Cold and Missing: Sigrid Stevenson

100:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,780The views and opinions expressed in Cold and Missing are exclusively those of the hosts.200:00:13,780 --> 00:00:18,400All parties mentioned are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.300:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,160Cold and Missing also contains adult themes and languages.400:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,560Listener discretion is advised.500:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,280I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski.600:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,680And I'm your co-host, Eli Sulkowski.700:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,520And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover cold cases and missing person cases.800:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,300Hello everyone and welcome back to Cold and Missing.900:00:37,300 --> 00:00:39,800I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski.1000:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,960And I'm your co-host, Eli Sulkowski.1100:00:42,960 --> 00:00:43,960Hi everyone.1200:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,920I know I haven't been on a few episodes.1300:00:47,920 --> 00:00:55,000And I just want to take a quick moment to say thank you to everyone in your outreach1400:00:55,000 --> 00:01:01,920towards me and Ali during the unexpected passing of my mother.1500:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,760This is honestly probably the first time in my life that I really paid attention to myself1600:01:06,760 --> 00:01:15,680emotionally and took care of myself and just honored and continue to honor my mother in1700:01:15,680 --> 00:01:21,840respecting my grief process, which included not engaging with Cold and Missing in the1800:01:21,840 --> 00:01:27,400way that I had previously, but I've missed recording and I've missed being in the booth1900:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,560with my beautiful and supportive wife.2000:01:32,560 --> 00:01:40,360And I've just, I've missed being a part of what our mission is here, which is to help2100:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,760people find answers.2200:01:43,760 --> 00:01:51,680My mother was a true crime sleuth, just like Ali and I.2300:01:51,680 --> 00:01:57,280She is still someone, I still actively talk to her all the time.2400:01:57,280 --> 00:02:08,240She's someone who stood for what my wife stands for in the mission of creating this podcast.2500:02:08,240 --> 00:02:16,200And she also, I know it's Halloween and around Halloween and she loved just spooky season2600:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,040horror films as well.2700:02:18,040 --> 00:02:19,040And so do I.2800:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,000Yeah, she was a part of this community.2900:02:23,000 --> 00:02:30,160So anytime you see a pink flower that really stands out to you, that's my mom saying hello.3000:02:30,160 --> 00:02:35,520But with that, I am grateful to be back and I'm looking forward to this episode.3100:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,240But what do you have for us this week?3200:02:38,240 --> 00:02:44,680So today we are covering a cold case and this comes from Ewing Township, New Jersey.3300:02:44,680 --> 00:02:46,880All right, let's get into it.3400:02:46,880 --> 00:02:51,000And just as a content warning at the top, there are some brief mentions of sexual assault.3500:02:51,000 --> 00:02:56,120So today we are talking about the cold case of Sigrid Stevenson.3600:02:56,120 --> 00:03:02,280And this takes place in September, 1977 in Ewing Township, New Jersey.3700:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,480But first a little bit about Sigrid.3800:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,640Sigrid was 25 years old in 1977.3900:03:07,640 --> 00:03:12,800She was enrolled at Trenton State College, which is now known as the College of New Jersey.4000:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,760There she was pursuing her masters in music with hopes of one day becoming a teacher.4100:03:17,760 --> 00:03:19,800Sigrid loved playing the piano.4200:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,120It was her passion.4300:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,860And so many memories of her friends from college involved her sitting at the piano bench.4400:03:25,860 --> 00:03:28,480She was a fearless free spirit.4500:03:28,480 --> 00:03:34,080At this time in 1977, she had hitchhiked through Canada and New England as a summer trip and4600:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,220she followed her own path.4700:03:36,220 --> 00:03:41,080Sigrid loved playing the piano so much that she often snuck into buildings and spent the4800:03:41,080 --> 00:03:45,060night in them so she could play into the night and early in the morning.4900:03:45,060 --> 00:03:49,120She was passionate and kind and marched to the beat of her own drum.5000:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,040And now a timeline of events.5100:03:52,040 --> 00:03:58,320On Friday, September 2, 1977, Sigrid returns back to campus after her hitchhiking adventure5200:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,640across Canada and New England.5300:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,440According to reports at this time, she was renting a room from a college professor