The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 13

4l THE RECORD, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25. 1967 A 13 Two; Who Met Death-Bergen's Unsolved Murders i m. 'ft Since 1960, the murders of four women in Bergen County has remained unsolved. On March 4, 1960, Mrs. Eleanor Saia, an attractive 35-year-old real estate saleswoman, was found brutally beaten and sexually assaulted in her Oradell office.

Three years later, a 52-year-old Fort Lee secretarv, was found floating in the Hudson River, 2 months after she disappeared. Two years later, the county was shocked bv the brutal slaying of 18-year-old Alys Jean Eberhardt of" Fair Lawn. Seven months later, Janet Ipsaro Adams, a bride of 2 days, was found strangled and stabbed in Paramus. Today, the trail is cold. But interest in the deaths of the two 18-year-old girls has been stirred bv the Judith Kavanaugh killing.

Staff Writer Louise Esteven recreates the two cases. liipy ALYS EBERHARDT JANET I. ADAMS The Eberhardt Case It was a cloudy Friday, Sept. 24, 1965, and the big story was the drought. With the threat of rain, every one was hoping it would come down in torrents.

Before the night was over it poured a movie setting for murder. And murder was committed that night. Alys Jean Eberhardt, a nursing student at Hacken-sack Hospital, was the victim. Her father Ross round her. body late that afternoon in the den of their spacious suburban home at 3-34 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn.

There were 61 stab i wounds in her breast, and a butcher knife was plunged into her But this did not kill her. Death came with two vicious blows to the right and left of her head -r that broke the skull. The fight between Alys and her murderer began in an upstairs bedroom, continued down the stairwell, through the hall, and into the den at the rear of the home. The white walls of the den were so blood-spattered they could not be washed down. The room had to be repainted.

Oddly, it was unusual that the pretty, teen-age student was home from school. Mrs. Jean Eberhardt, Alys's mother, was in upstate New York to attend the funeral of an aunt a woman who had raised her. Susan, another daughter, was with her. The father, an interior decorator, and the daughter were to join them in Oswego.

Alys checked out of the nursing school between 2 and 4 P. M. By 5:30 P. M. her father had found her bludgeoned body.

But an hour and 15 minutes before, at 4:15 P. a woman telephoned the Eberhardt home and asked Alys to baby-sit. The young girl declined because of the funeral and the trip to upstate New York. Usually, Eberhardt came home at 6 P. M.

He would drive his panel truck to a luncheonette-candy store on Saddle River Road, yards from his home, and pick up the evening paper. He did this that Friday evening a half hour earlier than normal picking up the paper, and joking with the young man behind the counter about the pennies he would receive as change. Into the house he walked, to be greeted by silence when he called out to his daughter. Moving toward the The Adams Case It was a whirlwind courtship. Almost 5 weeks after they met, Janet 18, and Brian Adams, 24, were -married Saturday, April 2, 1966 in a simple ceremony in the home of his attorney.

After the wedding they had a reception for friends in the 3-room Paramus garage apartment rented 10 days earlier. On Monday, Janet Ipsaro Adams was dead. Her body was found on the bathroom floor of her new home her husband's red and green necktie around her throat a pair of scissors plunged into her heart. Shortly after 4 P. M.

that day, the Adams's landlord, Arnold Goldberg, discovered the murder. He had entered the apartment, after knocking and getting no answer, to make repairs on a door. Goldberg saw the body and called the Paramus police. Death was caused by strangulation, and not by the -scissor thrust. Janet had not really had a home.

Reared by New- -ark Catholic Charities, she spent the 3 years before her death with the L. E. T. Thibault family in Emerson. Like her husband, she was a high school dropout, and had trouble adjusting to society.

Police said Brian Adams was working as a mason at the Marriott Motor Hotel in Saddle Brook. On the day of the murder, he came home to find police investigating his bride's death. Adams was questioned more than 4 hours, hen Bergen County Prosecutor Guy W. Calissi announced he was not now a suspect in the murder. The young man had a record.

He had been arrested several times twice on charges of hitting po- lice chiefs. One resulted in a conviction the other in acquittal. In 1966 the bearded Brian and Janet were married and set up housekeeping in the furnished apartment over a garage. When her husband went to work, Janet walked 2 blocks from her home to a shopping center and bought some household items. This was at 1:15 When her nude body was found 3 hours later, a yellow plastic pail and two new mops were neatly placed near a dresser in the livingroom-bedroom of the apartment.

