Murder of Dennis Jurgens - The 1986 Investigation and 1987 Trial of Lois Jurgens

The 1986 Investigation and 1987 Trial of Lois Jurgens

Now in her late thirties, Dennis' birth mother Jerry Sherwood sought out Dennis in the early 1980s, assuming that he would now be a young adult and (as she had given birth to four more children with Dennis' birth father) that he might want to meet his siblings. Her search led her eventually to his early grave, and her continued investigation led to a phone call to Lois Jurgens inquiring what had happened. Lois was cordial to Jerry, and even offered to mail her some mementos of Dennis. When these mementos never arrived, Sherwood made a second call, only to discover the Jurgens' had switched to an unlisted phone number. This only raised Jerry's suspicions further.

Sherwood eventually found Dennis' death certificate, which was still classified as "deferred," leaving the case technically open. This, coupled with the lack of a statute of limitations for a murder charge, could lead the way to a prosecution of Lois Jurgens. Jerry took her case to the White Bear Lake police department and then to the local media.

On Sunday, October 12, 1986 the St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a cover story about the investigation. Though the name of Dennis' adoptive family was not given, many people suspected that Lois Jurgens was the unnamed murderess. The tenacity of Sherwood, along with the tragedy of her personal loss, kept the story firmly in the public eye until the arraignment of Lois Jurgens, when she was first identified in the media.

Aided by the testimony of the Jurgens' other adopted son, Robert, the prosecution saw Lois Jurgens (now in her 60s), convicted of murder in the third degree and sent to prison. The investigation, trial, and conviction of Lois Jurgens are considered landmarks in the history of child abuse law.