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| Tina's house |
There was a girl who lived in the house. She was a classmate of mine at Jefferson Elementary School. Her name was Tina and what I remember about her is that she was tough -- not exactly a tomboy, but a girl who had not an ounce of sugar and spice in her. She hung around with some of the more sketchy kids in the class, but she was a mutual friend of one of my best friends growing up. I'd talk to Tina from time to time, mostly when I had to, but I didn't know her well. It's been about 40 years since I spoke to her last. I don't really know where she lives now, or if she's even alive at all.
Tina had a brother who was about five years older than she was. His name is James Duquette. And he is a serial killer.
I didn't know Anne Preimesberger, but I knew other people who did. She was 18 in 1980, a student at East High School, and she worked at a restaurant on the south edge of town. Although I can't find a picture of her, she was attractive and the people I knew said she was a nice girl. After a shift at the restaurant, she disappeared one day and didn't come home. As it turned out, she had the misfortune of encountering James Duquette, who raped her and murdered her, then dumped her body near an overpass. James Duquette raped and murdered a 14-year old girl, Tara Kassens, in 1987, and he is suspected in the deaths of at least two others, although there isn't enough physical evidence available to tie him to the crimes. He is currently serving four life terms in Massachusetts for crimes he committed there.
It took eleven years to bring James Duquette to justice. It took twenty-seven to bring Danny Heinrich to justice. You don't always know where the monsters are. And that is the source of our fear.
4 comments:
Kinda scary knowing you sisters in such close proximity to that guy.
Yes, although we suspected nothing at the time.
Why did Anne's sister Ellen die a half a year later? Isn't that odd? I remember people talking about her murder when I was a teenager. I always remembered her name. What happened to Duquette as a child? Why was he in foster care? What was going on in the Xavier school neighborhood in Appleton during the 1970's?
I lived in Appleton when this happened, and as a young girl I experienced creepy behavior by random men quite often. Perverts were not as uncommon as one would hope. Perhaps that is why Anne stays in my memory.
I live in Appleton currently. I went to East high school and graduated in 1978. Ellen was my age. It was my understanding that she committed suicide. Anne worked at the Golden Basket in Valley Fair mall. Interesting little story. It was about 1976 or 77, I was driving with my friend in Tuluah park and he saw Anne and a friend there. My friend knew Anne from James Madison school. They asked for a ride. We said sure and took them home. I've always wondered after the crime if she just got in his vehicle expecting a ride. I remember seeing Anne in the hallways at East. She was a sophomore when I was a senior.
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