during5400:04:04,440 --> 00:04:09,600the summer, but classes were set to start on Thursday after the Labor Day holiday.5500:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,780So she would have been moving back into her dorm on Tuesday or Wednesday.5600:04:13,780 --> 00:04:19,200On Saturday, September 3, a friend of Sigrid said that they saw her at the movies about5700:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,88015 miles from campus that afternoon.5800:04:22,880 --> 00:04:27,440That evening, Sigrid headed over to Kendall Hall on campus to watch the final performance5900:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,740of the play JB.6000:04:29,740 --> 00:04:35,100And just as a side note, this is a play about the retelling of Job from the Bible.6100:04:35,100 --> 00:04:40,040After the show, Sigrid chatted with some of the cast and crew in the basement dressing room.6200:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,780Sigrid told them that she was locked out of her rented room and had planned to spend the6300:04:43,780 --> 00:04:46,480night in Kendall Hall to practice the piano.6400:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,720Again, this is something that she had done in the past.6500:04:49,720 --> 00:04:53,280She planned to sleep in a practice room or under the stage.6600:04:53,280 --> 00:04:57,920That night, while at Kendall Hall, Sigrid wrote in her journal that she kept hearing loud6700:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,280banging coming from the theater that was keeping her up.6800:05:01,280 --> 00:05:04,920The cast and crew were tearing down the set from JB.6900:05:04,920 --> 00:05:10,160Sigrid wanted to wake up early so she could practice the piano and leave before 11 a.m.7000:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,480when the guard comes by.7100:05:13,480 --> 00:05:17,200Sigrid had gotten into trouble for being in locked buildings before and wanted to avoid7200:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,420the confrontation.7300:05:19,420 --> 00:05:26,040On Sunday, September 4, 1977, at around 1130 p.m., a guard was doing his rounds when he7400:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,960noticed Sigrid's green bicycle was locked up in front of Kendall Hall.7500:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,360The campus was mostly deserted at this time.7600:05:33,360 --> 00:05:38,040There were only around 50 people on campus and with the next day being Labor Day, the7700:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,840guard seemed to think that the bike was out of place.7800:05:40,840 --> 00:05:43,760So he unlocked Kendall Hall and went in to look around.7900:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,660That's when he makes the awful discovery of Sigrid's body.8000:05:47,660 --> 00:05:51,560She was center stage in the theater, surrounded by a pool of blood.8100:05:51,560 --> 00:05:52,560She was nude.8200:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,560Her jeans were found nearby and her shirt was pulled up over her head.8300:05:56,560 --> 00:06:01,280Her wrists had been tied behind her back and she was covered up by a piano cover.8400:06:01,280 --> 00:06:05,200Sigrid's feet were bare and there were dirt and blood on the bottom of them.8500:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,360Sigrid was beaten so badly that she was unrecognizable.8600:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,480When her friends came to the police station to confirm her ID, they were only able to8700:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,620tell it was her by her hair.8800:06:14,620 --> 00:06:18,880The attack was brutal and blood was sprayed across the sheet of music on the piano that8900:06:18,880 --> 00:06:20,500she had been practicing.9000:06:20,500 --> 00:06:25,880In the theater, police found Sigrid's wallet with her driver's license, $7 in cash, and9100:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,560some travelers checks.9200:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,440Police assume because she was found nude that she had been raped, but her autopsy will show9300:06:31,440 --> 00:06:32,720that she was not.9400:06:32,720 --> 00:06:38,560On Monday, September 5th, the Mercer County Medical Examiner, Dr. Abmed, determines that9500:06:38,560 --> 00:06:43,520Sigrid was beaten to death with a blunt object and had died as a result of blood clots and9600:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,080a severe loss of blood.9700:06:46,080 --> 00:06:50,120Sigrid had 15 deep scalp wounds which fractured her skull and face.9800:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,400Her nose was broken and so were two of her ribs.9900:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,920She also had bruises on her chest and elbow.10000:06:56,920 --> 00:07:01,200Police are back on the college campus and searching Kendall Hall.10100:07:01,200 --> 00:07:06,760They find Sigrid's backpack in a different part of the hall and inside was her journal.10200:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,660She had recently wrote about how she was out of practice and her fingers were stiff.10300:07:11,660 --> 00:07:16,600Police begin to question the cast of JB, which was around 16 people.10400:07:16,600 --> 00:07:21,160One member of the play mentioned to police that they had seen Sigrid playing the piano10500:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,760in Kendall Hall over the