Kind of random, but anyone know of/recall any information about a murder at Cloquet High School? (Savage: crime, pharmacist)

[ProfessorMarvel]

November 23, 1966 – James M. Savage, a 15-year-old Cloquet Junior-Senior High School sophomore, was taken into custody for the Nov. 17 murder of Kathleen Bodie in the school band room. He “was placed in the St. Louis County jail in Duluth to await arraignment.” Because he was a juvenile, his name was not released at the time.
Duluth News-Tribune; “15-Year-Old Boy Arrested In Slaying of Cloquet Girl”; November 24, 1966; p. 1.

Because he was a juvenile he probably was sent to a mental institution for evaluation? I heard that James Savage had a twin? Does anybody know?

Both this and Poferl murder are very difficult to find info. The archives of the Pine Knot and Duluth News Tribune say they only go back to 1995. However all of this had to have been put on microfilm and must be obtainable from somewhere?

[JavaJunkieDC]

My high school Algebra teacher used to talk about this case. Yes, it was a murder in the band room. They ended up canceling a play that Jessica Lange was going to appear (star?) in.

[KITTEN23]

I graduated for Cloquet Senior High School - Class of 1970. Kathy Bodie was in my class, I was in school the day of the murder. It was committed by a classmate by the name of Savage, he was a twin, I want to say first name was either Jeff or Jim. He was convicted and went to prison. I am aware of Susan Proferl murder, which is still a cold case. A young man from Cloquet was tried, but aquitted of the crime. Other answers Jessica Lange did graduate with my sister in 1967, for Cloquet. It was weird the day Kathy was murdered, we all stayed in class, there was no grief counseling at that time. Those were the old days. I attended Kathy's visitation, that is one thing I will never forget - it was my first, my dad brought me. If I have this correct Cloquet was written up in a NY newspaper and we were given the title of Sin City of the North. It was pretty horrific for a small town at that time.

[Cloquet 76er]

I remember both murders somewhat. The Kathy Bodie murder occurred when I was quite young. I attended parochial school next door and we used to go have lunch next door every day at the high school. Her body was discovered in the band room, before school one morning. I have no idea who was indicted or convicted. I also remember the Susan Poferl murder as she was discovered by the father of my then - gal pal, who was a bus driver. As I recall she was nude and had been strangled and was discovered in Otter Creek. She was related to a friend of mine, and his mother followed the trial closely. I recall that the guy was acquitted. My friend's mother would not let his sisters go out alone for some time after that "while that murderer is loose" she'd say.

[patriciacarole]

I lived in Cloquet at the time of the murder. My sister talked to the boy, Jim
Savage, who said he found her. My older brother was acting in a high school production of REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE as the male lead with Jessica Lange as the female lead. Jim was found guilty of the murder and was released from prison only to attempt to rape two girls in a car then died in a car chase with police.

[chelseamandy]

Jim Savage , the killer of Kathleen Bodie was sent to prison. I don't know when he was released but he died in a car crash when he drove his 1972 car going 100 miles an hour into a law enforcement vehicle who were chasing him. This was about 1978.


The Williams boy was aquitted of the murder of Susie Poferl. I believe he also died at a young age.

[wbloomqu]

I was I believe in 8th grade at the time (13 years old) and had a music class in the class room that she was murdered. There was a stage with a curtain overlooking the class. That is where she was murdered. It was a brutal killing. From what I know her clothes were piled alongside her body and she was stabbed 15 to 20 times. I believe she had been raped. I knew one of the students who found her and they at first thought the body could have been a prop from the school play coming up. Blood was every where. Very shocking.

School was not canceled. I would think to keep all the students in the area and not scattered around town. Our class was scheduled to another room where our music teacher showed up. He was a wreck - you can imagine. I did not know Kathleen Bodie but what I know she was an excellent student and musician and a wonderful young lady. She was only 14 at the time. The killer was 15. I played basketball with his twin brother - very strange. The killers family never left and his twin brother graduated from Cloquet High School. The Bodie family was well known. My mother shopped at their family's grocery store and she was very distraught at this young girls tragic death.

