On the quiet evening of September 4, 1977, the campus of Trenton State College was disrupted by a chilling discovery. A young woman, later identified as Sigrid Stevenson, was found brutally murdered on the stage of Kendall Hall. Officer Thomas Kokotajlo stumbled upon the scene during his patrol, initially mistaking the figure for a prop until he saw the pool of blood. Stevenson, a 25-year-old master’s student with a passion for music, was described as quirky and talented by those who knew her. Raised in California, she had hitchhiked through Nova Scotia before returning to Trenton State, where she met a tragic fate.
The night before her murder, Sigrid had been seen in the theater, interacting with a local theater group. Witnesses recalled her friendly demeanor during the performance, but a sudden change in mood hinted at a troubling encounter with an unknown man. Detectives theorized that Sigrid was attacked while playing the piano, leading to a brutal assault that left her with fatal injuries. Despite the presence of sperm on her body and signs of sexual assault, the case remained unsolved for over four decades, shrouded in mystery and unanswered questions.
Various individuals emerged as potential suspects in Stevenson’s murder, including members of the campus police and the theater group. Polygraph tests and investigations yielded no concrete evidence, leaving the case unresolved. Chuck, a theater group member, garnered suspicion due to a playbill found among Stevenson’s possessions, but DNA testing failed to link him to the crime scene. The maintenance worker and a lighting technician also came under scrutiny, with their proximity to the crime scene and access to the building raising concerns.
Despite multiple detectives’ efforts over the years, Sigrid Stevenson’s murder remains a haunting unsolved mystery, drawing renewed interest from the public and investigative teams. The case, revisited in “Unsolved Mysteries” Volume 4, Episode 4, continues to perplex authorities and amateur sleuths alike, as they seek to unravel the truth behind the tragic fate of a promising young student. With no shortage of leads, theories, and potential suspects, the mystery of Sigrid Stevenson’s murder endures as a chilling reminder of the unresolved crimes that haunt our past.
