Shattered Sense of Innocence: The 1955 Murders of Three Chicago Children

The Elmer H. Johnson and Carol Holmes Johnson Series in Criminnology

by Richard C. Lindberg, Gloria Jean Sykes, Larry G. Axelrood

In October 1955, three Chicago boys were found murdered, their bodies naked and dumped in a ditch in Robinson Woods on the city’s Northwest Side. A community and a nation were shocked. In a time when such crimes against children were rare, the public was transfixed as local television stations aired stark footage of the first hours of the investigation. Life and Newsweek magazines published exclusive stories the following week. When Kenneth Hansen was convicted and sentenced for the murders, the case was considered solved—until questions were raised about Hansen’s presumed guilt.

Shattered Sense of Innocence: The 1955 Murders of Three Chicago Children tells the gripping story of the three murdered boys—thirteen-year-old John Schuessler, his eleven-year-old brother, Anton, and thirteen-year-old Bobby Peterson—and the quest to find and bring to justice their killer. Authors Richard C. Lindberg and Gloria Jean Sykes recount the bungled 1955 police investigation, the failures of multiple law enforcement agencies, and the subsequent convictions of Kenneth Hansen, in 1995 and 2002, and present new information concerning two suspects overlooked by police for five decades.

The authors deftly examine all sides of this tragic story, drawing on exclusive interviews with law enforcement agents, with horse trainers affiliated with the so-called horse mafia, and with the man convicted of the murders, Kenneth Hansen. This intensely intimate account offers a rare glimpse into one community and examines how these atrocious crimes altered public perceptions nationwide. Shattered Sense of Innocence, which is also a story of political controversy, a determined federal agent’s quest for justice, and a community’s loss of innocence, includes fifty illustrations.

Genres: True Crime

440 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2006

Reviews

[Katherine Addison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a not-very-good book about the Schuessler-Peterson murders of 1955 and the byzantine interconnections of Chicago-area criminals that eventually led to their (maybe) solution in the 1990s through an investigation into the disappearance of the candy heiress Helen Brach.

It's partly not Lindberg and Sykes' fault that the material of their book is hard to follow; the maze of informants and horse traders and stablehands and arsonists is inherently confusing. But I also think they could have done a better job of laying out the case against Kenneth Hansen--or of laying out the fault lines and failures in that case. They try to do both and succeed at neither.

They also have one of my personal hobby horses: sections from the viewpoints of the murder victims--also sections from the viewpoints of other people, including the chief ATF investigator (uncomfortably sentimental) and one of the informants, and maybe the problem with the book is most neatly encapsulated in the fact that this section is based on testimony that was hotly contested at Hansen's trial--testimony given by someone who admitted under oath that he was a liar--and which may in fact be a complete fabrication. So what is it doing as part of the narrative of the book, rather than merely part of Roger Spry's testimony? Lindberg and Sykes never explain why they've chosen to believe Spry, and at other points in the narrative, it doesn't seem like they do believe Spry. The same goes for the section from Herb Hollatz's PoV: the trial makes it clear that Hollatz's account may or may not be true, and the very end of the book suggests that Hollatz himself was the murderer.

This failure to distinguish clearly between things that are proven and things that are stated, likewise the failure to make clear the book's thesis--are they presenting the case for Hansen's guilt? for Hansen's innocence? are they doing a just-the-facts-ma'am presentation of the course of the investigation and trials?--make the book unsatisfying, although the subject matter was interesting enough that I finished it.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was the same age as these boys and living in the South Suburbs of Chicago when they were killed, so these murders left a great impression on me. I was in a barber chair when the news came over the radio that the boys' bodies had been found and identified. As the authors posit, I felt that the innocent time that I was living in was gone forever as I walked home from the barber shop. This is the second book about these murders that I have read--the excellent Three Boys Missing by James A. Jack being the other.

This book is well-researched and, for the most part, excellently written with a strong narrative drive. Of course, I knew the outcome of the story, but, nonetheless, it remained "a page-turner" for me. Most of the new revelations in this book concern the "solution" to the 40-year-old case: The apprehension and ultimate conviction of Ken Hansen. For me, this is a very startling aspect of this book. I'm not sure that Ken Hansen is the killer and the fact that many people do not believe the State's Attorney's case against Hansen was a strong one upsets me. It seems as if the prosecution's case rests solely on Hansen's telling others that he did the deed. After 40+ years he was convicted on heresay with very little direct evidence linking Hansen to the murdeers. Yet, two separate jurys handed down the verdict of guilty. Reminds be a bit of Stalin's Russia so well-depicted in the recent novel Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith.