Janet was quiet, introverted, said her foster mother, (Continued on A-25, Column 7) back part of the house, he noticed the disarray then saw his slain daughter's body crumpled on the floor. Eberhardt called the Fair Lawn police. While waiting for them, he went out a side door, and began picking up the garbage cans, and putting the lids on them. Within minutes, the police, neighbors and reporters were on the scene. The long process of questioning friends and relatives, and sifting clues began.

This was not easy. The heavy rainfall lasted through the night, washing away any footprints. Alys Eberhardt, 18, was not only a very pretty girl, but a very popular one. The Eberhardt home was open to every one, and to encourage this, the family never locked its doors. Within a short time, police had questioned over 200 persons, and 2 days after the murder, Guy W.

Calissi, Bergen County prosecutor, said no definite leads had developed. A dagger, similar to ones sold at the Jordanian pavilion at the New York World's fair, was found near the body. George Shammas. manager of the shop there, said only 1,000 of these knives had been sold. He also pointed out the dagger could be purchased at three other, places: the House of Jordan, 38th Street and Third Avenue; the Acropolis, 44th Street and Eighth Avenue, and a store in Arizona.

Although Calissi said the 18-year-old girl had not been sexually assaulted, her clothing had been pushed up around her neck, and she had been stabbed repeatedly around the chest and breast. The murderer did not force his way in, Calissi said, for the sprawling red-and-white brick and frame structure showed no signs of forced entry. A little more than a week after the murder, there were rumors through the Borough, that Ross Eberhardt had been arrested in the slaying. Not only was it untrue, but the Prosecutor's office vehemently denied he ever was a suspect. Louis Hemsey, a guitarist in a local rock roll band, had been dating Alys for about a year.

He told newspapers he had his own theories on the murderer. Whether he mentioned these to the prosecutor's office is not known. Just before 1966 ended, Calissi disclosed the possibility of new evidence in one of two recent unsolved murder, cases. He declined, however, to say which one this or the Janet Ipsaro Adams slaying. Fair Lawn Police Chief Louis J.

Risacher Jr. said yesterday, many fingerprints were lifted from the Eberhardt home, but they had no significance. Risacher added he thinks some one from the area committed the crime. "I always did. I see no reason to change." Eventually, he said, it will be solved.

"Very few murders are not solved eventually." TT" 0 RETAIL MEMO A WEEKLY DIGEST OF iiaiiw 'mm hp mm msmAiknm 1 JANUARY SALES CLIMB 1. Retail sales In January totaled $22.3 billion, estimates the U. S. Commerc Department. This was 1 above the $22 billion in January, 1966.

The following tabulation, based on Commerce Department data, compares sales of the principal retail groups in January, 1967, with the same month last year (odd DEALER AIDS AVAILABLE. From AMF WESTERN TOOL, (331 1 McDonald P.O. Box 357, Des Moi nes, Iowa 50302), A co-op allowance available 50 paid by manufacturer, 25 paid by dealer and 25 paid by distributor for promotion of firm's power lawn mowers, riding mowers, tillers and snow plows; 2 of purchases allowed for advertising. Mats available to dealers. sequently, the consumer is often more fashion-conscious than the store salesman ond a wholly new retailing concept is colled for The clocks have gotten a thorough facelifting from the point of view of color, dial treatment, shape ond period of design.

In the opinion of one industry source, the clocks are headed for some healthy sales gains. More than 3 million units were produced in 1966 and the market should sustain a 20 to 25 increase over the next few years. January 1967 1966 1,143 1,152 4,277 4,300 Chang 0.8 0.5 3.3 7.6 1.6 2.6 0.7 3.8 Apparel Group Automotive Group Drug and Proprietory Stores Eating and Drinking Plocej Food Group Furnitur and Appliances Gasoline Service Stations General Merchandise Group Lumber, Building and Hardware 778 1,708 5,600 1,058 1,815 2,375 TEEN-AGE GIRLS: SOME STATISTICS. According to a recent report by Seventeen Mogazine, teen-age girls bathe or shower 10.1 times a week; 89.7 of them cio their own laundry, using a washing machine 1.5 times a week ond laundering by hand twice a week; combined, they have $7 billion to spend each year on anything that suits their fancy (not including "extra" money from indulgent parents). Finally, adds Seventeen, they are open to new ideas ond with 12.5 million of them running oround, retailers will be hard pressed to keep one jump ahead of them.

