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Roger Essem

Case from Larchwood, IA dated Nov 17, 1973

Victim Details

Roger Essem

Male

White / Caucasian

Larchwood

IA

1973-11-17

17

Roger

Essem

Yes

06/27/2026

Case Description

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On the evening of November 17, 1973, a 17-year-old Caucasian male named Roger Essem, accompanied by his 13-year-old girlfriend and three other teenage friends, drove to Gitchie Manitou State Preserve, a secluded area in Lyon County, Iowa, just across the border from their hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The group, which included Stewart Baade, 18, his brother Dana Baade, 14, and Michael Hadrath, 15, gathered around a campfire to spend the evening together, playing guitar and enjoying each ...
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Links to Additional Sources (6)

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  • The Des Moines Register: 50 years ago, 4 teens were murdered at Gitchie Manitou. What happened that November night?
  • 1973 Gitchie Manitou murders - Wikipedia
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    Forum Posts (1)

    I’ve been reading about the Gitchie Manitou murders, and one detail that's been haunting me is how... ...Read More
    01/18/2023
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