The Green Bay Northwoods Killings - Ch 16
The Green Bay Northwoods Killings - Ch 16
Chapter Sixteen: You Don't Get to Pick Your Family
In the course of writing and researching this book, I have spoken to a number of people, including some of the journalists who’ve covered the Ray Vannieuwenhoven case as it pertains to the murder of David Schuldes and Ellen Matheys. Most of the time, the response is underwhelming.
“That’s cool. Good luck to you.”
This case, as I’ve presented it so far, with six unsolved murders and a number of rapes, has captured nobody’s attention. Furthermore, I’ve pursued a couple of contacts in both the media and law enforcement that proved unfruitful due to retirements and deaths. It has been an uphill climb.
Yesterday, I called the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department. I saw a story in the Sheboygan Press from 2018 which proclaimed the Jalopy Jungle murders were still an open case. At the end of the story:
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Sheriff's Department at 920-459-3111 and ask for Sgt. Lance Dassler or Detective Misty Nelson.
I felt it was necessary to call because of something I discovered yesterday, but before I tell you, I need to qualify what I’m about to say.
You Don’t Get to Pick Your Family
I knew a man who was fond of saying, “You don’t get to pick your family,” as a way of sticking up for people who come from less-than-stellar backgrounds. And it’s true, to a degree, that you don’t get to choose who your parents are or who your family is… you’re born into it.
I did not get to pick my family.
As the nephew of a murderer, I understand all too well the shame and embarrassment of being associated with evil deeds and unsavory characters.
As a result, I try to tread lightly when it comes to naming family members or associated characters unless it’s absolutely necessary. In this instance, I believe it is necessary, but I’ll be as respectful as possible.
At the end of the last chapter, in light of the murders of Edward and Frances Cizauskas on November 30th, 1988, I asked “Did Ray Vannieuwenhoven have a reason to visit Sheboygan in 1988?”
He did.
As background, Ray and Rita had six kids, 3 girls and 3 boys. In 1983, one of their sons, Daniel Vannieuwenhoven, died at the age of 12. In his obituary, he was listed as survived by three sisters, two of whom still lived at home, and sister Denise, who lived in Sheboygan Falls.
Ray had a daughter who lived in Sheboygan Falls, part of the Sheboygan metropolitan area, as early as 1983. In my opinion, that made it much more plausible that he could have been at Jalopy Jungle in Town of Sheboygan on November 30th, 1988.
Ray Had a Reason to Be in Sheboygan
Jump forward to the 2000s. According to a family obituary from 2008, Denise was married to a man named Randy, and his residence was listed as Lakewood, Wisconsin. The same town where Ray lived his final years. I did some further investigation.
A search result revealed a letter to the editor of the Sheboygan Press in 1985, signed by Randy, with the same unique last name, who listed his address as 1533 Martin Avenue in Sheboygan. A quick search reveals the driving distance from his former residence to Jalopy Jungle, at 2215 Mill Road, where the Cizauskas were murdered in 1988, is only 1.4 miles. A 4-minute drive.
Did Ray Ever Visit That Address?
Did Ray ever visit 1533 Martin Avenue? The timeline here is a little fuzzy and it is unclear whether Ray’s daughter knew Randy when he lived at that address.
The Question:
Did Denise ever live with Randy at the Martin Avenue residence, even briefly?
If the answer is yes, then it places Ray in the neighborhood when he went to visit his daughter in Sheboygan.
I should note, however, that on October 2nd, 1988, almost two months before the Jalopy Jungle murders, Randy wrote another letter to the editor with a complaint about the child support system, and he listed a different home address, across town. So even if Randy and Denise were together at the time of the Jalopy Jungle murders, they no longer lived nearby.
Of course, it could all be a moot point. Maybe Randy and Denise didn’t meet until much later. And the proximity of his one-time residence to Jalopy Jungle might mean nothing at all, since Denise had been living in the Sheboygan-area for years which provided plenty of motivation and opportunity for her dad to come visit.
To be clear, there is no implication in any of this that Denise or Randy had any part in any wrongdoing of any kind. Simply that she (or they) might have been a motive for Ray to visit Sheboygan.
Ray had a reason to visit Sheboygan.
Maybe He Stopped at Jalopy Jungle Previously
If Ray had stopped at Jalopy Jungle before, on a previous visit to Sheboygan, it might explain why the perpetrator killed both Edward and Frances; a fact the police were puzzled about. Maybe he had to kill Frances because she walked-in during the attack on her husband, or the aftermath, and she knew Ray. She would be able to identify him.
Once again I’m speculating wildly, but all of this is worth looking into. Which brings me back to where I started.
A Call to Sheboygan County
It’s February 18th, 2023 and I’m doubting myself. I called the number in the story from the Sheboygan Press, intending to tell this story to whomever might listen. A couple things keep coming to mind.
The case is still listed as unsolved. That’s why I’m calling.
Ray Vannieuwenhoven’s DNA Profile is on record with law enforcement.
Have the authorities already tested any forensic evidence against Ray Vannieuwenhoven’s profile? Is that why it’s still unsolved? Not a match?
Do they have any forensic evidence from Jalopy Jungle that can be tested?
Ray Vannieuwenhoven was convicted in 2021 in a high-profile trial that received nationwide media attention, just an hour up the road. I can’t be the first person to think of Ray as a possible perpetrator at Jalopy Jungle?
So, in my estimation, it’s pretty long odds that my theory could be correct, but I went back for the number:
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Sheriff's Department at 920-459-3111 and ask for Sgt. Lance Dassler or Detective Misty Nelson.
When I reached Sgt. Dassler’s voicemail, the recording informed me he had retired just the week prior. Struck by retirement again. I hung up, called back, and left a message for Detective Nelson. It was four o’clock on a Friday.
I’ll report back on anything I’m able to.
In the next chapter, the story about that unsolved double murder from 1991 that I promised you last time.
Troy Larson is a harbinger of things that go bump in the night; a true crime writer, researcher, and digital content producer with hundreds of podcast and broadcast credits to his name. Subscribe to the Until Night Falls Newsletter on Substack. Reach out on Twitter.