[Patrick Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exhaustively researched and imminently readable, "Shattered Sense of Innocence" details one of Chicago's most brutal and shocking crimes. In a straight-forward style, the authors lay forth the events of the tragic day, subsequent investigations, and the trials of the chief suspect. We are introduced to a wide variety of characters, each of whom may hold a piece to the puzzle. But is the man convicted of the crime - twice - innocent of the act? The authors take no subjective stand, but leave interpretation of the facts up to the reader. Certainly, the police are convinced that, in the end, they "got their man." But we clearly don't know the whole story.
The reader is left to ponder: what to make of Hansen's alleged confessions? The event he describes does not appear to match physical evidence. For example, residue of tape is found on the eyes, mouths, and wrists of the victims (perhaps post mortem). Oily residue is left on the soles of their feet and elbows, indicating that they were probably stripped before the murders. The savage beating each endured suggests (at least to me) a prolonged attack rather than the panicked act Hansen described. Certainly, he must have had an accomplice, if not in the murder, then in the disposal of the remains.
There do seem to be a few dangling threads left in the narrative. For example, were the marks left on the bodies by floormats, and more significantly, a tooled leather stool, introduced at trial? Was the tape residue issue discussed at length? While some readers might find an expanded courtroom section redundant or tedious, I would have like to have heard more of the raw testimony and examination from the lawyers.
It would also be interesting to see what modern forensic psychologists and forensic scientists make of the situation. Would they concur that Hansen is likely guilty? Did he have help? From whom? Or did the justice system convict a man innocent of this barbaric crime?
Decades later, it is impossible not to be affected by the vicious crime committed against three innocent school boys nor to be struck by the wrenching grief of their families. Even today, the reader will be moved by their plight. The book at times is an emotionally difficult read.
For true crime fans, those interested in Chicago history, or readers who enjoy a terrific though heartrending story, "Shattered Sense of Innocence" comes highly recommended.

[JAYLEN NICHOLAS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that I read is The Shattered Sense of Innocence. This book is about the Chicago murders of three children in 1955. Their bodies were found naked and in a ditch in Robinson woods.This is a crime and mystery book, and also non-fiction. The characters are police officers that were stationed around the area, and suspects that might be the murderers. Minor characters are the residents of the neighborhood who might have information on the killings.

What I liked about this book was the detail. What I mean by detail is how the boys were murdered, what time they were murdered, and how it affected the northwest side of Chicago. Also, I liked that the book tells you the time periods in which the events in the book take place. All the characters are based off of real people in this event. There were also pictures in the book to show you who the boys were and the murderers Involved.

There are many strengths and weaknesses in this book. I will start with the strengths. The strengths are what I mentioned before- the detailed information. Another strength is setting the tone of the tone book. At times when it gave descriptions of the murders, it made me feel sad. The only weakness this book has is how long it is. There were many times I became bored and dozed off, because of how long the book was. There were enough words on one page to fill two pages. But those are the only problems I had with the book; overall it was a good nonfiction read.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read true crime, this is a must of the genre. Fair warning, though--it's really dense. The authors crammed in so much information that they didn't even start new chapters on new pages. They ended a chapter on one line and started the new chapter on the next. The court scenes involving Ken Hansen were really detailed, almost too much so. I was left only 75% convinced of Hansen's guilt but not really caring because he was a virulent pedophile who raped his way all over the Chicago suburbs. (Yeah, I'd make a great jurist.) The only truly credible witness that the jury had (and listened to) claimed himself to have killed the boys.

So unfortunately, no one is ever going to get to the bottom of this. Two other men claimed to have killed the three boys. John Wayne Gacy was brought up as a possible suspect (even though he was only thirteen at the time of the murders). I had to admire Hansen's defense attorneys for giving him as vigorous defenses as they did, though I didn't quite buy their arguments. But I am glad they exist. I think being a defense attorney is a pretty thankless job.

This is a well-researched book with a long and detailed bibliography at the back. (I love bibliographies even though I never wind up reading anything in them). If anyone was going to definitively solve this, it would've been these authors.

[Vinnie Matkovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shattered Sense of Innocence by Richard Lindbergh dates back to the 1955 murders of three Chicago boys. About 40 years later, we see a police officer, Jimmy Delorto, trying to keep getting by at his job. He then discovers the case of the three murders back in 1995 and investigates further. As the story goes on, we can see the sights and thrills of the investigation of the three boys.

This book had a lot of suspense, thrill, and gave a nice backstory of the area. That's why I rate it four stars. It’s four stars because even though it gives a good backstory and is a real thrill, it’s flaw was that it had it was too broad in a sense that the backstory would be to the point where you’re describing items and events that are pointless.

[carl stclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good how a person can murder 3 children and 40 years later he is discovered , book was kind of long but interesting especially about the criminal elements that were involved with Kenneth Hansen and his associates found the book very interesting how Ken Hansen, Curt Hansen Silas Jayne were all involved in this fiasco.

[Cena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but the author comes to a conclusion which isn’t well-supported by the presented evidence. Lots of extraneous details about the time and place, which tend to obfuscate rather than illuminate.

Still, well-written and sourced.

[Judith Nicholls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and informative. A very tragic event in the 1950's

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting murder mystery wrapped into period piece of 1950s Chicago.
Lots of Northwest Side of Chicago history in this book as well as a peek into how far we're come in forensics, preserving crime scenes etc.
Being from the area, I was much captivated with the story.