summer.10600:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,320He was surprised to see her since the building was always locked and the theater company10700:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,320had to find someone with a key to unlock it for them.10800:07:30,320 --> 00:07:35,000I did read reports that there was a door on Kendall Hall that if you pulled with enough10900:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,080force would open even if it was locked.11000:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,240Police didn't notice any signs of forced entry at Kendall Hall.11100:07:42,240 --> 00:07:47,520Tuesday, September 6th, police have no firm leads on who would kill Sigrid and beg the11200:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,120public to come forward with any information that they might have.11300:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,560Police refused to say what time they believe that she was killed.11400:07:54,560 --> 00:07:59,420Personally, I think she was killed Sunday morning based off of her journal entry.11500:07:59,420 --> 00:08:03,520Also since she was killed on stage next to the piano she was playing and she had plans11600:08:03,520 --> 00:08:07,820to play in the morning, but again nothing is confirmed by police.11700:08:07,820 --> 00:08:12,100Police also don't have the murder weapon, but they theorize that either the killer brought11800:08:12,100 --> 00:08:17,340something in and carried it back out or that a 2x4 was used.11900:08:17,340 --> 00:08:22,340A 2x4 was used to prop the piano that Sigrid was playing when she was attacked and it was12000:08:22,340 --> 00:08:24,760missing after the murder.12100:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,000Police continue to question the cast.12200:08:27,000 --> 00:08:32,520One member of the cast, Sidney Porcelain, was a well-known psychic in New Jersey.12300:08:32,520 --> 00:08:36,540He had helped police on prior cases and offered to help here.12400:08:36,540 --> 00:08:41,060Police initially looked at him as a person of interest, but after they were able to confirm12500:08:41,060 --> 00:08:47,520the 24 hours after the play of his alibi they let him handle Sigrid's backpack in journal.12600:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,660When he handled the backpack he said quote,12700:08:49,660 --> 00:08:52,200I suddenly know how she was killed.12800:08:52,200 --> 00:08:57,960She was hit on both the right and left sides of her head, but more strongly on the right.12900:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,200When he handled the journal he said quote,13000:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,320I felt something was wrong with my fingers because my own fingers felt strange when I13100:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,960held the notebook.13200:09:06,960 --> 00:09:12,000Sigrid did write that her fingers were stiff as mentioned earlier, but police say that13300:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,240Sidney did not open or read the journal at all.13400:09:15,240 --> 00:09:19,600On Wednesday, September 7th, as more and more students returned to campus for the start13500:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,700of the school year, Sigrid's friends are questioned by police as well.13600:09:23,700 --> 00:09:27,080One of her friends, Marie DePascal, said quote,13700:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,560I think she was too friendly for her own good.13800:09:29,560 --> 00:09:31,720She would talk to anybody.13900:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,700The school urges students to walk with a friend at night and to lock their doors when they14000:09:35,700 --> 00:09:38,920step out for a minute and when they're napping and sleeping.14100:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,640Police had ruled out robbery as a motive since all of her money and travelers' checks were14200:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,700in her wallet.14300:09:44,700 --> 00:09:49,100Over the next several weeks, police turned to question the campus security, which consisted14400:09:49,100 --> 00:09:53,300of 12 armed officers and 8 security guards.14500:09:53,300 --> 00:09:57,360The Ewing Township police also had to turn in their billy clubs and handcuffs to the14600:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,080state police to search for evidence of blood or hair.14700:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,360Investigators are interested in campus security, as one of their biggest clues in this case14800:10:05,360 --> 00:10:09,300was actually the piano cover that Sigrid was covered up by.14900:10:09,300 --> 00:10:15,260The cover came from a $10,000 Mason & Hamlin grand piano that was kept in the concert room15000:10:15,260 --> 00:10:18,060of Bray Hall, which is no longer on campus.15100:10:18,060 --> 00:10:20,280It was demolished in 1999.15200:10:20,280 --> 00:10:25,600Bray Hall was about 75 feet from Kendall Hall and was another locked building.15300:10:25,600 --> 00:10:30,240Furthermore, the concert room where the grand piano was kept was also locked and had no15400:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,420windows since thousands of dollars of musical equipment was kept there.15500:10:34,420 --> 00:10:38,720To get the cover from Bray Hall to Kendall Hall, you would need three keys.15600:10:38,720 --> 00:10:43,320One for the concert room, one for Bray Hall, and then one for Kendall Hall.15700:10:43,320 --> 