Stabbing in the Stacks: the Unsolved Murder of Betsy Aardsma
Fifty-one years later, the death of this Michigan native is still under active investigation.
You should never have to pay for research with your life.
Tragically, that’s exactly what happened to Betsy Aardsma on November 28, 1969, at the Pattee (now Pattee/Paterno) Library in University Park, Pennsylvania. Between 4:45 and 4:55 PM on the day after Thanksgiving, someone stabbed the bright and likable graduate student from Michigan.
In the five decades that have passed since, there has only been one credible suspect named, and much of the evidence against him is circumstantial. After researching the grisly details, I have my own theory as to who killed Betsy.
The Victim
Betsy Ruth Aardsma was born on July 11, 1947, in Holland, Michigan, to Esther and Richard Aardsma. She was the second of four children and graduated from Holland High School with honors. From there, she attended the University of Michigan, where she studied art and English and graduated with honors from there as well.
After graduation, Betsy had planned to join the Peace Corps and reportedly did not want to subscribe to the expected role of…
