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The Waukesha Police and the man who claimed to be the Gideon Strangler. That’s the name I made up for the killer.
Yes, I have the confession and I’ve made a PDF file out of it at the bottom of the post. But before you read it, allow me to first give you my impressions and relevant excerpts:
First of all, I’m surprised that they advised him of his constitutional right to an attorney before they started the interview. I thought that was a Miranda thing which didn’t happen until 30 years later.
He confessed to the murder of three people in New York City in details which sound like they’re right out of Dashiell Hammett:
“She was a beautiful woman, had beautiful figure on page of magazines (sic) and everything and she said I was nothing but this nasty name and I smacked her with my left hand. She hollered and I hit her with my right fist and before she fell, I grabbed her by the throat. Lot of people would say, “I didn’t mean to kill her at the time.” I could have killed her twenty times over.”
OK, the statement he makes above is rather confusing because he is describing his girlfriend, Veronica Gideon, whom he calls “Vee” when he talks about the woman with nice figure. I fully expected him to describe her as “the dame with great gams”, but he didn’t. However, the murder he commits first is that of Vee’s mother, who called him “something that he always hated.” We don’t learn in the confession what she called him.
After stashing the mother’s body on her bed, a man rooming with the mother is alarmed at the disturbance:
“Anyway he came out and I told him everything was alright, I just put mother to bed.”
“… One word lead to another”
“… I don’t where the ice pick was, whether on top of the ice box or where. Used it lots of times to mix drink. He slashed me over my left arm and when he slashed me I got an arm-lock on him and twisted it out of his hand. I got it with my left hand, and hit him three of four times with it and he went limp on me.”
Two down, one to go.
“I left him on the floor beside the bed. Then I went out straightened up the living room as best I could. There was no blood there because I hit the mother on the chin, and I saw there was no blood there, and straightened up everything, and while waiting for Veronica, went around with my handkerchief and wiped off all the doors every place for possible finger prints. I sat in the living room and waited for Vee and played the radio so none of the neighbors would suspect anything.”
Vee came home from a date with another man, he suspected, about 30 minutes later.
“I took Vee to to the living room alcove to the day-bed there. I showed Vee her mother and she was stunned for a moment. She looked in my eyes. She must have known what was coming. She must have knew.”
He smothers Vee with a pillow because he “doesn’t want to disfigure her at all.”
Read the conclusion to our little mystery tomorrow same time, same station.
Here is the complete:
(Adobe pdf file. Yes I know it’s upside down. Go to “View” and “rotate” – if you don’t see a toolbar with “View” then right click on the document and you will see a choice to “Rotate Clockwise”)
See, that is how to do rain on a weekend. Have the thunderstorm before I get up. The thunder chases that rascally cat to a closet or under the bed and I catch a few more z’s. Keep doing that and I will have no complaints.
- Congressman and future presidential candidate Paul Ryan explains how Cap and Tax will hurt us all.
- It’s time for Jessica McBride to take a vacation. It’s hard for me to read her column without thinking, “Is she really talking about herself?” She needs to step away for a while. Sort of like Sarah Palin, whom she writes about.
- Pete Kennedy had some trouble returning an item to the I-Store. I like Menards for returning stuff. No muss, no fuss, no questions asked.
- Owen Robinson says Diamond Jim Doyle should lose his job.
- State Senator Ted Kanavas replies to all the Liberals who were saying that he should move to Texas. Believe me, I’ve thought about it. San Marcos is on my daydream list of destinations. Half-way between Austin and San Antonio in Texas Hill Country, no state income taxes, a college town like Waukesha, long hot summers and mild winters, too far from the coast for hurricanes, too far from the Mexican border for abnormally high crime, why am I still here?
- Look, they even have one of those town square thingies:
View Larger Map- Saturday Sound Off.
OK it’s raining, but we need the rain. As long as it clears up this afternoon, I’ll be OK with it. If it turns out to be an all-day thing, then I’ll be depressed.
- Speeding in Waukesha neighborhoods. Everybody speeds. Everywhere. Imagine a world where everyone who exceeded the speed limit was taken off the road. There’s be two cars, one driven by a blue-haired old school teacher and the other by her balding spouse. My vote for the street where the 25 MPH speed limit is most ignored … I’m going to vote local and go with Arcadian Avenue. But it’s not like the cops don’t try. They regularly sit over the hill and catch people coming down, but it doesn’t do any good, nor am I entirely sure I want absolute adherence to the law. It’s more important that everyone drives with the traffic and that the people who wish to drive slower move to the right.
- The Thursday Police Blotter.