00:10:47,680The supervisor of the graduate music program and the chair of the music department did15800:10:47,680 --> 00:10:49,780not have all three keys.15900:10:49,780 --> 00:10:54,880The janitors assigned to Bray and Kendall Hall did not have all three keys.16000:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,420Only campus security would have had all three keys.16100:10:58,420 --> 00:11:02,440Now while there was rumor to be a door in Kendall Hall that if you pulled hard enough16200:11:02,440 --> 00:11:07,080would come unlocked, everybody insists that there was no way to gain access to the concert16300:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,180room without keys.16400:11:09,180 --> 00:11:14,780The head of the graduate music program, Stanley Austin, said, quote, Believe me, if there16500:11:14,780 --> 00:11:19,440was a way anyone could have gotten access to the concert room and the grand piano, Sigrid16600:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,020would have found it, end quote.16700:11:22,020 --> 00:11:26,240Someone in the music department swore that they had seen the cover on the grand piano16800:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,180just weeks before Sigrid's murder and there would have been no reason that it would have16900:11:30,180 --> 00:11:32,980been moved before the murder took place.17000:11:32,980 --> 00:11:36,840Someone in the music department swore that they had seen the cover on the grand piano17100:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,100just weeks before Sigrid's murder and there would be no reason that it would have been17200:11:41,100 --> 00:11:43,640moved before the murder took place.17300:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,680One campus security guard is brought in for questioning since he had been friendly with17400:11:47,680 --> 00:11:51,240Sigrid, but he is let go and no charges are filed.17500:11:51,240 --> 00:11:55,740The next update I could really find on this case comes in 1979.17600:11:55,740 --> 00:12:00,900It's been two years since the murder and police are no closer to solving it then than17700:12:00,900 --> 00:12:03,020they were in 1977.17800:12:03,020 --> 00:12:08,940The Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor, Paul O'Gara says, quote, We have no individual17900:12:08,940 --> 00:12:13,840suspects, only a large group of people who were on campus at that time.18000:12:13,840 --> 00:12:18,180For that matter, it could have been somebody wandering through campus, end quote.18100:12:18,180 --> 00:12:22,080And then after this, the case truly seems to go cold.18200:12:22,080 --> 00:12:26,780The next article I could find on this comes from 2016.18300:12:26,780 --> 00:12:29,960So that's 39 years after the murder.18400:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,740Students at the college have said that there is a ghost in Kendall Hall and that Sigrid18500:12:33,740 --> 00:12:35,920is the spirit behind it.18600:12:35,920 --> 00:12:40,060Students say they have heard footsteps when nobody is there, doors open and shut on their18700:12:40,060 --> 00:12:41,300own.18800:12:41,300 --> 00:12:45,600And one student claims that in the bathroom, she saw a paper towel float from one side18900:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,640of the room and into the trash can on the other side of the room.19000:12:49,640 --> 00:12:54,220Another psychic visited the campus in 2016, but they wish to remain anonymous when they19100:12:54,220 --> 00:12:55,980spoke to the newspaper.19200:12:55,980 --> 00:13:00,620They told the local paper, quote, When she was on stage, this guy was watching her for19300:13:00,620 --> 00:13:02,300a little while.19400:13:02,300 --> 00:13:06,540Either her back was turned while she was on the piano, or she was too involved with her19500:13:06,540 --> 00:13:08,300music to notice.19600:13:08,300 --> 00:13:11,780I think he was in uniform and had curly hair.19700:13:11,780 --> 00:13:14,660He had something on his pants, something like keys.19800:13:14,660 --> 00:13:16,300She knew him but not well.19900:13:16,300 --> 00:13:19,180He made in advance, but she fought back.20000:13:19,180 --> 00:13:25,100He got angry, and when he got tough, she scratched and did something near his eye.20100:13:25,100 --> 00:13:26,700That's when he got violent.20200:13:26,700 --> 00:13:28,780He knew she was there that night.20300:13:28,780 --> 00:13:32,060And this guy was sick, borderline stalker.20400:13:32,060 --> 00:13:35,380There was a place on stage where he could hide and watch her.20500:13:35,380 --> 00:13:39,840He made advances at her before, but she had ignored him, made small talk.20600:13:39,840 --> 00:13:41,920But that night was different.20700:13:41,920 --> 00:13:46,200After he killed her, he discarded his clothes in a dumpster behind a store.20800:13:46,200 --> 00:13:50,660He didn't appear to be old, probably in his late 20s or 30s, so he'd be in his 50s or20900:13:50,660 --> 00:13:51,66060s today.21000:13:51,660 --> 00:13:55,220I think he has health problems and has moved far away."21100:13:55,220 --> 00:13:56,220End quote.21200:13:56,220 --> 00:14:00,440After this story runs in the newspaper, a woman writes in who is a freshman on campus21300:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,600the year Sigrid was murdered.21400:14:02,600 --> 00:14:08,000She claims that no one on campus talked about it and it almost seemed forbidden by the administration.21500:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,500She laments the fact that there is no