Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Unsolved Mysteries episode “Murder, Center Stage” reinvestigates the 1977 murder of Sigrid Stevenson in Trenton State College. The institution is now called The College of New Jersey. The fourth episode of volume 4 attempts to find answers to the decades-old mystery of who killed Sigrid Stevenson. Reportedly, Sigrid, a 25-year-old master’s student and pianist, was found dead on the institution’s Kendall Hall stage.
Sigrid Stevenson died of blunt-force trauma after the killer repeatedly bludgeoned her in the head. Other signs on the victim’s body suggested that the murderer had handcuffed her and also sexually assaulted her. Authorities failed to find other evidence at the scene but presumed that a campus security officer could have committed the crime.
The Unsolved Mysteries episode on Sigrid Stevenson’s murder delves into the case details and theories. Here’s what to know about.
Who killed Sigrid Stevenson? Theories explored
There have been questions regarding who killed Sigrid Stevenson in Trenton State College’s Kendall Hall for decades now. Netflix Tudum reported that police believed she knew her attacker. Sigrid had been crashing on a couch in the theater for a couple of days when the murder occurred. Detectives assumed the killer attacked her from behind while she was playing piano. The symmetrical ligature marks that a medical examiner found on her wrists suggested the killer had bound her. Suspicion then fell on campus law enforcement officers.
Now-retired Ewing Police Department Sgt. Edward Deboskey opened up in the Unsolved Mysteries episode on Sigrid Stevenson’s murder. He claimed, “Sigrid had a reputation for sneaking into buildings. The campus police had interactions with her over the course of the year, chasing her out of different buildings.” However, an investigation into campus police officers failed to determine any conclusive results. Reportedly, these officers took polygraph tests, and their handcuffs were tested for physical evidence, but nothing surfaced.
Detectives did look into a few potential suspects in Sigrid Stevenson’s murder case. These people included one campus police officer who told his colleague he committed the murder. Another individual that authorities looked into was Chuck, a member of the theater group. Chuck had last performed in the theater on September 3, 1977, the evening before the murder. Sportskeeda stated that Chuck had access to handcuffs for the role he played. Authorities ruled him out after he passed a polygraph test. Later, DNA evidence failed to link Chuck to the crime.
Other potential suspects in Sigrid Stevenson’s murder included a lighting technician from the September 3 play and a maintenance worker. They had the keys to the building, which gave them easy access. Additionally, police found the latter’s address and phone number in Sigrid’s belongings. However, the college fired the maintenance worker shortly after the murder, and he never took a polygraph test.
Unsolved Mysteries Volume 4 episode 4, titled “Murder, Center Stage,” is now streaming on Netflix.
