Research Paper On Sandra Cheskey

On November 17, 1973 Sandra Cheskey became the girl from Gitchie Manitou. The one who beat all odds of survival when her friends; Roger Essem, Stewart Baade, Mike Hadrath, and Dane Baade did not survive.

As a young child Sandra was either in and out of foster care, living with her grandparents, or living with her financially unstable mother. With her home life changing often Sandra grew up very fast. As she aged “thirteen year old Sandra Cheskey had what her friends considered the good fortune of frequently being mistaken for a much older teenager.” (Hamman, 5). Something that would change her life drastically.

One night out at a movie with her friend Debbie, Sandra had her first encounter with Roger Essem. Sandra was immediately attracted

to Roger, and he gave her his phone number. They started to get closer, hanging out more often until one night the idea of going to Gitchie Manitou with Roger and his friends came up. The teens drove to the park with was on the Iowa- South dakota border in hopes of a night filled with a nice hot fire, playing guitar, smoking marijuana, and socializing.
As the five teenagers sat around the fire the began to hear sounds. When the teens went still, so did the sounds. But then, the sounds recurred and stopped again, and again. Suddenly, shadowy figures appeared in the tree line. “Who are you? What do you want?” (Hamman, 49). Then with a fire of a shotgun a night of terror began. Some of the teens attempted to hide, but the killers had other plans. When it was over one of the midwest most horrific mass had left its mark across the camp grounds.
The killers marched the teens on a path through the woods at gunpoint. The teens were unaware of the fact that they were in danger because the killers had stated that they were the police and they were busting them for drugs. All of a sudden, Sandra’s hands were tied behind her back, and she was placed into a truck. The truck drove off, moments later the boys were executed. Sandra Cheskey sat still in the car still thinking that the murderer driving the vehicle is a policeman. “I certainly would have tried to run if i had know differently” (Hamman, 68). But she didn't run, and the night somehow became much darker soon after.
The three killers, who happened to be brothers, all met up at a farmhouse.

James Fryer, one of the killers, got into the truck and told Sandra to take off her clothes and then assaulted her. Directly following James leaving, Allen Fryer climbed into the truck. “I was a virgin, you know” she shrugged, her voice deflated. “No you weren't!” he said in a wary voice. “I’m only thirteen” (Hamman, 82). This really shocked him, and he told her that he will do what he can to get her out of this situation.

After, when it was time to get rid Sandra, Allen Fryer told his brothers that we would. Having promised to kill her, the took her home. She entered her house traumatized and worried for her friends. She tried to call Roger’s house to see if he was home. Roger’s brother answered the phone and said that Roger did not come home last night. He explained that something bad had happened, and that Sandra needed to stay where she was. He was coming to get her.

They went to the police and she told her story about what she knew. At first people didn't believe her. They thought, how could they have let her go after she saw their faces, but they did. In days following, the trial went on, and on, for so long that she missed one and a half years of school (Hamman, 123). This was very hard for Sandra because she has to constantly go through the night in her head and she just wanted to forget it. Although she carried on because she wanted to bring

justice.
Sandra started to be very depressed. She started drinking, experimenting with pills, and other drugs, all in hopes of forgetting what happened for a short time period. She missed her friends, especially Roger. She missed his voice, his touch, and everything about him. Overtime she began to think that she would never find someone like him.
After a long drug out trial, they finally had the murderers in custody. The Fryers been caught. A huge burden was lifted off of Sandra’s shoulders. Although she was happy that they had them caught, it still didn't help with the pain. It didn't bring them back. She tried to live out her life as much as she could. Everyone knew her as the “Gitchie girl”. She didn't have many friends, she dropped out of school, and she was getting more depressed everyday.
Then all of a sudden her life turned around when she met Carroll, a boy who would change her life. Carroll didn't care about Sandra’s past. With time, they fell in love. After a year of dating, they were getting married. Everything with Carroll was real, genuine. They later had two children; Jacob and Joshua (Hamman, 153). ANd just like that Her life became happy again for the first time since she was a teen.