plaque or scholarship to remember Sigrid by.21600:14:12,500 --> 00:14:16,500She says, quote, the fact that her murder has become a ghost story is further insult21700:14:16,500 --> 00:14:18,340to this young woman's dignity.21800:14:18,340 --> 00:14:21,940Not only was she brutally murdered, her killer was never found.21900:14:21,940 --> 00:14:25,920And now her murder has been reduced to entertainment for college students.22000:14:25,920 --> 00:14:27,060End quote.22100:14:27,060 --> 00:14:31,480And that is really the last update that I could find on this case.22200:14:31,480 --> 00:14:39,060So if you know anything about the murder of Sigrid Stevenson in September of 1977, please22300:14:39,060 --> 00:14:46,160call the Mercer County Sheriff's Office at 609-989-6125.22400:14:46,160 --> 00:14:51,380And the sources for the timeline today come from The Millville Daily, The Courier News,22500:14:51,380 --> 00:14:56,540Courier Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Peninsula Times Tribune, The Jersey Journal,22600:14:56,540 --> 00:15:01,180The Record, Oakland Tribune, Daily News, and Ashbury Park Press.22700:15:01,180 --> 00:15:04,940So that is the case of Sigrid Stevenson.22800:15:04,940 --> 00:15:14,620I mean, I'm never expecting anything, I guess, when I am learning about a new case.22900:15:14,620 --> 00:15:19,820But it certainly wasn't this.23000:15:19,820 --> 00:15:35,180And my first reaction, honestly, is that it was just major echoes of the 70s and women's bodies,23100:15:35,180 --> 00:15:47,700like lives, names, history experiences were just discarded in such a careless way.23200:15:47,700 --> 00:15:53,340And there's so much of it at that time because it's, you think of, I mean, I think of the23300:15:53,340 --> 00:16:00,14070s and I think of like a serial killer, like, I hate to call it this, but like era, the23400:16:00,140 --> 00:16:03,460viciousness in the details.23500:16:03,460 --> 00:16:11,340And then I'm not even going to say like lack of follow through, the failure of follow through.23600:16:11,340 --> 00:16:20,860It's, I mean, one just like unacceptable that I'm so glad that you brought this case to23700:16:20,860 --> 00:16:21,860us.23800:16:21,860 --> 00:16:24,980I'm really sad that I didn't know about it until now.23900:16:24,980 --> 00:16:28,900But yeah, my first reaction is like, I'm disgusted.24000:16:28,900 --> 00:16:33,580I'm like amped up and super angry about this.24100:16:33,580 --> 00:16:35,060Totally.24200:16:35,060 --> 00:16:38,020And I don't know if you had this experience, but I know it's something that I had when24300:16:38,020 --> 00:16:39,060I was researching it.24400:16:39,060 --> 00:16:42,980It's like I knew a bunch of cigarettes in college.24500:16:42,980 --> 00:16:47,820You know, I was, I studied theater and our theater building and the music department,24600:16:47,820 --> 00:16:52,900like they all shared, you know, a building where all our classes were, where the theaters24700:16:52,900 --> 00:16:54,020were.24800:16:54,020 --> 00:16:59,860And I knew people who would sleep in the building to like get extra practice or to stay up late24900:16:59,860 --> 00:17:00,860and work on something.25000:17:00,860 --> 00:17:02,980I used to sleep in the theater green room.25100:17:02,980 --> 00:17:06,900Like I bought a blanket and a pillow to keep down there because I would nap down there25200:17:06,900 --> 00:17:07,900so often.25300:17:07,900 --> 00:17:17,140And this to me was like, I know so many people like Sigrid and I myself like saw my myself25400:17:17,140 --> 00:17:20,880kind of reflected in her of just like being so passionate about what you're studying and25500:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,180like eating, sleeping, breathing the piano.25600:17:24,180 --> 00:17:28,220Like I don't play the piano, but that's how I felt about theater when I was in college.25700:17:28,220 --> 00:17:35,180And it's disgusting to me to think of like that theater space where it is so vulnerable.25800:17:35,180 --> 00:17:38,980Like, you know, like you're moving through your college years, you're practicing this25900:17:38,980 --> 00:17:44,200vulnerability on stage and music, playing music can be a very vulnerable experience.26000:17:44,200 --> 00:17:48,460And there she was probably playing barefoot the piano since she was found without her26100:17:48,460 --> 00:17:54,900shoes on and she was attacked and like center stage.26200:17:54,900 --> 00:17:59,860Like it's just, it's like almost theatrical in like how it all happened.26300:17:59,860 --> 00:18:05,980And I just really deeply felt for Sigrid in this case.26400:18:05,980 --> 00:18:10,140It was just so astonishing to me that this could happen.26500:18:10,140 --> 00:18:11,140Yes.26600:18:11,140 --> 00:18:19,100I, I, I hear you because I too, same thing, but like those little rooms and the, yeah,26700:18:19,100 --> 00:18:21,960my second reaction was how dare you?26800:18:21,960 --> 00:18:29,100Like you like ripped someone from their moment of like, what sounds like to me, like her26900:18:29,100 --> 00:18:33,260vocation, like prayer to me.27000:18:33,260 --> 00:18:35,180I might, yeah.27100:18:35,180 --> 00:18:39,220My question is more directly for you is who do you think did it?27200:18:39,220 --> 00:18:44,420And I know, you know, I know you believe that it was someone who knew her, knew the building,27300:18:44,420 --> 00:18:48,000knew the space because that's the only way.27400:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,500And I know it was like Labor Day weekend, but that campus was empty.27500:18:52,500 --> 00:18:59,300Someone had to know and I have some opinions, but.27600:18:59,300 --> 00:19:00,300Yeah.27700:19:00,300 --> 00:19:03,660I mean, to me it comes down to those three keys.27800:19:03,660 --> 00:19:06,660Who had access to those three keys?27900:19:06,660 --> 00:19:11,740Who would have access to all three of those keys to get the piano cover from the grand28000:19:11,740 --> 00:19:17,380piano in a completely different building in a very secure locked tight room.28100:19:17,380 --> 00:19:23,820I mean, even the graduate music director, he like kind of joked and said, if there was28200:19:23,820 --> 00:19:29,420a way for somebody to get into the concert room and get access to the grand piano, Sigrid28300:19:29,420 --> 00:19:31,220would have found it already.28400:19:31,220 --> 00:19:36,380So the only way to get it was with a key.28500:19:36,380 --> 00:19:43,020But also firefighters are very, very, very strong and like part of their job is to like28600:19:43,020 --> 00:19:45,620break through into spaces.28700:19:45,620 --> 00:19:49,020But there was no sign of forced entry anywhere.28800:19:49,020 --> 00:19:50,980But did they actually look?28900:19:50,980 --> 00:19:53,300I don't think that they looked.29000:19:53,300 --> 00:19:57,860I really don't think they did because of, I mean, this is just my own like reaction,29100:19:57,860 --> 00:20:00,140honestly, in speculation.29200:20:00,140 --> 00:20:05,920I personally think that even if the police didn't look, the music department looked.29300:20:05,920 --> 00:20:07,220Those who loved Sigrid looked.29400:20:07,220 --> 00:20:08,220Yeah, you're right.29500:20:08,220 --> 00:20:11,440And there was no sign of forced entry.29600:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,900The concert room was very secure because of the thousands of dollars.29700:20:14,900 --> 00:20:15,900So they were very careful.29800:20:15,900 --> 00:20:17,860Like there were no windows in that room.29900:20:17,860 --> 00:20:21,820It was an interior room and it was always locked.30000:20:21,820 --> 00:20:28,100And even, you know, the music department's heads, they only had keys to the music hall30100:20:28,100 --> 00:20:33,180or sorry, they only had keys to the concert room and Bray Hall, but they wouldn't have30200:20:33,180 --> 00:20:35,300keys to Kendall Hall.30300:20:35,300 --> 00:20:38,900Now there is a rumor that there was a door that if you yanked hard enough, even if it30400:20:38,900 --> 00:20:40,180was locked, you could get in.30500:20:40,180 --> 00:20:46,100And so perhaps in theory, you only needed two keys, but whoever had access to those30600:20:46,100 --> 00:20:53,420two keys would also need to know where that door is and know that it was a potentially30700:20:53,420 --> 00:20:54,420a weak point.30800:20:54,420 --> 00:20:58,120And again, like I couldn't find specifics on this door.30900:20:58,120 --> 00:21:03,300It was just kind of a rumor talked about at the time that there was a door that with enough31000:21:03,300 --> 00:21:05,940force could be opened even if it was locked.31100:21:05,940 --> 00:21:06,940Okay.31200:21:06,940 --> 00:21:15,260I mean, again, I'm not sure if I have this like phrased in a question, but I instantly31300:21:15,260 --> 00:21:19,460was like renting a room from a professor or whatever.31400:21:19,460 --> 00:21:22,420I was just like, that's odd.31500:21:22,420 --> 00:21:27,860And like the misinformation, there was like maybe one or two, there were two professors31600:21:27,860 --> 00:21:31,220or there was just one professor that she rented from.31700:21:31,220 --> 00:21:39,620Yeah, so in 1977, the newspaper report said that she was renting a room from a professor,31800:21:39,620 --> 00:21:41,620which I know you find strange.31900:21:41,620 --> 00:21:45,820I don't find that strange because I was very close with a lot of my theater professors32000:21:45,820 --> 00:21:50,700and I could see myself if I needed to in the summertime being like, Hey, can I rent a room32100:21:50,700 --> 00:21:51,700from you?32200:21:51,700 --> 00:21:55,180Like that makes sense to me in some aspects.32300:21:55,180 --> 00:22:02,620Honestly, I think it depends on like, I hate that it plays a factor here, but like age32400:22:02,620 --> 00:22:13,340and you know, partner status and if a person had kids or you know, like, I don't know anything32500:22:13,340 --> 00:22:15,020about those individuals.32600:22:15,020 --> 00:22:20,820So all what I immediately thought was like, the professor or not cool with kids or not.32700:22:20,820 --> 00:22:23,040That's like a creepy old man thing to do.32800:22:23,040 --> 00:22:24,800That's the first thing that I thought.32900:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,140I was like, that's creepy.33000:22:27,140 --> 00:22:29,900And I think that's fair.33100:22:29,900 --> 00:22:33,140But like, again, I could also have seen myself in college.33200:22:33,140 --> 00:22:34,460Yeah, same for me.33300:22:34,460 --> 00:22:37,500I mean, you know, I was very close with my advisor.33400:22:37,500 --> 00:22:43,100I'm just saying like the possibility of it being like a skeevy thing is real.33500:22:43,100 --> 00:22:48,800Yeah, but she was also staying there all summer and she had been like hitchhiking around.33600:22:48,800 --> 00:22:50,620So she had been in and out.33700:22:50,620 --> 00:22:53,720I'm not sure why she was locked out of a room that she was renting.33800:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,180That was the part that was strange to me.33900:22:55,180 --> 00:22:58,100Like why couldn't she get back