OT (sorta) "Murder in the Stacks," -David DeKok

[ApexLion]

I am a little more than halfway through this book. I recommend it, as it provides a lot of insight as to the mentality on PSU campus in 1969 and many parallels can be drawn to modern day. The book concerns the Aardsma murder in Pattee over Thanksgiving weekend in 1969. The author has a very specific individual (now deceased) for which he makes a case for guilt...but the surrounding goings-on are all too familiar. Read it, and if you have what were your observations? I didn't find out till I bought it that it was written by a guy who used to work for the Patriot, so I'm keeping that in mind as I go.

Interesting. I had heard about this before I attended Penn State but thought the murderer was apprehended. I never liked the stacks -- way too creepy.

Does anyone recall the female student that was killed in her apartment across the street from the Allen Room in the late 80s? I remember hearing rumors that her father was FBI or DEA. There were other rumors that she was tied up and tortured. I always wondered about that case because the location is so busy.

 

[Victor E. Bell]

Dana Bailey. I was an undergrad at the time and remember it.

 

[ApexLion]

Dana Bailey. I was an undergrad at the time and remember it.

I just googled and found an article -- Dana Bailey. Yes, there were a lot of rumors around the area then about drugs, organized crime involvement/payback etc.

As an aside, I look down to the comments section of the article about the ongoing Bailey investigation and who pops up but the Jonathan Jacobs nut job. That guy is on every forum it seems when it comes to Penn State, Sandusky etc. Clearly, he has a lot of time on his hands.

 

[TheGLOV]

Thank you, Victor E. Bell, for starting this thread. Your posting and the following discussion inspired me to get this book which I snagged at a local library on Friday. I’ve had a hard time putting the book down since. I hope to finish it at lunchtime today.

During my student days at PSU I “think” I knew about the Betsy Aardsma murder but only that was in the Stacks, that the victim was female and that it was in the 1960s. But I knew nothing else. This book was very eye-opening.

I figured this author knew what he was talking about where on page 2 he mentioned a gas company’s plan to detonate a nuclear bomb underground in the remote area between Moshannon and South Renovo so as to create a cavern for natural gas storage. I don’t think many today are even aware that was pitched.

This book provides terrific insight on the atmosphere at PSU during this turbulent time, for example the police vs. students/faculty situation.

The author sure doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the university administration at the time. Was Eric Walker really that clueless (reference his claim in 1972 that he was unaware that a student had been murdered during his tenure)?

I can’t get over the “goings on” that took place in the stacks leading up to the murder. And to think I used to study in the stacks, albeit in the glassed areas in the upper floors during my freshman year.

Mary Willard, the chemistry professor, must have been quite the character. I couldn’t help but laugh at her means of collecting evidence at the murder scene, complete with state police standing there (all guys, of course).

Obviously I’m familiar with the PSU campus but, as I live in Michigan I’m also familiar with Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and to a lesser extent, Holland, Mich. So I could relate to a lot of what was being described. The author’s comparison of the social/cultural opportunities between PSU and U-M, c. 1969, had me laughing.

But some of this hit a little too close to home. The guy at least believed to be behind the Michigan “Co-ed Murders” was a fraternity brother of my uncle. Also, I was a friend of a son of one of the PSU E&MS professors mentioned in the book. Yikes.

Now I want to get the Derek Sherwood book.

Dr. Willard was my fraternity advisor for some time. I got to meet her.