WI WI - Eddie and Frances Cizauskas, 75 & 73, Town of Sheboygan (Sheboygan County), 30 November 1988

[Teamir]

Also known as the Jalopy Jungle Murders

From Sheboygan County Crimestoppers website: “On November 30th, 1988, 75-year-old Edward and 73-year-old Frances Cizauskas were found murdered at their Town of Sheboygan property. The couple ran a scrap metal business called Eddie's Jalopy Jungle which was on the same property as their residence, located at 2215 Mill Rd.”

From an article : “Because of the changes in science in the past 30 years, re-submission of evidence on multiple occasions has been a factor in the investigation, as DNA technology has advanced. “ So that indicates they have DNA evidence. This would be another good one for forensic genetic genealogy.

From a case review: “autopsies later confirmed Eddie was bludgeoned to death and Frances was strangled.”

 

[Teamir]

Jalopy Jungle

Clipping found in The Sheboygan Press published in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on 12/2/1988. Jalopy Jungle

www.newspapers.com

“Today authorities said that based on autopsy results at St. Nicholas Hospital, Edward Cizauskas was "definitely murdered." The autopsy showed that Cizauskas was struck several blows to the head with a blunt object, and Deputy Inspector James Hoffmann said there were "small blood splatters" on the barn floor to confirm the bludgeoning.”

 

[Teamir]

Here are 6 unsolved murder cases in Wisconsin you may not have heard of

These cold cases from Wisconsin range from 1963 to 2008, taking place in Fond du Lac, Kewaunee, Outagamie, Sheboygan and Winnebago counties.

www.jsonline.com

“In 2021, the FBI became involved in the case in an effort to close it.”

 

[Teamir]

Lack of witnesses, conflicting stories, slows investigation

Clipping found in The Sheboygan Press published in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on 12/13/1988. Lack of witnesses, conflicting stories, slows investigation

www.newspapers.com

Based on this article, I don’t think they have a murder weapon, but they do have a partial fingerprint and some sort of unrevealed evidence. If the wife was strangled, could they have gotten DNA from her neck or hands?

 

[Teamir]

I searched newspapers dot com and found some additional details that I've summarized below. What is most interesting is that someone stopped by at about lunchtime, and then the police think Frances went to the barn to check why Ed didn't come in for lunch. That would be a person of most interest IMO. And they know who that is - his name is stated in multiple articles.
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Edward M Cizauskas
born in Sheboygan 8/15/1913. At one time employed by Sheboygan Iron and Metal Co
survived by 1 brother Alphonse of Sheboygan Falls
preceded in death by brother Edmund
Frances J (Skvarce) Cizauskas
born in Sheboygan 1/8/1915; graduate of Sheboygan High School
survived by 2 sisters Mrs Antoinette Rakun and Mrs Victoria Bohman both of Sheboygan
preceded in death by two brothers and a sister

Married in July of 1941 and together operated Eddies Jalopy Jungle, an auto salvage yard north of the city.
He was an avid sportsman
Members of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church.
address 2215 Mill Rd
Found dead on Wednesday November 30, 1988.
(Source obituary The Sheboygan Press 12/3/1988)
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Cizaukas and a companion from Milwaukee were frequent fishing guests at Jerome Hoffman's cabin in northern WI. Hoffman and Ed met every Saturday for breakfast at BJ's Family Restuarant.
Herbert Baumgart lent a hand on a part time basis for the last 30 years at their business. He found the bodies at 9:38am Wednesday. Herbert lived at 1802 Superior Ave. A witness told of stopping by the Cizaukas property about 12:30pm Tuesday and talking to Mr Cizaukas in the yard. The Cizaukas' lived in a newer home toward the back of the property and rented out the older home fronting Mill St on the high curve that winds down across the Pigeon River. The renters were vacationing in Europe at the time and a woman who had been taking care of the rental property had stayed there overnight and was leaving early Wednesday morning about the time that Baumgart arrived and discovered the bodies. (Per a photo, these buildings were quite close to each other.)

Cizaukas took pains on his land near Pigeon River to prevent unauthorized hunting.
Neighbor Mary Lou Brotz said the last time she saw them was when to their house to tell them someone was shooting firearms on their property.
Mayor Richard J Schneider met with the Cizaukas' several times that year when the city was considering annexing part of their land. The Cizaukas' did not want their land to become part of the city. (And in the end, it was NOT annexed.)
(Source The Sheboygan Press 12/1/1988 and 12/2/1988)
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The friend that stopped by was Kaspar Neumair of 3107 Mill Rd. Stopped to see him about deer hunting. "That was the first I'd seen him since he got back". Cizaukas, with a group from Sheboygan County, had been going deer hunting for the past 5-10 years in Ashland County. "He was up for the whole season (about 10 days)".
Sheboygan Press 12/13/1988
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11/30/1993 Sheboygan Press- "Detectives theorize that just before they were killed Frances had prepared lunch in their home a short distance away from the barn...." "...we think that when Eddie didn't come to the house in time for lunch, Mrs. Cizaukas put on her coat and went to the barn to see why".

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Wallet was missing.
Cizaukas was known to get into some heated verbal clashes with hunters who disregarded his no trespassing signs.
1/10/1989 Sheboygan Press