in?34000:22:58,100 --> 00:23:03,980Later when I was researching this, not the reports from 1977, but other reports said34100:23:03,980 --> 00:23:10,780that she might have been dating a firefighter, but I couldn't find anything from that time.34200:23:10,780 --> 00:23:16,340And I wasn't sure if those were just like details that got tacked on as part of like34300:23:16,340 --> 00:23:20,500the ghost story and the lore of her.34400:23:20,500 --> 00:23:26,260But from the 1977 articles, I couldn't find that she was dating anybody, seeing anybody34500:23:26,260 --> 00:23:30,140or staying with anybody besides this rented room from a professor.34600:23:30,140 --> 00:23:31,140Okay.34700:23:31,140 --> 00:23:36,100But again, for me, it just comes down to those three keys because somebody would have had34800:23:36,100 --> 00:23:39,420to have the key for the concert room.34900:23:39,420 --> 00:23:41,340So that's where I would start.35000:23:41,340 --> 00:23:47,180If I was investigating it, I would start with whoever had those keys and work my way out35100:23:47,180 --> 00:23:48,180from there.35200:23:48,180 --> 00:23:56,020Yeah, the fact that this is not solved is, again, I mean, maybe I'm like this, it's35300:23:56,020 --> 00:23:57,020unacceptable.35400:23:57,020 --> 00:23:58,020How?35500:23:58,020 --> 00:23:59,020Like how?35600:23:59,020 --> 00:24:00,780Oh, man.35700:24:00,780 --> 00:24:06,820And there were only around 50 people on campus when the murder took place.35800:24:06,820 --> 00:24:11,740So to me, I'm like, that's kind of a small pool to start from.35900:24:11,740 --> 00:24:16,940You know, the assistant prosecutor a few years later says like, everybody that was on campus36000:24:16,940 --> 00:24:18,500is essentially a suspect.36100:24:18,500 --> 00:24:22,260But then again, it could have been somebody just wandering through campus.36200:24:22,260 --> 00:24:24,820Because it was the Labor Day weekend.36300:24:24,820 --> 00:24:28,140I guess I don't know if that area was busy or not.36400:24:28,140 --> 00:24:31,380But you know, a lot of people go in and out of town, essentially.36500:24:31,380 --> 00:24:39,860So there is an opportunity for, you know, the, I guess, like trope of like the person36600:24:39,860 --> 00:24:43,060passing through town, that guy passing through town or whatever.36700:24:43,060 --> 00:24:44,060Right.36800:24:44,060 --> 00:24:51,940And I tend to count that out because of this piano cover that came from another part of36900:24:51,940 --> 00:24:54,500campus in a locked room.37000:24:54,500 --> 00:24:57,820Like you would have to know that it was there to go get it.37100:24:57,820 --> 00:25:01,420You know, if it's in an interior room with no windows, like.37200:25:01,420 --> 00:25:03,620It also signals to me that it was personal.37300:25:03,620 --> 00:25:09,060That person was like, some part of them, whether they felt bad or not, knew it was wrong.37400:25:09,060 --> 00:25:12,740Knew that they not even wrong, but like, I'm not supposed to do this.37500:25:12,740 --> 00:25:13,740Right.37600:25:13,740 --> 00:25:17,380I mean, I'm sort of shame in it or whatever.37700:25:17,380 --> 00:25:24,820But like, I guess I don't really need to like say more about the state of her.37800:25:24,820 --> 00:25:31,140But to me, the details of it is, it sounded very personal.37900:25:31,140 --> 00:25:33,780Yeah, it's brutal.38000:25:33,780 --> 00:25:34,780It's brutal.38100:25:34,780 --> 00:25:35,780Unhinged.38200:25:35,780 --> 00:25:36,780Unhinged.38300:25:36,780 --> 00:25:39,780That like, oh god.38400:25:39,780 --> 00:25:44,500That poor, those, her parents, they.38500:25:44,500 --> 00:25:45,500Yeah.38600:25:45,500 --> 00:25:51,300And you know, her parents at this time are in California, so they are completely across38700:25:51,300 --> 00:25:53,020the country while she's out here.38800:25:53,020 --> 00:25:54,940They have both passed.38900:25:54,940 --> 00:25:55,940Yes.39000:25:55,940 --> 00:25:56,940Right.39100:25:56,940 --> 00:25:57,940Yeah.39200:25:57,940 --> 00:25:59,540Like died without answers.39300:25:59,540 --> 00:26:00,540I.39400:26:00,540 --> 00:26:04,140It's heartbreak.39500:26:04,140 --> 00:26:11,100It is heartbreaking, like in the wake of what happened, that it was almost like next to39600:26:11,100 --> 00:26:12,100nothing.39700:26:12,100 --> 00:26:18,140I'm really glad that you brought this to us.39800:26:18,140 --> 00:26:23,860And you know, I kind of agree with the woman who wrote in one of the last things I said,39900:26:23,860 --> 00:26:29,300that it is kind of a tragedy that Sigrid has been reduced to a ghost story.40000:26:29,300 --> 00:26:31,500You know, I'm somebody, I love a good ghost story.40100:26:31,500 --> 00:26:32,500I love.40200:26:32,500 --> 00:26:36,100Like, I personally, I believe in ghosts.40300:26:36,100 --> 00:26:41,820I believe that spirits can communicate with us after they've passed on.40400:26:41,820 --> 00:26:47,260If energy can neither be created nor destroyed, that energy has to go somewhere.40500:26:47,260 --> 00:26:54,340But in this case, I do think that it's very easy to say this is a ghost story and forget40600:26:54,340 --> 00:27:00,420that Sigrid was a very real person who could be alive today, who should be alive today.40700:27:00,420 --> 00:27:01,420Yeah.40800:27:01,420 --> 00:27:05,300You know, 19 should be like happy in like her later years.40900:27:05,300 --> 00:27:06,300Exactly.41000:27:06,300 --> 00:27:14,540You know, it's to me, it's very heartbreaking that she's reduced to a ghost story when her41100:27:14,540 --> 00:27:19,820case is talked about now, as