The Green Bay Northwoods Killings — Ch 2
The Green Bay Northwoods Killings — Ch 2
Chapter Two: A Name Becomes Familiar
[If you missed Chapter One, read it here.]
In every town of every size, there are names that seem to pop up in the local media again and again.
We have one in my hometown.
The first guy to show up in the news was one of the sons. He was a square-jawed, angry-looking son-of-a-bitch who was already on probation when he abducted a woman and went to prison. Another young male member of the family went to jail for a fight at a house party that ended in serious injury. The matriarch of the family is a long-suffering widow who has a problem with authority and the city government. And numerous nieces and nephews have been in the local media for things like joyriding in stolen cars and drug dealing and other “hobbies.”
I kid you not, this morning two people with that infamous family name showed up in the media. They got arrested in my town last night hanging out with a guy who was a fugitive from justice or something.
The point is, they’re known. And they have a unique name, too, so when it pops up on the police blotter, you notice it.
When he was young our suspect seemed to be that very same guy. He had a very recognizable name that showed up in the papers from time-to-time.
Now, you might be asking yourself, “Why are you calling him ‘our suspect?’ He was arrested and convicted in 2019, right?”
Yes, that is correct. We know the name of the man who murdered David Schuldes and Ellen Matheys in 1976 (the murder we talked about in Chapter One.) You could look it up right now and read all about him.
I’m asking you not to. The man who killed David and Ellen in 1976 was not known to the police as a suspect until many years later, and nobody could have known who he would turn out to be.
We’ll get to the killer’s name.
So, let’s not get distracted by the tabloid atmosphere that surrounded the trial, a virtual certainty if you consult Google, and instead pay attention to what had already been reported and events that have been in the news for decades.
What does it tell us?
What Kind of Reputation?
Using the paid services available to me, I began by conducting a search of newspaper archives for references to our suspect. I was surprised to find he was not the first in the family to end up in the police blotter. Wisconsin papers reported on the exploits of our suspect’s older brother, who was also, apparently, in and out of trouble.
Burglar is Facing Waupun Sentence
Green Bay Press-Gazette, Oct. 7th, 1948
All the way back in 1948, the future killer’s older brother was in trouble with the law. The Press-Gazette reported big brother was sentenced to 1-to-2 years in Waupun prison for stealing auto parts from his employer.
He was arrested for burglarizing the Don Hutson Motors garage where he had been employed in the stockroom, and stealing a number of accessories, of which he put on his own car. At one time he entered the building; at another time, he lowered the articles out of a window to a roof, and came back for them later. His wife expects to become a mother soon, it was brought out. Police said he previously had been convicted of auto theft.
The article stated our suspect’s elder brother originally had his punishment stayed pending an evaluation. The paper reported he:
was sent to Winnebago for a 30-day observation period, but this failed to show that he was unable to distinguish right from wrong.
When he appeared in court and was asked what he had to say for himself, he owned up to what he had done, said he was sorry, and promised he would do better next time.
I’m just kidding.
He said "I'm accused of taking everything."
So, according to that reporting, our suspect’s older brother was charged with stealing from his employer in 1948, and he had also been convicted of stealing a car in a previous incident by that time.
Arrest Local Man at Rhinelander in Vilas County Theft
Green Bay Press-Gazette, July 14th, 1953
Five years later, in 1953, our suspect’s big brother got busted again, this time for stealing the cashbox from Cliff Kristo Market on Highway 70 near Eagle River. He was working as a truck driver for the Green Bay Soap Company at the time.
The man:
was arrested by Traffic Officer Clifford Guilday of Oneida County five minutes after his description was broadcast by Vilas county authorities. The alleged theft occurred at the Cliff Kristo market on Highway 70 west of Eagle River at 9 o'clock this morning. Police said they found $1,121.50 in cash and $631.48 in checks behind the seat cushions. An empty cash box was on the seat.
He allegedly admitted to the theft and said he “needed the money.” For historical context, $1,100 cash was about three months salary for the average American in 1953. It would be like if somebody stole 8-to-10-thousand dollars today.
What conclusions can we draw?
Quite simply, it seems like the man who would later be convicted of killing David Schuldes and Ellen Matheys (don’t look him up, yet) came from a troubled background. His older brother was getting in trouble with the law years before our suspect would join him in the local crime pages.
We’ll talk about that next, time.
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Troy Larson is a true crime writer, researcher and producer with hundreds of podcast and broadcast credits to his name. Reach out: troylarsoncreative@gmail.com