Shivangi Sinha
In October 1953, Evelyn Hartley’s father became concerned when he didn’t receive a call from her while she was babysitting in La Crosse, Wisconsin. When he went to check on her, he found a few items that hinted something might be wrong. In the days that followed, hundreds of people joined the search, but no leads panned out. Investigators did uncover some evidence suggesting she may have been abducted, yet nothing concrete emerged. Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ illustrates Evelyn’s possible abduction and murder, speculating on whether Ed Gein could have been involved.
Evelyn Hartley Was Possibly Abducted from the Home Where She Was Babysitting
Ethel and Richard Hartley welcomed their youngest daughter, Evelyn Grace “Evie” Hartley, to their world on November 21, 1937. She and her two older brothers, Richard and Thomas, spent a few years in Charleston, Illinois, before the family moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin. Her father secured employment as a biology professor at La Crosse State College (now University of Wisconsin-La Crosse), which was a promising opportunity for the family. Evelyn was a bright, ambitious girl with big dreams for the future. She had a lively personality and loved spending time with children. As a student at Central High School, she excelled academically and earned the pride of her parents. On October 24, 1953, she offered to babysit for another professor at La Crosse State College, Viggo Rasmussen.
At the time, Evelyn was a high school sophomore, just 15 years old. Her parents had gone to a homecoming football game, and she was babysitting 20-month-old Janice Rasmussen, something she had done before without any issues. She usually called home around 7 pm to check in, but when her father tried calling her several times with no answer, he became worried. Unable to shake the uneasy feeling, he went to the house. Upon arrival, he found the house locked, though the lights and radio were on inside. He entered through the basement, which was open, and noticed one of Evelyn’s shoes. As he went upstairs, he saw the house in disarray.
While the baby was sleeping peacefully, there was no sign of Evelyn. Her other shoe, glasses, and books were all still inside the house. Traces of blood were found in multiple locations, and investigators discovered the basement window open. Beneath it, blood-stained footprints led away from the house. Evelyn was nowhere to be seen, and to this day, her remains have not been recovered. An immediate and widespread manhunt ensued, and suspicion fell on numerous potential suspects in the years that followed.
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Evelyn Hartley’s Abduction Was Most Probably Witnessed by Someone
Evelyn Hartley’s father quickly called the police, and bloodhounds were brought in to track her movements. The dogs followed her trail for a couple of blocks before it vanished, which made detectives suspect that this might have been the spot where she was placed into the perpetrator’s car. As news of her disappearance spread, numerous volunteers and friends joined the search, and a few witnesses came forward to assist. Residents in the neighborhood reported hearing screams at night, though they assumed it was just children playing. One witness saw two men and a woman near the house around the time the cries were heard. During the first sighting, the three were on foot; a few minutes later, they were in a car that nearly collided with the witness’s vehicle. The witness noticed the woman appeared incapacitated and assumed it might have been due to the homecoming game celebrations.
The police recovered bloodied tennis shoes and a bloody denim jacket. The hemming suggests it could belong to Evelyn. Polygraph tests were conducted widely across the region, and residents voluntarily offered their cars for inspection to rule out traces of blood. Reports indicate that detectives even investigated grave sites in hopes of finding Evelyn’s remains, but nothing was uncovered. Over the years, several suspects and convicts who were in the area at the time were allegedly linked to the case. These included convicted sex offender Robert Snodgrass, Harold Forke, and John Mulqueen, who had confessed to a homicide.
Even a 15-year-old boy who claimed he was dating Evelyn was investigated, but no evidence was found to substantiate any of the leads. In November 1957, Ed Gein was arrested at his farm in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was convicted of one homicide, and because human remains of several other individuals were found on the property, detectives questioned him about other cold cases as well. He was also asked about Evelyn’s disappearance, but he denied any knowledge of it. He underwent two lie detector tests, both of which he passed, and there was no additional evidence linking him to the case. At the time, rumors circulated that a skull resembling Evelyn’s had been found on the property, but the police quickly dismissed these claims. The case remains unsolved to this day.
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