- John Schoenknecht is going to have a series on the Waukesha Police Department, but he won’t tell you about the capture of the Gideon Strangler. I have the confession and will show it to you on Sunday.
- Congressman Sensenbrenner on Cap and Tax.
- Rural development in the Oconomowoc area could double in the next 20 years. I’ve told you before the seat of power in Waukesha County is moving west. I will miss the farms, however, but I’m getting older. The young don’t miss the smell of a working farm.
- What happened to that Minimum Mark-Up law change, you ask? It sits unenforced by the state while lawyers pad their expenses. Justice delayed is justice denied. I did notice the Citgo at Moreland and White Rock had regular for $2.48/gal last night at about 8:00 p.m. which is 10¢ cheaper than anyone else.
- Friday Sound Off.
It reads (as best as I can tell):
April 12, 1937, 3:30 p.m. Reported by Sgt. Mallert
Dr. Wood of 267 W. Main St. Reports that a fellow came into his office and demanded a prescription for narcotics. Stating to Dr. Wood he had no money. But had his hand in his out side over coat pocket – pushing it in front of the doctor as if it was a gun.
-over-
“Picked up at Waukesha Hotel by Paley Belland* and warrant** after being identified by Dr. Wood brought to Station said he was headed for Minneapolis, was a sales man for Rogers Silverware Co. – claimed he bought a prescription at Avalon Drug Co. which was given to him by Dr. Woods – brought to Station at 5 p.m. booked at 7 pm
Story was that he was Robert Irwin wanted by New York Police for Murder
Statement at District Attorney’s Office
Investigated by Chief
Witness
Scott Lowery
Chief of Police
Dr. Werra“
* Paley Belland was a police officer – Look at that, we learned something. “Paley” was short for Napoleon:
** This is only a guess – It could also be a proper name. I couldn’t make out the writing
Don’cha want to know what happens next? Sunday Scans will have Part 2.
I know I seem to go on and on about the weather but it was 52° when I got up. IT’S JULY 9th, NOT SEPTEMBER 9th, PEOPLE. Who is going to pay me back those hot summer days we’re not having? WHO? If the weather went back to normal right now we would have 8 weeks, count’em EIGHT WEEKS until September and the cold and wet and cloudy/dreary/rainy/sodden/cloudy/wet/cloudy 7-Day forecast which defines Wisconsin until it GETS WORSE. Then you pay your property tax bill.
- Property taxes which face an astronomical increase thanks to Jim Doyle and the Democrats who slash state support to Waukesha schools by $6,000,000.00 in their new budget. This helpful Journal chart shows that whomever came up with this school funding formula was once described by his school district as being “educable”. They were wrong.
- But at least 6th Graders will now be in middle school , rather than elementary school which should solve everything. Like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
- I think (not “It think” as I originally typed and left here for you all to read for two hours – My kingdom for grammar checker as well as a spell checker – do witches have spell checkers?) the current businesses on the “other” end of Sunset, whatever direction that is, will be hurt by the Fox River Shoppes, not helped. However, when the economy recovers, it could mean a major rebuilding effort on that end of Sunset. I’m old enough to remember when there was nothing south of Sunset but farm fields.
- Patrick Cudahy burns down, Oscar Mayer dies and then there’s this from the Lodi Agricultural Fair which opens today:
Taking into consideration USDA/APHIS recommendations regarding the H1N1 virus,
the Lodi Ag Fairboard has made the decision to make the Swine Show a TERMINAL show this year.
All swine will need to go to market directly from the show.
- “Terminal show” – we all know what that means, right Mr. Piggy? Coinkydink? I think not.
- The Freeman finally catches up to the Chronicle with an article on the Putney Building remodeling.
- Darryl says that the Clarke Hotel paid its delinquent tax bill, that the Social Club is closed for “remodeling” and that Mexican restaurant downtown may also have some previously unreported problems.
- Lose a Sentry store, gain some porno shops. It doesn’t sound like an even trade for Oconomowoc residents.
- Pete Kennedy digs into the issue of natural burial at Prairie Home Cemetery.
- James Wigderson takes a decidedly liberal position on voting privileges for convicted felons. It doesn’t bother me in the least that some convicted felons can’t vote in Wisconsin.
- Thursday Sound Off.
Next week will be a good test for me because I work all five days and two of them have 7:00 starts. It’s an important step for me if I really feel I can go back to full time. One indicator should be that I’m not looking forward to it. If I really wanted to do it, I’d be eager to get going, right?
Other than that, I’ve got nothing. The picture is from the retirement party I went to last Wednesday. Thunder Bay Grill has very good food but the acoustics in the banquet rooms for retirement parties suck. Retirement=Old. Old=Deaf.
