Betsy Aardsma

Betsy Ruth Aardsma (July 11, 1947 – November 28, 1969cite web |url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19328800 |title=Betsy Ruth Aardsma |accessdate=2008-08-07 |work=Findagrave.com |publisher=Find A Grave, Inc. |date=2007-05-10 ] ) was a 22-year-old graduate English major from Holland, Michigan who was stabbed to death in the Pattee Libraryat the Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA in 1969. Betsy Aardsma originally attended Hope College in Michigan, a private liberal-arts college. She majored in medicine, but in 1967 she transferred to University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and changed her major to English. In 1969, she transferred to Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA, in order to be closer to her boyfriend David Wright, who attended Penn State Hershey Medical School in Hershey, PA.

She began her first semester at Penn State in the fall of 1969. Her courseload included Harrison Meserole's English 501, an Introduction to Research, which was being co-taught with Nicholas Joukovsky, a young professor.

Betsy had no known enemies, no involvement in drugs, alcohol, or any other unusual or risky behaviors. She was in a committed relationship and spent most of her evenings in her dorm, writing one letter a day to her boyfriend.

The culminating project for English 501 was a large research paper. Betsy and many of her classmates were struggling to produce this paper. After spending Thanksgiving with her boyfriend in Hershey, Betsy decided late that evening to take a bus back to State College so she could work on her research and meet with her professor during office hours the next day.

After heading to the Pattee Library with her roommate, Betsy visited with her professor, then checked the card catalog for some books. She had promised to find a book she had used in an earlier project and give it to Prof. Joukovsky. She headed down into the Level 2 Core stacks of Pattee around 4:30-4:40. [cite news |title=The Last Reason |url=http://www.statecollegemagazine.com/home_pages/Betsy/aardsma.html |work=statecollegemagazine.com |publisher=State College Magazine |date=2004-11 |accessdate=2008-08-07 ]

At some point between 4:45 and 4:55, Betsy was stabbed a single time through the heart with a single-edged knife, approximately 3.25 inches long. She fell, and a minute or so later, one or two men exited the Core and told a desk clerk that "Somebody better help that girl." A call was placed to the Ritenour Health Center at 5:01, and by 5:19 she was at the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Due to her red dress and the small amount of blood, no one had realized she'd been stabbed, and thought perhaps she had a seizure or medical ailment.

The murder of Betsy Aardsma quickly became legendary among students at Penn State. Today, it is widely regarded as an urban legend -- something that is told to incoming freshmen which has no basis in fact. Sadly, the story is true -- and it has endured. Murderers ranging from serial killer Ted Bundy to a distraught college professor have been suggested, but most can be quickly ruled out based on the facts.

Usually the story is told around Halloween, because rumors exist that Betsy's ghost, or perhaps other spirits, haunt the stacks of Pattee Library to this day. One student even claims to have seen Betsy's ghost, complete with her red dress. [cite news |title=The Ghost |url=http://www.statecollegemagazine.com/home_pages/Betsy/aardsma_ghost.html |work=statecollegemagazine.com |publisher=State College Magazine |date=2004-11 |accessdate=2008-08-07 ]

Betsy's sister Carole Aardsma, a minister, went on to testify before the Supreme Court in the 1970s when the constitutionality of the death penalty was being debated. She argued against the death penalty, saying that "Betsy would not have wanted her killer punished by death." She has since become part of a prison ministry that helps inmates find religion.

In 1990, an author who had researched the case in the 1980s named Pamela West wrote a book called "20/20 Vision," [cite news |title=20/20 Vision |url=http://www.amazon.com/20-Vision-Pamela-West/dp/0345367367/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218654478&sr=1-11 |work=Amazon.com date=1990 |accessdate=2008-08-13] which was a science-fiction story based on the details of the case. West stated that she had originally intended to write a true crime story, but was concerned with libel issues related to the fact that so many people involved were still alive at the time. [cite news |title=Decades later, Penn State library slaying unsolved |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-pa-psu-libraryslayin,0,1703066.story |work=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=2008-08-02 |accessdate=2008-08-07 ]

Current students at Penn State who are Facebook members may even be "Friends" with Betsy, as someone created a Betsy Aardsma Facebook account.

The television show Paranormal State featured a small segment on Betsy's murder in their first season. Penn State Paranormal Research Society head Ryan Buell wanted to have an exorcism performed in the library's stacks, but college officials would not allow it.

Her murder is unsolved after 39 years and the Pennsylvania State Police are still actively seeking information on the case. [cite news |title=Decades later, Penn State library slaying unsolved |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-pa-psu-libraryslayin,0,1703066.story |work=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=2008-08-02 |accessdate=2008-08-07 ]

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