Slain boys victims of a 'sick fantasy' Prosecutors open trial seeking to convict Hansen a second time in 1955 slayings

Chicago, 1955.

Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House, Rocky Marciano was worldheavyweight champion, China was "Red" and Howdy Doody was on TV.

So when three dead boys were discovered in a Northwest Side ditch--naked, beaten, stabbed and strangled; their mouths and noses taped--the news hit the city like a guided missile.

For many Chicagoans, especially those growing up on the NorthwestSide, the world never looked as bright and innocent as before theslayings of Anton Schuessler, 11, his brother John, 13, and theirfriend Robert Peterson, 13.

But there is no statute of limitations on murder.

So Kenneth Hansen, 69, leaned heavily on his cane on his way tothe defendant's seat in Cook County Criminal Court Monday to beretried for murders nearly half a century old. He looked like anabsent-minded professor, his rumpled tie askew. But he studied papersclosely with his dark-rimmed glasses and greeted prospective jurorswith a chipper "Good morning. Thank you for being here."

When his victims were last seen in October 1955, they were "threeordinary American boys, dressed in baseball jackets and jeans. Threeordinary young boys hitchhiking down Milwaukee Avenue," prosecutorLinas Kelecius said.

Hansen picked them up as they hitchhiked near Lawrence andMilwaukee because he wanted to have sex with two young boys at thesame time to live out a "sick sexual fantasy," Kelecius said.

He killed "these three angels" out of fear they would report hismolestation, the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Steven Weinberg derided the state's case, tellingjurors it was built on seasoned criminals, con men, an accusedarsonist, a pornographer and paid informants.

Hansen was convicted of the slayings in 1995, but a stateAppellate Court ruled in 2000 that his trial was tainted whenprosecutors were allowed to present evidence that he picked up boysfor sex.

Living witnesses and transcripts from those now dead will showthat on nearly 20 occasions, Hansen discussed killing the boys orhinted he was involved in their slayings, Kelecius said. Some weregay sexual partners afraid to go public; others, he threatened withviolence, the prosecutor said.

The three youths spent their last night at a Montrose Avenuebowling alley. They were hitchhiking home in the rain when a driverapparently offered them a ride.

"They made the biggest mistake of their entire lives," Keleciussaid. "They got in the car of this man."

Hansen took them to the Idle Hours stable in the 8600 block ofHiggins Road and killed them, Kelecius said, rationalizing themurders by saying: "It was either the boys or me."

For in 1955, Kelecius said, "Being gay was unacceptable."

Later, the prosecutor said, Hansen confessed the crime to anotheryouth he had molested, saying he was assaulting the two Schuesslerboys when Peterson walked in and he killed Peterson to silence him.Hansen said "he had no choice at that point, he had to kill the othertwo," Kelecius said.

Hansen told another witness, William Wemette--who would later tipoff authorities--that he was performing a sex act on 11-year-oldAnton Schuessler when the two older boys came in and a strugglebegan, Kelecius said. Hansen said he strangled the youths and hisbrother helped to injure one of them, Kelecius said.

After the boys were killed, Kelecius said, notorious stable ownerSilas Jayne entered, saw the bodies and said, "This could ruin me."

Investigators believe Jayne helped dispose of the boys' bodies.

Until his 1987 death--from natural causes--Silas Jayne was widelyfeared and had connections to some of the Chicago area's most brutalcrimes and men. He had a hand in murdering his half-brother and rivalhorseman, George Jayne, with whom he had a violent feud.

In 1995, a swindler and associate of the Jayne family, RichardBailey, was convicted of conspiracy in the disappearance and presumedmurder of candy heiress Helen Brach, who may have gotten wise tohorse scams Bailey was pulling and threatened to tell authorities.

Weinberg warned jurors they were about to enter the world of theChicago horse industry and said they wouldn't like what they wouldsee. "You're not going to like the defendant either," Weinberg said.But "whether you like him or not is irrelevant."

The state's first witness, Hetty Salerno, testified she was athome near the stables when she heard screams the night of themurders. "The first scream--a loud, piercing, to me a frightenedscream--came from the direction of the stables ... The second screamcame then. It was softer, more subdued."

Her husband or a neighbor said: "Someone is beating the hell outof a kid."