804 1,837 5,508 1,085 1,803 2,466 1,014 1,041 2.6 RETAIL SALES WERE DOWN 3 for the week ended Saturday, February 1 1, below those of the same week a year ago. Dollar sales for the week were estimated at $5.05 billion. Retail sales remained unchanged for the four weeks ended Saturday, February 11. U.S. Census Bureau)- REGIONAL PERCENTAGE CHANGES for the week ended Wednesday, February 15, varied from the comparable levels of a year ago by the following percentages: East North Central 9 to New England and Middle Atlantic 7 to South Atlontic 5 to Mountain 2 to West North Central 0 to East South Central and West South Centrol 1 to Pacific 3 to 7.

(Source; Dun Bradstreet) DEPARTMENT STORE SALES WERE DOWN 8 for the week ended Saturday, February 11, below those of the same week a year ago. Dollar soles for the week were estimated at $340 million. Department store sales were up 2 for the four weeks ended Saturday, February 11. U. S.

Census Bureau) Total Sales $22,291 $22,054 1.1 'Includes data for kinds of business not shown in above Categories. SKI SEASON SALES TAKE 18 JUMP. Apparel and equipment retailers are discovering "there's gold in them thar hills!" reports The New York Times Skiing "industry" sales this year are expected to total almost $750 million, more than 18o over lost year's total ond about $150 million of the total will go for apparel and equipment. Skiwear has become a firmly entrenched fashion category and the well-dressed skier is extremely style conscious. Some retailers have noted that there is a ready demand for skiwear from many people who don't ski, but merely like to lounge around ski areas and be "part of the scene." At any rate, adds the Times, when they start skiing, they start buying.

MISC. ETC. New car soles in the first third of February fell to 170,788 units, down 21 from a year earlier. By increasing shelf space for its dietetic food line by 200, Kroger, achieved a 220 increase in dollar sales over last year. $600 million a year is spent on the core and feeding of 30 million dogs in the U.

S. A. Housing starts rose in December to seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.1 million units from revised rate of one million units in November. The cost-of fringe benefits is rising twice os fast as wages, with the nation's employers paying about $75 billion a year for them. Imported cor sales in January fell 4 from a year earlier, with 45,000 cars sold, compared to 47,000 the previous year.

Consumption of macaroni rose 5 in 1966 oveT previous year's levels. Per capita consumption in the U. S. is about 9.3 pounds. Our population will reach 200 million people some time between July, 1967 and 1968.

Unemployment was at 3.7 of the nation's labor force in mid-January, representing no change from the December, 1966 rate. sonal paper party goods can be an excellent traffic builder for a store, adds DSE and a customer who buys a party invitation is herself on open invitation to be sold a complete matching party unit, the totals of which sometimes reach $50. RUGS ARE KEY TO ROOM DECOR. Carpet is the jewelry of home decor ond gives rooms the finished look they otherwise would not have, states Clyde Walters, buyer for Bromberg's Furniture Co. In on article reported in Home Furnishings Daily, Mr.

Walters added that floor covering adds much needed wormth, color, beauty, luxury and distinction to each room ond is instrumental in reflecting the total look so popular with todoy's decorator-conscious public. Color, be it in full floor covering or occent rugs is a store's most effective means in selling the total look in home furnishings and can give sales a fresh new impetus for the coming year. CHAINS HAVE A BALL WITH CHILDREN'S DRESSES. Chain stores are "running oway" with the children's dress business, reports Women's Wear Doily and are leaving deportment stores far behind. According to a marketing research report done last year by a major textile corporation, approximately of total children's dress units were sold by the major chains, by discount stores ond 28 by department stores ond specialty shops.

Most of the chains' success has been attributed to greater buying power, troding up to better quality merchandise, large dress orders ond no bars on advertising. However, department stores are trying to rattle thain stores' grip on children's weor, reports WWD. Right now, the chains have an unprecedented grip on children's wear sales and if department stores are ever going to restore a retail "equilibrium" in this area, now is the time to do it. One merchandise manager feels that department stores need to concentrate on fashion ond quality to beat the chains. Goods must be in the store when the item is hot and the closer the store's approach, particularly in the ready-to-wear market, the better its chances will be.

