Murder in the Stacks: The Unsolved Murder in Pattee

[psuro]

52 years later, the unsolved murder of a Penn State student on Thanksgiving weekend in 1969 remains a mystery

The 22-year-old graduate student was stabbed to death in the stacks of the Pattee Library at Penn State on November 28, 1969.

www.yahoo.com

52 years ago yesterday

Anybody here at PSU at that time?

 

[NittPicker]

Not saying it would have lead to an arrest but the first responding trooper should have stopped the clean up when he saw "several books were scattered on the floor stained just a little with an unknown liquid". He said the scene seemed strange and he should have listened to his intuition.

Regardless, it's a tragedy which seems as though it'll never be solved unless the killer makes some sort of death bed confession.

 

[ApexLion]

52 years later, the unsolved murder of a Penn State student on Thanksgiving weekend in 1969 remains a mystery

The 22-year-old graduate student was stabbed to death in the stacks of the Pattee Library at Penn State on November 28, 1969.

www.yahoo.com

52 years ago yesterday

Anybody here at PSU at that time?

I think about that one and the murder downtown across from Zeno's - daughter of a FBI agent tied up in her apt and killed. Both unsolved. Plus, the DA's death. All cold cases.

 

[Wex18]

Beginning of my junior year. The victim was the first name listed in the student directory (Aardsma). Rumors were going around campus that someone was trying to murder everyone in alphabetical order.

 

[Metal Mike]

I was a Senior when this happened. But I went home that Thanksgiving weekend. My friend Dick did not go home that weekend so Dick remains a suspect in my mind. Just kidding.
We did not know of the murder until that Monday. The stacks then became a "no go" place for the rest of the year.
The book "Murder in the Stacks" makes a strong case against the now dead grad student Haefner. Since he is dead he cannot be charged so the case remains open.

 

[lions1995]

Went to PSU from '91-'95 and never heard of this until now.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Went to PSU from '91-'95 and never heard of this until now.

?? It was discussed almost every year (probably a few years where it wasn't) on my board at the former site. I just assumed that everyone knew about it.

 

[lions1995]

?? It was discussed almost every year (probably a few years where it wasn't) on my board at the former site. I just assumed that everyone knew about it.

Been a BWI member since 2012. I am sure that I could have missed when it was discussed. I haven't been a daily visitor until the past couple years.

 

[Ron1970]

I was in the Library that day. Interestingly I didn’t learn of the murder until my roommates came back to State College after the Thanksgiving weekend. In those days it was easy to not know what was happening, even right next to you.

 

[PSUJam]

?? It was discussed almost every year (probably a few years where it wasn't) on my board at the former site. I just assumed that everyone knew about it.

We had my step daughter on a campus tour in early October. When we approached Patee the guide mentioned the stacks, I leaned over to my family and whispered "someone was murdered in there". Apparently my whisper was very loud and my wife and kids were ready to murder me!

All good though. She got her acceptance "letter" via the app and will enroll next Fall.

 

[PSUArnie]

I think about that one and the murder downtown across from Zeno's - daughter of a FBI agent tied up in her apt and killed. Both unsolved. Plus, the DA's death. All cold cases.

Has the disappearance of the female Asian student from several years back ever been solved?

 

[NittPicker]

Has the disappearance of the female Asian student from several years back ever been solved?

Cindy Song. As far as I know that's still a mystery as well.

 

[StamfordBridgeVikingatLeftOffensiveTackle]

Has the disappearance of the female Asian student from several years back ever been solved?

No.

 

[bbrown]

I was a Senior when this happened. But I went home that Thanksgiving weekend. My friend Dick did not go home that weekend so Dick remains a suspect in my mind. Just kidding.
We did not know of the murder until that Monday. The stacks then became a "no go" place for the rest of the year.
The book "Murder in the Stacks" makes a strong case against the now dead grad student Haefner. Since he is dead he cannot be charged so the case remains open.

+1. I read the book but couldn't remember the name of it.

 

[Ghost of OM]

I was in the Library that day. Interestingly I didn’t learn of the murder until my roommates came back to State College after the Thanksgiving weekend. In those days it was easy to not know what was happening, even right next to you.

My old boss tells the story of being in Pattee that day too. He believes he may have been there when it happened. Said he didn’t know anything for a couple days either. When he was finished studying says he just packed up his stuff and walked out. No one checking the doors or anything. Killer probably just walked out with everyone else.

 

[psuro]

My old boss tells the story of being in Pattee that day too. He believes he may have been there when it happened. Said he didn’t know anything for a couple days either. When he was finished studying says he just packed up his stuff and walked out. No one checking the doors or anything. Killer probably just walked out with everyone else.

That would creep me out knowing I was there when it happened.

 

[manatree]

I highly recommend 'Murder in the Stacks' by David Dekok. I believe that it is better researched than the book by Derek Sherwood, 'Who Killed Betsy?' Under no circumstances should you ever read Sherwood's 'Nittany Nightmare' which has the research quality of a bad seventh grade paper.

The reason why the crime scene was cleaned up was because the people on the scene were under the impression that she had merely passed out, not that she was dead.

One common source of confusion is to where the murder actually happened. This is due to the fact that level of the stacks were numbered differently back then. At the time of the murder, the levels of the stacks were numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 from the bottom up. Now they they are B, BA, 1, 1A, 2, 2A, & 3 from the bottom up. The body was found on what was called level 2 at the time of the crime but is now called level BA.

 

[Nitknee]

I was a Freshman, blamed the incident for the drop in my gpa, since I had to study at The Den with my false id. It was the only safe place left in town.

 

[step.eng69]

Cindy Song. As far as I know that's still a mystery as well.

No.

