-s-missing-as-of-4-1-2021