Adolph Luetgert

Adolph Louis Luetgert (December 27, 1845 – July 7, 1899) was a German-American businessman in Chicago, Illinois, convicted of murdering his second wife Louisa Bicknese in 1897 and dissolving her body in a sausage vat filled with lye at his A. L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company.

Luetgert, born in Gütersloh, Westphalia (now Germany), moved to Chicago in the 1870s. He married Louisa Bicknese on January 18, 1878, some months after his first wife died. They had four children together. Luetgert had founded his own business, the successful A. L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company, and was considered the "sausage king" of Chicago.

Prosecuted by State's Attorney Charles S. Deneen, later a two-term governor of Illinois, Luetgert was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on February 9, 1898. He died in prison a year and a half later.

After the trial was publicized, rumors spread that Luetgert had ground up his wife's remains as sausage and sold this "sausage" to unknowing consumers. Sales of sausage in Chicago dropped off for a while. The tale was later proved false, as her body was shown to have been dissolved and the remains mostly burned, but the legend persists to this day. Another common legend related to the murder is that the ghost of Louisa Luetgert haunts the old factory grounds and the couple's former home in Chicago.

Early life Adolph Louis Luetgert, born on December 27, 1845, was originally named Adolph Ludwig Lütgert. He was born in Gütersloh, located in the province of Westphalia, which is now a part of Germany.

Life in America Luetgert immigrated to New York City around 1865 or 1866, when he was about twenty years old. He had heard that thousands of his countrymen were going to America with very little money but were able to find work. With about thirty dollars to his name, Luetgert boarded a ship bound for the United States.

During their investigation, the police learned that the couple had a history of domestic violence and that they fought on a regular basis. According to a source, Luetgert had financial difficulties during the Panic of 1896. He had started courting a rich widow whom he planned to marry once he got rid of his wife.

The case was retried in January 1898 at the same courthouse. The prosecution used George Amos Dorsey, an anthropologist from the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago, as an expert witness to prove that the bones found were human. This time, the jury came to a unanimous verdict that Luetgert was guilty. Luetgert was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on February 9, 1898. Eighteen months later, on July 7, 1899, Luetgert was found dead in his cell at the Illinois State Penitentiary. The official cause of death was "fatty degenerative heart disease".

Myths about Mrs. Luetgert There were many "sightings" of Louisa Luetgert after the trial began. She was sighted in twelve different states but never found. One of the most famous myths was that she was seen boarding a ship in New York bound for Europe. When Adolph Luetgert heard this, he said that he thought she was definitely fleeing the country. Louisa, however, was never reported as seen outside the United States.

The factory Some claim that the Luetgert factory burned to the ground in 1902. Robert Loerzel documented that the factory still stands, although a fire took place there on June 26, 1904. Today, the factory stands on the south side of the 1700 block of West Diversey Parkway. It has been converted into residential condominiums.