Who abducted Cindy Song? The Halloween bunny who disappeared into the night

Cindy Song was set to graduate from Penn State University in a few short months. She was studious, having moved from South Korea to America when she was 15, in order to further her schooling. There…

coldcaseaustralia.home.blog

Cindy Song

Real Name: Hyun Jong Song Nicknames: Cindy (American name) Location: State College, Pennsylvania Date: November 1, 2001 Occupation: College Student Date of Birth: February 25, 1980 Height: 5'1" Weight: 110 lbs Marital Status: Single Characteristics: South Korean female with long black hair and...

unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com

Kar and I were close friends with the parents Mike & Jerry Kerkowski from the time young Mike and his brother, Scott, were in T-Ball and mini football. Scotty was on my teener baseball team, Mike was on our youth fb team.

Mike had an APB on him for selling oxy illegally thru his pharmacy located outside of Tunkhannock. One Saturday morning my wife receives a call from Jerry, that she believes Michael's dead. He was on the lam from authorities and hadn't heard from him for six weeks. The parents and Mike had some sort communication set up with their son. Jerry was right.

Selenski and Weakley would have drug dealers from Philly & NYC come the valley, take them to Selenski's country home to make deals, kill and bury them. He was doing a great job eliminating the vermin.

There is a great deal of information, than mentioned in the articles. If Ms Song was kidnaped and murdered by these people, my wager would be on Selenski and Weakley.

Mike senior was employed by Luzerne Bank and Selenski believed the young Mike was sending drug money for the father to stash. Selenski broke into Mike and Jerry's house and threatened them ...he had Michael & his girlfriend and would kill them if the father didn't cough up the stashed money. Mike and Jerry pretty much knew by this time, that their son was already dead and went to the DA concerning the break in by Selenski.

 

[Schoolie]

52 years later, the unsolved murder of a Penn State student on Thanksgiving weekend in 1969 remains a mystery

The 22-year-old graduate student was stabbed to death in the stacks of the Pattee Library at Penn State on November 28, 1969.

www.yahoo.com

52 years ago yesterday

Anybody here at PSU at that time?

52 years later, the unsolved murder of a Penn State student on Thanksgiving weekend in 1969 remains a mystery

The 22-year-old graduate student was stabbed to death in the stacks of the Pattee Library at Penn State on November 28, 1969.

www.yahoo.com

52 years ago yesterday

Anybody here at PSU at that time?

I enrolled in 1970 after going to Montana State as a freshman. It's one of the first things I remember hearing about. I studied in the stacks quite a bit but there was certainly a lack of females there.

 

[Nitt1300]

my sophomore year- yeah I remember it, it was pretty shocking at the time

 

[troutrus]

Senior year for me. As someone mentioned above, poor girl was in front of the student directory and stories of alphabet serial killer were common.

 

[Jim from Spicewood]

my sophomore year- yeah I remember it, it was pretty shocking at the time

My sophomore year as well. I returned from Thanksgiving break and the guys in the dorm were all talking about it. Other than the great football season, I don't have many pleasant memories of the '69-'70 academic year on campus. The Aardsma murder in the fall followed by the fallout from Kent State in the spring.

 

[Hlstone]

Who abducted Cindy Song? The Halloween bunny who disappeared into the night

Cindy Song was set to graduate from Penn State University in a few short months. She was studious, having moved from South Korea to America when she was 15, in order to further her schooling. There…

coldcaseaustralia.home.blog

Cindy Song

Real Name: Hyun Jong Song Nicknames: Cindy (American name) Location: State College, Pennsylvania Date: November 1, 2001 Occupation: College Student Date of Birth: February 25, 1980 Height: 5'1" Weight: 110 lbs Marital Status: Single Characteristics: South Korean female with long black hair and...

unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com

Kar and I were close friends with the parents Mike & Jerry Kerkowski from the time young Mike and his brother, Scott, were in T-Ball and mini football. Scotty was on my teener baseball team, Mike was on our youth fb team.

Mike had an APB on him for selling oxy illegally thru his pharmacy located outside of Tunkhannock. One Saturday morning my wife receives a call from Jerry, that she believes Michael's dead. He was on the lam from authorities and hadn't heard from him for six weeks. The parents and Mike had some sort communication set up with their son. Jerry was right.

Selenski and Weakley would have drug dealers from Philly & NYC come the valley, take them to Selenski's country home to make deals, kill and bury them. He was doing a great job eliminating the vermin.

There is a great deal of information, than mentioned in the articles. If Ms Song was kidnaped and murdered by these people, my wager would be on Selenski and Weakley.

Mike senior was employed by Luzerne Bank and Selenski believed the young Mike was sending drug money for the father to stash. Selenski broke into Mike and Jerry's house and threatened them ...he had Michael & his girlfriend and would kill them if the father didn't cough up the stashed money. Mike and Jerry pretty much knew by this time, that their son was already dead and went to the DA concerning the break in by Selenski.

I believe Hugo did it as well.

 

[TheBigUglies]

I highly recommend 'Murder in the Stacks' by David Dekok. I believe that it is better researched than the book by Derek Sherwood, 'Who Killed Betsy?' Under no circumstances should you ever read Sherwood's 'Nittany Nightmare' which has the research quality of a bad seventh grade paper.

The reason why the crime scene was cleaned up was because the people on the scene were under the impression that she had merely passed out, not that she was dead.

One common source of confusion is to where the murder actually happened. This is due to the fact that level of the stacks were numbered differently back then. At the time of the murder, the levels of the stacks were numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 from the bottom up. Now they they are B, BA, 1, 1A, 2, 2A, & 3 from the bottom up. The body was found on what was called level 2 at the time of the crime but is now called level BA.

Re-labeled BA for Betsy Aardsma?