Submerged in Mystery,

[Teak]

Originally Posted by wamer27

Hair-man-town lost?????? Did they do it on purpose so they are not forced to go to AA next year???

Most likely.

[Boots198]

Hulsker 1856 why did you find it hard to believe a local TV station would cover this particular event in Duluth's history. The double murders of Sally Tharaldson and Virgil LaPanta are one of Duluth's dirtiest secrets and many people would rather it die at the bottom of Lake Superior just like they did. For those who remember or care to read this, Sally was a 44-year-old housewife with 5 children & 2 grandchildren. Her husband was Jerry Lee Wayne Tharaldson former owner of Jerry Lee's Truck Stop on 28th Ave West & Superior Street. The truck stop was a very popular place until it burned down in the mid-'70s. Virgil LaPanta was a 66-year-old former Longshoreman who due to an injury he sustained was not able to work any longer. He lived alone at the Seaway Hotel. Virgil was harmless, that can't be said about Sally's husband.
Many people just thought, or were led to believe that Sally and Virgil were drunk and looking for a good time when she drove her car off the pier and into Lake Superior in 1978. For five years they were considered missing persons. Five years to the exact date that they disappeared, the steel ore ship, the Philip R Clarke dropped it's six-ton anchor into Lake Superior as it was approaching the harbor berth. Guess what was attached to the anchor when they pulled it up? Yep, Sally's car, and inside were the perfectly composed bodies of Virgil and Sally. There is tons of information that the family of Jerry Lee either don't know about or would rather it not be talked about. Not just information about the incident talked about but also years and years of activities in Duluth that, how can I say, were not family friendly which involved Jerry Lee. I could continue on for pages and pages, but this might be too shocking or not "nice" for those who participate in this blog. This is part of Duluth's dark past and you will see more coverage regarding this on TV in Duluth & Minneapolis plus a national podcast by a former New York City Prosecutor who is also fascinated with this case. Stay tuned.

[Beenaroundabit]

Interesting story.

It would be more interesting if the article didn’t have words missing and appear to have been written by a high school student.