Hide Article Text (OCR)
Tip Leads To Percy Killercorroborate this?” Petacque fight.” Wayne asked whatasked.By James H. Dygert(Third in a series)(Editor's Note: Ip 1967the daughter of Sen Charles Percy was murdered in the family s Kenilworth, ill. home As late as 1973. the police had been unable to find the killer. But the following year, Art Petacque. a reporter forthe Chicago Sun-Times, was contacted by a member of the Chicago underground who was dying — and who wanted to get ‘the Percy thing off his chest. The result was a Pulitzer Prize-winning story by Petacque ana fellow reporter Hugh Hough.)Art Petacque knew who had killed Valerie rercv, but hem ~couldr, t publish the man’s name. For 18 months he'd been hunting for a person he believed could provide the additional evidence he needed, but in November, 1973, seven years after the 21-yeal-old daughter of U.S. Senator Charles Percy had been stabbed to death in the family's 17-room suburban mansion Peiacque had exhausted all leadsHe had learned the killer's name eariy in 1972 A Chicago crime svnd.eate loan shark■9and fence narr.ed Leo Rugen-dor* whom Petacque had met in his early days as a ChicagoSun-Times reporter, called to say he had information on acase“The last time 1 tried to talk to vou. Petacque said. ‘ you got pretty abusive “Wait a minute, saidRugendorf This is about the Percy case That big enough for you0“Why do you want to talk about that?’f ‘‘I'm dying, said Rugen-:rorr the book, “The r'vestigative Journalist.' by James H Dygert, (c) 1976 by James H Dygert published by ^renticc-Hall. Incdorf, ‘ I want to get it off my chest Ain t vou got tenminutes’”Hurrying out to the mobster s home Petacque found him ailing With diabetes and heart disease The Killer, said Rugendorf, was one of four men who had broken into the Percy home. The men had belonged to a Malia-backed gang of burglars who preyedon wealthy suburbs across the nation Rugendorf had heipedthe men, said Rugendorf, the same one who had squealed on him in a feri?ral case, had killed the Percy girlHis name was Francis L Hohimer, a 44 year-old career burglar whom Petacque h »d identified in 1970 as a prime suspect in the caseHohimer, said Rugendorf had come to him alter the Percy slaying and said he wanted to go straight” because he couldn t “take the heat” any more and ‘‘they’ll get me for the Valerie Percy murder.”According to Plugendorf,Hohimer said he and two other gang members had entered the Percy home through a back door. The Percy girl had been killed because she woke up while they were in her room.“Is there anyone who can“Yeah, said Rugendorf,“Hohimer’s brother.”Harold “Wavne” Hohimer’s«rwhereabouts were unknown,however. And the most determined manhunt of Petacque’s long newspaper year3 had failed to track him down During his search, the 4fr-vear old veteran reporter made contact with many ofWayne Hohimer’s friends andacquaintances Word eventually reached him thatPetacque was looking for him He asked around about the reporter, wanting to know what kind of man he was. Among those he asked was an agent for the Alcohol. Tobacco and Firearms Division ofPetacque got the call in November, 1973. Wayne Hohimer came to the officeTimes reporter Hugh HoughWayne said he had seen his brother in a tavern the day after the murder and Frank had been “real nervous andburglary he was talking about, and Frank said, “It's all in the newspapers and on the radio today He was talking about the Valerie Percy thing, said Wayne.The reporters took Wayne to confront his brother in an Iowa prison where Frank was serving a 30-year term in an unrelated case Frank denied any part in the break-in or killing, or ever telling his brother he had taken part Frank said Miss Percy lad been killed by Fred; rick Malchow. another member of the gang who had died in 1967 from a fall off a railroad trestle during a prison escape in Pennsylvania According to Frank's story, rrank had been home in bed and Malchow came to his apartment with two ottu r gang members to ask for clothes to replace his blood-soaked garments Frank said he burned Malchow’s clothes in an incinerator. Hilt;* ex-wife Holly, had been there, he said, and she could corroborate the incident Frank raid that Malchow had later admittedChicago school system. Holly said she knew nothing about the Percv case But she couldmnot recall the bloodstainedFrank had not been home in bed that night.The brother’s testimony, combined with Rugendorf s, which the racketeer had given to police before he died, gaveuptight Frank told his Petacque enough for a story.brother he had killed a girl Hough helped him write it andbecause she had “made a lot they both won a 1974 Pulitzerof noise and they got in a Prize.(Next: Justice at last)plan many of the burglaries and dispose of the !»lt; t One ofWayne said h9 had seen his brother in a tavern the day after the murder and Frank had been “real nervous and upt;ght.” Frank told his brother he had killed a girl becauseshe had “made a *ot of noise and they got in a fight.” Wavne asked what burglary he wastalking about, and Frank said, “It s ail In the newspapers and on the radio today.”“He was talking about the Valerie Percything,” said Wayne.the u S. Treasury Department who had once done him a favor and who knew Petac-que. Yeah, said the agent, talkto Petacque.atkilling the Percy girl Now the challenge was to find Hoilv, who had remarried* *and whose new name was not known. Petacque found her by tracing her children'smovements through thefor a taped interview by dothe* incident and saidPetacque and fellow Sun-
Newspaper Details
Mount Vernon Register News
Mount Vernon, Illinois, US
Wed, Mar 02, 1977
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 28 Jan 2020
Other Publications Near Mount Vernon, Illinois
Mount Vernon Daily Register
Mount Vernon Register News
