Will to Murder : The True Story Behind the Crimes & Tri… (2024)

This is a dense book, 422 pages with an extremely small font size. But it was a must-read for me as someone who spends their summers in Duluth and the rest of the year in Tucson, and I’m a little obsessed with Marjorie Congdon.

I had the opposite reaction to other reviews. I was interested in the post-Elizabeth cases - the arsons and other possible homicides. The most difficult part for me was the beginning of the book - with half the book being about Roger and his trial. I sloughed through but it had every detail about his trial and then seemed to gloss over Marjorie’s trial. Although Marjorie’s trial hinges on Roger’s previous trial.

I do think, regardless of my interest in Southern AZ, that the later crimes are important to be included - showing the unending patterns of Marjorie Congdon or Maggie Wallis - whichever name she’s going by at the time. She is also a unique criminal with possible footprints in hired homicide, fraud, fire arson, poisoning, embezzlement, domestic abuse…all in a serial manner. There is no limit to her ways. It amazes me the power this woman can have over individuals.

I still really enjoyed this book and recommend for anyone interested in Glensheen, the Congdon family or any lover of true crime.

Wow, what an amazing but terrifically sad story in regards to life at Glensheen. I toured the mansion and HAD to have this book afterwards; it’s incredible how even when presented with a life full of luxury and opportunities that most will never have, it’s never enough — Marjorie was blessed to have been adopted by Elizabeth and because of her own mental health issues/compulsions was led to thinking & believing that murdering her mother would be the only solution to relieve her of her financial woes and let her live a happier life.

It was so insightful to see how police investigations went down back in the 70’s and how the technology & advancements have made figuring out crimes so much easier in today’s world. It was interesting to read about all the intricacies that spun the web to create this story line more clear, as well as slightly chaotic.

We were just at the Glensheen mansion last week and there was no word about any murders. I only knew about this book because my sister told me about it after the fact. I might have looked at the place differently! The last living daughter of the highly educated, philanthropic, civic-minded Congdon family had never married, but had adopted two girls as infants. One of them turned out just great. The other one began her stealing and prolific lying career while a preschooler, then morphed into an arsonist, bigamist, and murderer. She was officially diagnosed as a sociopath by the Menninger Clinic while still a teenager. She spent millions beyond her means and her mother (an enabler, sadly) kept baling her out. It was incredible to me that people get getting charmed by her, believing her outrageous lies and extending credit to her when she obviously couldn't manage money. The book details her psychopathic trajectory and the court trials of both she and her second husband. There was a bit TOO much detail. E.g., we really didn't need to know the childhood backgrounds of every lawyer involved. But if you want to be astounded by the danger posed by acknowledged psychopaths and see just how our legal system engages in stunts to defend those individuals, this is the book to read.

I went to an event at the library that DeSanto was going to be giving on the book in 2004. It was my new friend Tami's idea. I liked DeSanto and was interested in the material at hand. I purchased the book that evening with the intent to read it. Just under 9 years later I've finally moved it off of my to read list.

Will to Murder has a good background on the Congdon/Pietila murders. It was a good piece for the local history books I've been interested in lately. That said, towards the end (and throughout the book) they gave far more details than were necessary to get the information across. However for 'kitchen sink DeSanto,' all of the details were fitting.

I probably won't read it again, but I imagine I'll still keep my copy of the book. Despite the tangents (and the obnoxious Arizona arson trial description at the end) I mostly liked the book.

Also, I have every intention of going on a tour of Glensheen now.

Read: Once.

I had to take my time reading this book because it was so disturbing.

Like most nonfiction, the cast of characters was bountiful and slightly confusing, and the detailed recounting of trials and other legal events was a bit difficult to follow.

Feichtinger did a fantastic job, however, linking the behavior pattern of the “Star” of our show - Ms. Marjorie Mannering LeRoy Caldwell Hagen.

I found it difficult to read for long periods of time due to the fact that the landmarks mentioned are all within approximately 25 miles of my own home, and Glensheen itself (while a 3 hour drive away) was where I purchased the book, with very little knowledge of the murders.

It is a disturbing reflection of our justice system to know the bargaining that went on for such a gruesome crime (and others that followed) - not to mention that Marjorie currently walks free.