- The Common Council would not change zoning laws in business parks to allow self-storage facilities. An owner of these “mini-warehouses” seems to testify against the zoning change: “Jeff Panosian, a Pewaukee resident who owns the Waukesha Storage mini warehouse on Merrill Hills Road in Pewaukee, said that mini warehouses provide less tax base and fewer jobs than other businesses allowed under the zoning. Unlike a regular warehouse, there is “no control” over what is stored at the self-storage units, he said.” Anyone who’s watched “Silence of the Lambs” could attest to that.
- However it appears that zoning laws are like a woman’s mind and can change in the blink of an eye, as Walgreen’s wants to build another of their now generic-looking drug stores in an area zoned residential. What do zoning laws mean if you’re living in an area zoned residential if your neighbor can just sell to a chain store and the zoning gets changed? There are no spots on Sunset Drive left in an area zoned for business?
- An interesting article on the Prohibition Era in Waukesha’s Little Italy. I didn’t know about the cave. The only thing I would take issue with is: “Meola said his father, Anthony, built The Yellow Front Tavern in 1926, shortly before Prohibition started.” Prohibition was passed in 1919 and ended in 1933.
- This guy did not follow my advice to stay in your zip code.
- Mark Belling says Diamond Jim Doyle is like a hurricane.
- A liberal calls Sound Off and asserts that Socialism and Fascism are complete opposites. This is absolutely incorrect. For one thing, both depend on a huge, dominating central government, like the one his Obamagod wants.
Certainly has been a good summer for sleeping with cool nights and cool mornings and cool days in between the two.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that I celebrated Independence Day with a new crown. Get it? Declaring independence from the English crown/ a new dental appliance called a “crown”, it’s a dental joke. Not too many of those around.
Lots of business news this morning:
- Lots of “bacon” and “sweet applewood” jokes going around at the office, but there are some serious questions about whether the parent company of Patrick Cudahy will see fit to rebuild a 117-year old plant when it has “excess capacity” at other plants. Many jobs may have gone up in smoke.
- Grede’s bankruptcy doesn’t include any plant closures. Personally, I’m hoping they sell to a company which will convert my useless shares of stock into something I can sell. I have a crown to pay for.
- ProHealth Care is reducing its workforce, though not laying anyone off yet.
- The Blockbuster store on Bluemound is closing. I’ve not rented a video in almost 20 years. In July, I’ve got free Showtime and The Movie Channel on Att U-Verse.
- The new Pick at the Foxxe Riverre Shoppes will open in two weeks. The closer it gets to opening, the more unlikely it seems that the other Pick on Sunset will survive. It is astounding to me that the K-Mart is still open over there, the new Target opening this month should siphon off the last of K-Mart’s customers. Those two businesses, if they were not to survive, leave a pretty big chunk of Sunset Drive with empty, obsolete buildings.
- The Fox Run Sentry has done some nice remodeling in anticipation of the new Pick sneaking down the street. Sentry’s bakery is still the best around, just don’t tell my doctor I go there.
- Still no activity at the new WalMart site.
- Another Milwaukee business found that Waukesha County was a better place to be.
- Pictures from the 4th of July Parade.
- I guess I might go down and snap some pics of the circus wagons this weekend. This time, I’ll try to be better at alignment.
- Also this weekend is the best roasted chicken on the planet at the Croatian Picnic in Muk-Town.
- If it’s the Croatian Picnic weekend, that means that Delafield Days must also be happening as well. Too much to do.
- You don’t see Lynyrd Skynyrd mentioned in Police Blotters much any more.
- In Flathead County, outhouses are exploding.
- Tuesday Sound Off
- A reader sends a picture of a downtown resident:
What a surprise, another gray morning. For the 10 billionth day in a row.
There’s no Freeman tomorrow so we’ll do Friday and Saturday all in one swell foop. Anyone able to tell me where that phrase comes from is a trivia pro. I’ll tell you at the end.
- For my Grede Foundries fans, here are stories on the bankruptcy from Vassar, MI, from Baraboo, from Reedsburg and from Wichita, KS.
- Pete Kennedy goes into depth about what Andy Ruggeri knew and when he knew it.
- Wisconsin Congressman and possible aspirant for the governor’s chair, Ron Kind, must never sleep because he swears to his constituents that he has read every bill passed by Congress, even the Cap and Trade bill which added a 300 page amendment in the middle of the night. He disagrees with his constituents who say that the “Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance” provisions would prevent you from selling your home without a federal inspection, but even if the inspection isn’t mandatory, it creates two classes of houses, right? Those which have been declared “green” by Obamagod and those which have not. He knows or should know the effects of this legislation on his constituents.