opposed to a cold case that could still be solved.41200:27:19,820 --> 00:27:22,380We see cases get solved years later.41300:27:22,380 --> 00:27:27,180I mean, we saw it with the Betty Rolfe case, you know, years and years later, it can be41400:27:27,180 --> 00:27:28,180solved.41500:27:28,180 --> 00:27:30,300So like, this is still something that still can be solved.41600:27:30,300 --> 00:27:34,860So I think there should be more respect to it.41700:27:34,860 --> 00:27:39,020And I think you can acknowledge, you know, if there is spirit at Kendall Hall, like,41800:27:39,020 --> 00:27:44,100I think it's okay to acknowledge that it could be Sigrid saying, look at my case, something41900:27:44,100 --> 00:27:45,100happened to me.42000:27:45,100 --> 00:27:46,100Help me.42100:27:46,100 --> 00:27:47,100Help me.42200:27:47,100 --> 00:27:49,740Yeah, like, please help me, someone.42300:27:49,740 --> 00:27:56,260Like, I mean, instantly, I felt that reaction of just like, there is something you can,42400:27:56,260 --> 00:27:57,860there is something we can do.42500:27:57,860 --> 00:27:58,860Absolutely.42600:27:58,860 --> 00:28:05,620And again, just like, it is a small suspect pool of 50 people, essentially, that were42700:28:05,620 --> 00:28:10,820on campus and an even smaller pool when you start to get into who had keys and who could42800:28:10,820 --> 00:28:11,820get them.42900:28:11,820 --> 00:28:17,100Her name and like what she did, you know, the piano, like the uniqueness surrounding43000:28:17,100 --> 00:28:21,900this like, again, to echo you, very real person.43100:28:21,900 --> 00:28:27,620I felt, and like the smallness of the community, like, someone knows something.43200:28:27,620 --> 00:28:29,860Oh, like, oh, Sigrid was blah, blah, blah.43300:28:29,860 --> 00:28:33,140Like, someone knows something.43400:28:33,140 --> 00:28:38,340And it could even be like, somebody who acted strangely after this happened, you know, somebody43500:28:38,340 --> 00:28:44,820who got up, you know, quit their job unexpectedly and moved, you know, like those things that43600:28:44,820 --> 00:28:49,220we kind of look for today that police kind of encourage whenever cases get cold, like43700:28:49,220 --> 00:28:51,340to think back, did someone miss appointments?43800:28:51,340 --> 00:28:55,060Did someone start acting strangely, change their facial hair, change their appearance,43900:28:55,060 --> 00:29:00,500anything like that, which I think in today's age, we kind of know to look for.44000:29:00,500 --> 00:29:03,900But in 1977, I don't think that was communicated as well.44100:29:03,900 --> 00:29:08,340So like, well, no, and people also had the attitude of not that guy.44200:29:08,340 --> 00:29:09,340There's no way.44300:29:09,340 --> 00:29:11,660Oh, no, no, not him.44400:29:11,660 --> 00:29:14,580I think this case is solvable.44500:29:14,580 --> 00:29:19,460And you know, if I got to sit down and just open the case file, I would think that there44600:29:19,460 --> 00:29:22,780were people that were of interest to the police.44700:29:22,780 --> 00:29:26,820Like we know that a security guard was brought in for additional questioning because him44800:29:26,820 --> 00:29:30,540and Sigrid had been friendly.44900:29:30,540 --> 00:29:35,500We know that a couple of the cast members were brought in for additional questioning,45000:29:35,500 --> 00:29:37,580but their alibis were all able to be confirmed.45100:29:37,580 --> 00:29:40,500So I would be curious, why was the security guard let go?45200:29:40,500 --> 00:29:42,380Were you able to confirm an alibi?45300:29:42,380 --> 00:29:51,380Like, because that does seem to be where newspaper reports kind of point to, saying that only45400:29:51,380 --> 00:29:55,300campus security would have had all three keys.45500:29:55,300 --> 00:30:01,300But again, if you know anything about the murder of Sigrid Stevenson in September of45600:30:01,300 --> 00:30:10,4201977, please call the Mercer County Police at 609-989-6125.45700:30:10,420 --> 00:30:14,540And we will be posting pictures that we have of Sigrid up on our Instagram.45800:30:14,540 --> 00:30:20,340So if you're not following us there, please do at Cold and Missing will pop right up.45900:30:20,340 --> 00:30:23,340Also on our website, we'll have transcripts of this episode.46000:30:23,340 --> 00:30:28,780So you can read if that's easier for you or somebody that you love to engage with this46100:30:28,780 --> 00:30:30,380podcast, please find us there.46200:30:30,380 --> 00:30:38,660And any additional information like our videos from YouTube are also up on our website, www.coldandmissing.com.46300:30:38,660 --> 00:30:43,380And while you're in your podcast app, if you wouldn't mind giving us a rate and a written46400:30:43,380 --> 00:30:50,300review if you're an Apple podcast, it helps others find this podcast, find this case.46500:30:50,300 --> 00:30:55,140And gets people involved and activated on these cases.46600:30:55,140 --> 00:31:02,380So just by rating and reviewing, you are supporting the Missing and Murdered, which is the main46700:31:02,380 --> 00:31:08,660purpose of this podcast is to get answers for missing and murdered people.46800:31:08,660 --> 00:31:09,980But that's all I have.46900:31:09,980 --> 00:31:12,660So thank you again for listening to Cold and Missing.47000:31:12,660 --> 00:31:15,060I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski.47100:31:15,060 --> 00:31:17,540I am your co-host, Eli Sulkowski.47200:31:17,540 --> 00:31:18,780And stay safe, y'all.47300:31:18,780 --> 00:31:23,220Have a good week and stay safe, y'all.