This book was not entertainment, but a spine chilling glimpse into the life of a woman capable of nearly anything.

The story is sensational and absolutely unbelievable, but this book was miserable to read.

True story, an all out "truth is stranger than fiction" tale. If somebody made a miniseries out of this woman's life (Marjorie Caldwell) people would call it far-fetched and over the top.

I so appreciate all the work that was put into this book and the years and years of research and work for the police and prosecution. This book needs some heavy duty editing to make it palatable.

I know that people who have heard the story through speaking events absolutely love this book. The writing seems to be missing the charm and dynamism of the presenters.

This book has a lot of details about the double murder that happened in the Glensheen mansion located in Duluth, MN. It goes into detail of how the killers were set free and has some details about Duluth. I didn’t even know there were murders that happened there until I read this book. This has a ton of details and can be very slow to read at parts, but I thought it was good to learn about. I love Duluth so I’m probably a bit biased. Others may not care as much. I would recommend it even just to skim through if you get the chance! Just know what you’re getting in to. Also Marjorie is such a character I cannot even fathom her being a real person. Pure evil really…

should have been titled Marge's biography. reading about this woman frustrated me beyond belief. I cannot understand how she got away with half the crap she did. very disappointing.

A case that I've been familiar with for years, and this is a great write up to show how utterly bananas this case is!

This was the 2nd time I've read this book. I am fascinated with Glensheen and have visited the property many times, once even having dinner in the dining room to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. It's beautiful, it's on the shores of Lake Superior, it has history and has been preserved with original furnishings, it involved lovely people, and then, well... Marjorie. I have also had a long-standing fascination with this case. The story of Marjorie- defies belief- how can one person get away with so much craziness? I thought this was well written, and I wish there were a follow-up: Where is Marjorie now in 2024? What about her children? Has any new evidence come to light? I believe Roger did murder Ms Congdon and Ms Pietila, and I believe Marjorie was the instigator. Does anyone really doubt it?

Great book even though it took awhile to read due to all the details covered. The title “Will to MURDER” is perfect

This book was fascinating to me. Also very heartbreaking for the senseless deaths. My heart goes out to the families of all the victims.

While I enjoyed this book, I give it a 3.5 because I found the trial details about halfway through to be a bit dry. I'm glad I kept reading, however. Having toured the Glensheen Mansion and heard little to nothing about this tragedy, I was intrigued to learn more. A very sad story about very troubled people, but also fascinating.

On June 27th, 1977, an intruder broke into the Glensheen Mansion located on Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota. The only occupants in the large home at the time were the lone heir to the million+ dollar estate, Elisabeth Congdon (83) and her nurse Velma Pietila. The intruder would leave with a basket of jewelry and a few other small items, but not before they murdered the nurse beating her to death with a candlestick, and smothering Elisabeth with a satin pillow.

The investigation quickly led in the direction of Elisabeth’s adopted daughter Marjorie and her husband Roger. According to Elisabeth’s will, upon her death Marjorie would receive 8 million dollars. Three days prior to the murders, Marjorie had authorized a paper stating that once her inheritance came to be, her husband would receive 2.5 million of the given amount. When police investigators turned up where Marjorie and her husband were staying, missing items from the house were found in their possession; which Marjorie claimed were copies of the real jewelry made and given to her perviously by her adopted mother, Elisabeth.

50 years earlier Elisabeth Congdon in her early 30′s having never married, adopted two daughters, Marjorie and Jennifer. Marjorie had always been one looking for the quick fix, expecting everything to be handed to her even long after she had married and moved away. She continuously asked Elisabeth for money for one idea or another, even stooping as low to forge a doctor’s letter saying her husband had a serious illness.

As the case went on, Roger and Marjorie were both tried for the crimes, Roger was convicted, and a year later Marjorie was acquitted. What follows in the book is a continued investigation into Marjorie’s life, her growing up as a Congdon and her continued self-destructive lifestyle that led to even more deaths… none of which she was ever arrested for.

The Congdon story is one that is quite close to me literally. The mansion itself is located in Duluth Minnesota, 2 1/2 hours from my home in Brainerd Minnesota. The trial was moved to Brainerd and in July of 1978 the jury found Roger Caldwell (Marjorie’s husband) to be guilty of the crimes.