- Homer says that Brewer fans are becoming as unquestioning of their heroes as Packer fans are of theirs. How will they be if the Brewers pitch the whole weekend like they played last night? The Brewers are two good pitchers short in their starting rotation. I don’t think they can afford two.
- Next week, the Common Council and its committees will be taking up some rather meaty issues.
- Here’s Wednesday’s Police Blotter.
- Last week’s crime map.
- Up and Down Broadway talks about outdoor dining in downtown Waukesha. I don’t really get the appeal of eating on the sidewalk.
- The Freeman movie guy thinks that Diamond Jim Doyle eliminating the movie-making credit was penny wise and pound foolish. I would rather the state paid some attention to industries who actually employee people for years in Wisconsin, rather than a few weeks at a time. Maybe the movie critic thinks we should have a tax credit for carnivals, too.
- Owen Robinson says that the Democratic budget just signed by Diamond Jim will hurt Wisconsin for years no matter what happens in next year’s elections. Any editorial which compares the budget to a warm bucket of spit has it exactly right and we can thank the Democrats.
- Jessica says that Doyle’s budget breaks some vows, so to speak.
- “One swell foop” is from the best Inspector Clouseau movie, “A Shot in the Dark”.
- Look at that, the sun’s out.
I saw a sliver of weak sun for about a minute this morning. I have a long sleeve shirt and long pants on today. Last night, wearing a sweater was not uncomfortable. These are sentences which I shouldn’t be typing on July 2. I want the men responsible hunted down and executed. It’s not like I have an unlimited supply of July days left to me. Is it any wonder people from the northeast quadrant of the United States flee to the Sun Belt? Crumbling infrastructure, institutionalized welfare freeloaders, pathetic government bureaucrats and now endless April weather. And not the good Aprille of Olde Englande but the post-apocalyptic April of T. S. Eliot’s Waste Land or, for those of you not poetically inclined, Blade Runner’s Los Angeles at a constant 48°. I’m depressed.
- One of the partners in the Black Trumpet/Clarke Hotel story has unexpectedly quit. That can’t be good news. Darryl has more.
- The Freeman has a discussion with the Waukesha School Superintendent Todd Gray on his first year at the helm.
- The Waukesha Police Department is offering a Twitter-like serve to inform residents of emergencies.
- You mean like this dirt bag moving into town? A sex offender who assault 5 year old strangers and family members alike. Is this one of those non-violent felons whom Diamond Jim Doyle likes to release anywhere except next door to his house?
- Pete Kennedy tells us about the “new” Merrill Hills Country Club. They still wouldn’t have someone like me for a member.
- Letters to the Editor from a Chad Bauer supporter and Alderman Radish.
- The Freeman-sponsored Friday Night Live pre-fireworks gala at the Expo Center (I’ve never been since they moved it there) includes the Notebenders. The Notebenders includes Pete Llanas, who was in my high school graduating class and Larry Ripini, who e-mailed me the other day. Larry asked if I could put the word out that he’s looking for information on the whereabouts of Floyd Jester. I told you about Jester and his band the Rollettes a while ago. Jester became a very influential guitar teacher in Waukesha. Anybody knows what happened to him, stick it in my comments or drop me an e-mail.
- Wigderson’s column is patriotic for the 4th.
- Today’s Sound Off.
The United States automotive industry collapse and the recession claimed a local victim with some Waukesha connections as Grede Foundries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. My great aunt worked and retired from Grede. Ma used to clean her house, which is near the library. So through that familial connection, I inherited a minuscule amount (0.04 %) of non-voting stock which never paid me a dividend. Now the company is in bankruptcy. In the highly unlikely chance you’ve ever wondered what it was like to be me, that serves as an instructive tableau. Still, what do I always tell you? It could always be worse. I could be an employee scheduled to retire from Grede today or someone who depends on a pension from there. My best to their employees. I hope it all works out.
Speaking of retirement, my cube mate for a Brazilian years (inside joke) with the government is retiring today. You think you’ve got it bad reading this stuff. She had to listen to it for 15 years or more before I had a blog. In a curious twist of fate, I am unable to attend her in-office party because I have to work. I couldn’t wait to retire, she worked, what, 40 years there? I will be at her dinner, however.
- Former congressman Mark Neumann will be running for governor. I guess I knew but it didn’t click that Neumann lives in Waukesha County. I still associate him the Janesville he represented in Congress. I still think Walker is the most important candidate, because, as many of my commenters point out, Walker gives the Republicans a chance to carry or at least blunt the Dem advantage in Milwaukee County.