The populor-priced dress with the "fashion look" is another area that needs close attention. The ready-to-wear operation, odds WWD, will not only help the department stores to boost unit sales, but give manufacturers a bigger reorder business as well. CRUISEWEAR SALES GO FULL SPEED AHEAD. Americans have been bitten by the "travel bug," reports Daily News Record and the effect has been a steody ringing of retail cash registers. Mony retoilers credit cruisewear tor helping them meet February sales quotas and quite a' few see it surpossing Valentine's Day sales.

The biggest storewide gains have been in cabana sets, slacks and sport coat coordinates. Neckwear, shirts, jewelry, underwear and paiamas also command a healthy sales position. Cruisewear olso has another unusual distinction. While recent winter snowstorms virtually paralyzed men's store business in mony cities, they apparently stimulated cruisewear, no doubt reflecting on intense desire by many to head for warmer climes. CORDLESS MODELS RECHARGE CLOCK SALES.

Cordless clocks have been give strorg dose cf fashion and the result has been a sudden upswing in their popularity as heme decor items, reports Jewelers Circular-Keystone. Well over 50 of all cordless c'ocks ore now bought as gifts ond the gift givers often buy the clocks with on eye to the receiver's home fashion style. Con BEST SELLERS OF THE WEEK, ended Wednesday, February 15, included: SOFT GOODS Furs Heavy Stockings Gloves Lingerie Women's Cruisewear Men's Heavy Car Coats Pajamas Terry Robes Men's Cruisewear HARD GOODS Color TV Floor Polishers Vacuum Cleoners Upholstered Furniture Carpeting (Source: Dun Bradstreet) DISCOUNTERS RACK UP AUTO ACCESSORIES SALES GAIN. Discounters have clearly demonstrated why they are no- considered the second largest retailer in the booming auto accessories market, reports The Discount Merchandiser. In 1966, these stores chalked up almost $715 million in tire, battery and accessory sales for an overall 24.2 sales gain over the previous year.

Much of the growth can be attributed to the enormous growth of service facilities, introductions of new products (car tape recorders ond cartridges added over $3 million to soles) and an Increase In mobility which created a bigger demand for cor seats and beds and luggage FAN SALES TO BREEZE ALONG. Electric fans ore expected to see one of the best selling seasons in years this summer, reports Home Furnishings Daily. Last summer's record heat wave hos provided much of the drive for sales this year, with manufacturers already reporting business running from 1 4 to 50 ahead of last year. Prices may be from to 5 higher this year, though this is the result of improved stvling and a turn to more efficient solid state circuitry. Top sellers this year will include the "wood look" and greater choice of color and style.

The 20-inch window fan appears to be the retailer's best bet, with many predicting complete inventory close-outs by the end of the season. PARTY TIME IN THE STATIONERY DEPARTMENT. The stodgy, stilted social affair has become a thing of the past, reports Department Store Economist and today's hostess will in all probability select her party material at a stationery counter. Increased leisure time and more disposable income has enabled almost every women to become a potential party giver and the convenience and improved styling of paper party goods becomes natural answer to this trend. The paper goods now run the gamut of party needs and include such items as plates, cups, table covers, place mats ond centerpieces.

The hostess also hen a choice of paper coosten, bridge table covers, guest towel ond decorative bowlt. Sea The DAILY WHOLESALE COMMODITY PRICE INDEX cf 30 basic commodities (1930-1932100) was 259.62 cn Thursday, February 16, against 260.36 a week ago. The Weekly Wholesale Food Price Index, representing the price per pound of 31 foods in general use fell to cents this week to $6.44. This represents a 0 3 drop below last week's level and 7.3 below the corresponding level of last year. (Source: Dun Bradstreet) STEADY BUSINESS GROWTH RATE PREDICTED.

According to the U.S. Commerce Department, 1967 will te "a tough year for business forecasts, but good year for business." reports Home Furnishings Daily. Assistant Commerce Secretary for Economic Affairs, William H. Shaw, predicted a1 4 growth rate for the year, with further gains possible through expansion ef the work force ond greater productivity. ANOTHER SERVICE TO ITS ADVERTISERS FROM Friend of the People It Serve.