At the time all of this was taking place I was 10 years old. It would be 12 years before I would hear about the murders and with my husband’s property in Finland Minnesota, find that I drive by the Glensheen Mansion every time I go through Duluth to the cabin. After the first time I toured the mansion with my sons and husband, I wanted to know more about the family and what had happened.

There are many books out there about the Glensheen Mansion, the Congdons, and the murders. I have read quite a few but find this one to be the most detailed account of the property, the background, the trial, and the continuing craziness of all the surrounds Marjorie to this very day. There is even later DNA testing that was not available at the time but was found to link both Roger and Marjorie to the crimes and calls into question her acquittal.

Yes, this book is true crime but it is much more than that. It is the story of a home that took many years to build, its the story of a family, and of an adoption. It is a piece of Minnesota History.

I have probably toured the Mansion 10 times now, mostly because I have friends who want to stop and do the tour that have not been there before. It is always well taken care of, like stepping back into time, the original fixtures remain, pictures on the wall, furnishings… Originally they had the third floor not available for tour (this was the floor that contained Elisabeth’s bedroom) but in the last few years they have expanded the tour to include the third floor as well as the attic which contains large rolls of curtains that the family would use to change out the drapes seasonally as well as all their Christmas decorations.

This is a true-crime epic not for the faint of heart! And I don't mean it is particularly violent or disturbing (though the murder of two defenseless, elderly women can be nothing but). This is a long haul book. The writing is dense and factual, the coverage is exhaustive, and the drama is entrenched in the generally mundane politics of old money and legacy.

As a Minnesotan who travels to Duluth a few times a year, I know all about the Glensheen mansion. It really is beautiful, even at a gated street level, and it is even bigger and more lavish than the descriptions in the book detail. I've never toured it, but I know a lot of people who have. I also know that until the past ten years or so, the infamous murders were considered taboo, and never mentioned on the guided tours. I'm sure today's true-crime junkies would not stand for that!

As for the story itself, this is one of those books about despicable people who keep getting away with things due to factors that protect them from consequences (age, wealth, family name, gender). In my opinion, Marjorie Congdon is one of the most dangerous women I've ever read about. She is still alive today (as a free woman), and I believe she's still capable of crime. Not only did she definitely have something to do with her mother's death (court rulings be damned), she leaves a trail of destruction everywhere she goes, from financial crimes to arson to suspected poisoning. And she just kept doing it, and they just kept letting her out!

The last fifty or so pages of this book are just infuriating, because this women just does whatever she pleases. She seems to pull money out of thin air and then eventually write bad checks and screw people and businesses over. She moves from place to place where seemingly "random" fires break out, destroying property and peace of mind. She ties herself to men who suddenly pass away and shockingly leave all their money to her. But since she's a doddering little old lady from a famous family, she gets chance after chance to be a free women. It's disgusting.

Well, any true crime book that gets your blood heated is a success, I suppose. I was surprised by how engrossing this was despite the length. I liked the info about the legal teams a lot and wished we had more of it. It felt very grounded in the 70's and I liked the vibe. I also loved the pictures and diagrams included so you could visualize the house. I feel like this might be one of those books that will only be super popular with regional readers, but I think Congdon deserves to be considered one of the most prolific female criminals of all time.

Marjorie Congdon makes Anna Sorokin look like a Girl Scout. She conspired to have her mother killed in 1977, but her crimes started way before then with various types of financial fraud and arson.

This story is pretty well known in Minnesota. If you don’t know the details of the murders at the Glensheen mansion, you’ve probably at least heard about it. But this book will appeal to readers everywhere who are interested in a detailed profile of a dangerous sociopath.

The books is very well written and detailed. The authors do a great job of bringing these events to life. Marjorie, who is like Anna Sorokin, LaVona Harding and Lizzie Borden all rolled into one, is like a car wreck that you can’t look away from. Horrifying and morbidly fascinating.

Some parts of the book might be slow for some readers. It’s nonfiction after all, so it covers several criminal trials that are similar to each other. (The same evidence was presented at Marjorie’s husband’s trial, and then again at hers. She was also tried twice for arson.) However, you can’t help but feel for the overworked prosecutor who puts in long hours only to be crushed by a flashy defense attorney. (In the “Glensheen” musical about Marjorie, the character based this attorney wears a gold bejeweled vest and his team wears disco-ball ties.)