- The end of the QEO will mean double-digit property tax increases and a large number of teachers either laid off or not hired to fill vacant positions. Those teachers left behind will be highly paid, yet whining that they’re overworked and stretched too thin. Way to go WEAC and the Democrats!
- Oconomowoc Sentry is closing and they are blasting the downtown reconstruction and Highway 67 bypass as the cause. Note to downtown planners: Bypasses bypass the downtown. A world with no alternative to the Pick N Save will be very, very tedious.
- Waukesha State Bank is celebrating an anniversary. I have always received the best of service from them.
- Waukesha’s Sunset Bank got some TARP money.
- State Senator Ted Kanavas says people and businesses are fleeing Wisconsin because of Diamond Jim Doyle and the Democrats.
- Mark Belling says that the Dems have made Wisconsin just like Madison itself.
- A very short, two-call Sound Off.
Public Enemies
It came in like April and is leaving like September with a few days of August thrown in. The problem with June is that it has no personality of its own. That shouldn’t be the case, June has much to recommend it: Father’s Day, the Summer Solstice, the start of hurricane season ( and my annual viewing of “Key Largo”), the biggest month of the year for weddings (”No rain, no rainbows.”), it has plenty to be proud of, yet it seeks to be some other month, never settling on any one thing.
- Some Zach results. Some Zach pictures. Nobody has any comment on the event?
- A guide to events happening on the 4th which no one will have any comments on either. Personally, I like New Berlin’s.
- “Public Enemies” opens tomorrow. I’ll wait to buy the DVD.
- The Freeman reviewer was disappointed.
- This Scott Newcomer is also a disappointment.
- The Real Public Enemies: We are so screwed. Thank you, Democrats, for the worst budget of all time. How on Earth can a Liberal defend that travesty as other than a giveaway to the teachers union and, for some unfathomable reason, convicted felons?
- A fine guest eulogy by the Executive Director of La Casa about one of their founders.
- A ribbon cutting ceremony isn’t a ribbon cutting ceremony unless Mayor Larry is there. Looking trimmer, if I might say.
- A map of last week’s police reports.
- The weekend Police Blotter.
- Tuesday Sound Off.
I still don’t understand why I have to work longer because there’s a paid holiday this week, but I don’t ask because it’s a good gig. Anyway, with all the stuff going on this past weekend, sitting at home doing nothing was a lot more perplexing than usual. I drove towards Eagle yesterday, but they must have had their parade because Hwy 59 was diverted onto Sprague Road and sent over to Hwy 67. That seemed like too much work so I just took a ride north through the Kettle Moraine.
That steady 40 mph wind was beginning to tear a piece of siding from the second story, so it means I’ll finally have to get out the big ladder and go up there to secure it. If I don’t post any more, you’ll know I fell off and died. I sucque at home repair. I say “finally” because I do have to go to the second floor eventually to paint the trim around the windows. I am not looking forward to this because I am not a creature of the air. I thought my dad was a goof because he didn’t like to go up ladders, It must be a family thing.
- There’s no news today. I suspect that will be the case most of this week.
- I can’t really say that I was wishing for a taste of Fall weather.
- Turns out, Michael Jackson was black, there’s a shocker. Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad -Euripides.
- I see pitchman Billy Mays died as well. I won’t miss his commercials.
- Any of the bicycle races affected by those wind gusts? I was down there at 11:00 and there weren’t many people down there for the kids’ race. How’d it go, being a Sunday and all?
- CNBC has some English chick subbing for Becky today. From CNBC International, I guess.
- I asked last week why the Brewers couldn’t beat rookie pitchers and nobody said nothin’. Now, the fact that they can’t hit rookie pitching is the talk of Brew Town.
- UW-La Crosse turns out some smart people.
- Also in your La Crosse news, they killed a 300 pound bear in Myrick Park, which is across the street from UW-L.
- And there is a recession in the organic farming business, as well.
- The “generation gap” is at its widest since the 60’s. Isn’t that a hoot? The children and grandchildren of the 60’s counter-culture think the old folks are codgers. See, technology changes but people do not.
- So here’s how easy it is to be a seer: In the 60’s, Liberalism/Progressivism had its run for two Presidential terms. Then the adults took back control. What do you think is going to happen now?
- Plus, technology has sped everything up, including, I think, the social liberal/conservative pendulum.
- In Flathead County, even the behavior of squirrels is considered by some to be a law enforcement concern.
- Last Thursday’s Police blotter has the DJ at one of the bars on Friedman Street being thrown out of the bar for being intoxicated. Oh what fun. I’ve no clue which bar that could be, oh wait, there is only one.