Even today this tragic event still haunts me. The school administers never closed the school at any time, there was no grief counseling and there was never any info or counseling done by any of the teachers. The only info and counseling we got was from other students. I would think there would have been some kind of community or school service for this young lady. Nothing that I know. The adults under control at that time did a terrible job. You would think that a scholarship honoring this awesome student would have happened. Nothing that I know of. No closure for the students or even the victims family. If her spirit still haunts the rooms at that school I understand why.

[wbloomqu]

Some added thoughts to my above post. I have heard and read that Miss Bodie was a young lady of deep faith. I doubt that she would "haunt" anything. Bad choice of words. Also, I am sure the school and the community did the best they could at the time. In addition, the grocery store in town was owned by her relatives. It was a great place to go with my mom. Everyone was so kind and gracious.

[kaykaykay]

I covered the Savage arraignment at Carlton County courthouse. He pleaded guilty immediately. It has been very interesting to read what happened to him. He was not sent to an adult prison, but to a special juvenile retention center in Anoka.

There was much that was troubling about Savage before he committed this murder. He had been taking knives from his mother's kitchen, and, according to one report, had run naked around a park.

This is a case similar to the Sandy Hook elementary school shootings, where a young man was obviously troubled but nothing was done. I sat behind Savage's parents and felt little sympathy for them. They had failed in every way to prevent this brutal murder of this beautiful young girl.

I hope anyone who knows of such a troubled youth will do what he/she can to call attention to the need for an intervention. It could easily save lives. Some of the signs are: obsession with weapons, obsession with reading about serial killers/mass murderers, isolation, and even letting others know (often other students) that the person considers some type of murder.

For more information, go to Sandy Hook Promise web site, the organization started by parents of the Sandy Hook victims.

Does anyone know what happened to the families of Kathy Bodie and James Savage?

Thanks for all of your posts. I have wondered for years what the epilogue was to this horrific crime.

[geebabe]

Found this online:

On this date in Minnesota history: July 10
July 10, 1978 – James M. Savage, confessed murderer of 14-year-old Kathleen Bodie in the Cloquet High School band room on November 17, 1966, killed himself and injured a deputy sheriff by driving his car 100 miles an hour into a parked Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s car.

Earlier in the day, Savage had stopped two 19-year-old girls in Pine County, exposed himself, and then “told the girls to get in his car. The two girls refused, and Savage took out a 22 semiautomatic rifle and shot one of the girls twice in the chest and left her for dead. He forced the other girl in his car, raped her and physically threw her out of the car in a cemetery two miles north of Brook Park. She reported the incident to the Pine County Sheriff’s office and an all-points bulletin was put out for Savage.”

He was later spotted driving through Ogilvie, and the Mille Lacs County Sheriff Russ Iverson and Deputy Sheriff Tom Boser gave chase. Iverson and Bose got their car sideways on Highway 23 as “Savage came over a hill about a quarter mile away. Iverson told Boser to jump clear of the car. Savage crashed into the left side of the patrol car, pushing it 100 feet sideways down the highway. Boser was thrown out of the car.”

Seconds after the crash, the two cars erupted in flames. “The force of the impact was so great that the bumper of Savage’s 1972 Pinto was touching the steering wheel of the patrol car, a 1977 Ford LTD. Savage still had the 22 rifle in his hands after the crash.”

http://pjefamilyresearch.blogspot.co...istory_17.html

Murder of Kathleen Bodie; see Nov. 17, 2012 blog
Suspect arrested: see Nov. 23, 2012 blog
Complaint issued; see Feb. 20, 2013 blog
Indictment; see March 7, 2013 blog
Savage pleads guilty, sentenced; see March 14, 2013 blog
Mille Lacs County Times; “Fleeing Gunman Killed Ramming Sheriff’s Car”; July 13, 1978; p.1.

Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Department, Minnesota, Fallen Officers

Minnesota Family History Research: On this date in Minnesota history: July 10