This book definitely deserves a wider audience than just a local one. Even if you’re on a continent that’s as far from Duluth, Minnesota, as you can get, you’ll find plenty in this book to hold your interest.

This is the story of Marjorie Congdon, Leroy, Hagen and her sick quest for money. Her sociopathic behavior begins in childhood and worsens as she gets older. She is a master manipulator of people and will do anything to have what she wants including theft, murder and arson.
Knowing several of the characters in this book made the story more compelling to me. As a child, I took skating lessons at the Ice Center and remember skating with the Hagen's and Leroy's. As a newly married couple, my husband and I bought a house just a block down from from Roger Caldwell's lawyer, David Arnold. It's a small world full of strange and bizarre happenings.

This work of nonfiction recounts one of the most publicized murder trials in Minnesota history. Elderly heiress, Elisabeth Congdon, and her night nurse, Vera Pietila, are brutally murdered at Glensheen mansion in Duluth. The suspects are Congdon’s adopted daughter, Marjorie Caldwell, and her second husband, Roger. Retelling the crime, the murder trials and their aftermath gives readers insight into our criminal justice system as well as the workings of truly disturbed individuals. In addition, it emphasizes the inequities within our judicial system between wealthy and average or indigent suspects. If you love crime novels, you will enjoy this book.

Glensheen visitors must read

This was a fantastic book, history of a very well to do family and their home. I have been to Glensheen in Duluth, MN to look at it's architectural make up. But going there I found it much more than just a home of beauty. There is a lot of history, which leads you to this book. Glad to see all the personal input of the people involved. Glad to know it is all so preserved. Just sorry the guilty got away with their crimes, and glad DNA is now available. Desanto and Waller did their best, and hopefully they have had some good peace after all these years. Marge has hopefully had to answer for her terrible behavior unto others.

My wife and I honeymooned in Duluth and went on a tour of the glensheen mansion which was very interesting, this book caught my eye in the gift shop. They didn’t mention anything about the murders so it was very interesting to read. I kind of started losing interest half way through the book during the trial part beings it was mostly a repeat of what was read earlier in the book. A majority of the book repeated different things over and over again which was irritating at times. Overall the first half of the book is worth the read!

The first half of the book about the Glensheen murders and trial were really interesting. But the last half goes waaaaay too in depth about Marjorie's other trials. And the author shows up in the third person. It's only cute when Richard Brautigan does it (The Abortion: An Historical Romance). I would have liked the info in the second half to be synthesized by the author a little more thoroughly before getting to my eyes. Nonetheless, Marge sure is an interesting lady.

I bought the book while on tour of Glensheen. There’s no mention of the murders on the tour. I thought the book was a fictional murder mystery. Imagine my surprise! While being a little dense on background and sometimes repetitive, this is a fascinating tale of a sociopathic murderer, our judicial system and police procedures from a time gone by. And she’s still alive! I wonder if anyone is watching her.

My family and I visited the Glensheen Mansion during a day trip to Duluth, MN and it resulted in me purchasing this book to learn more. My 11th book of the year. It was a very dense book with details from the prosecutor and detective who were involved with the investigation and prosecution of the Elizabeth Congdon and Velma Pietila murders. A good read if you enjoy twists and turns, psychology and MN history.

Fascinating!

Really interesting story that I grew up hearing about. There are so many details that simply do not facilitate or heighten the story at all. Agree with other reviews that the middle of the story really draws on. Such a super sad, unfortunate part of MN history, but brings light to some personality disorders.

While visiting the Glensheen mansion I decided to buy this book… I’m so glad I did! The book takes you through so much detail of the home, the family, their fortune and the murders. It’s unfortunate how money can truly turn family against one another and make one question everything. It was a great read. If only the full truth could have been revealed.

Densely packed detail leaves no stone unturned in the tragic Congdon-Pietila murder case of 1977. If you have any recollection at all of this "Mr Toad's Wild Ride" case or Minnesota jurisprudence, your questions will be answered in these pages.

They didn't need to go so deep into all the details of the story, I got impatient with the book - especially the font size.

Overall, this book was great; the section on the trials dragged a bit.

This is the case I will obsess over as a true Minnesotan.