The Jurgens File recounts true events that happened in Minnesota in the mid-Twentieth Century. A baby boy was born to a sixteen year-old ward of the state who was forced to give him up for adoption; twenty years later she sought to contact what she believed would be her adult son only to discover he died at the age of three under suspicious circumstances. The story moves backwards and forwards in time viewing the events that led up to his death and the eventual cover-up as recounted by family members, neighbors, police officers, social workers and other members of the quiet, suburban community where the action takes place. While some characters are composites and some of the events are compressed in the interest of time, the story depicted is true and is taken directly from court documents and the extensive media coverage that followed the case.

ACT 1 It is October 1986 and the Sunday morning paper arrives in a small suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. The residents’ memories are awakened by a front-page story that tells of an unsolved child murder that happened amongst them decades before; they recall their actions and inaction as details of what will become one of the most notorious child abuse cases that will ever be tried within the Justice System are revealed. The paper tells of a woman named JERRY who discovers that her son Dennis, given up for adoption in 1961 died under mysterious circumstances that suggest severe child abuse at the hands of his adopted mother-yet charges were never filed. Jerry goes to the authorities insisting that the case get reopened, and the press puts pressure on CLAYTON and MELINDA, the assistant district attorneys assigned to the case; they ask Jerry to be patient, but she will have none of it. She herself is a frustrated victim of the Child Welfare System. We travel back to Jerry’s childhood in the 1950s where running away from neglectful and abusive parents is considered a crime, punishable by incarceration in a variety of placements-including a foster home with a lecherous father; she runs away and is sentenced to reform school. Upon her release she meets a local boy, DENNIS and spends the night with him, resulting in a pregnancy and a return to reform school where she gives birth to a boy that she names after his father. Only sixteen and a ward of the state, she is forced to give him up for adoption. Now, in 1986 she has discovered the home he was placed in resulted in his death and lets Melinda and Clayton know she expects them to bring his killer to justice.
Back in the sleepy suburb three housewives: ANGIE, LISA and LESLIE have known for years about the unpunished murder. They step forward to tell the story of LOIS JURGENS, Dennis’ adoptive mother. Even before the murder Lois was notorious in town for her foul manner and temper, yet she managed to snare quiet and gentle HAROLD JURGENS. Harold’s mother, MRS. JURGENS sees her son live with Lois’ madness, a collection of personality disorders that come to crisis point when it is discovered she can’t have children. Lois is first institutionalized, then barred from adopting children, but gets her brother JEROME, a police officer to procure a baby for her: ROBERT. Robert fits in well in the Jurgens’ household, and they soon seek to adopt another boy-a rambunctious toddler named “Dennis.” Child Welfare fails to see the dangers of placing playful Dennis with the rigid Lois and he is left at her mercy, as HAROLD quietly looks on. Across town, JERRY wonders what happened to the boy she was forced to give up.
Returning to 1986, a COP feels the heat, as the public wants questions answered; he takes us back to 1965, the morning a three year-old Dennis was found dead. Angie, Lisa and Leslie look on as a doctor then the police arrive to find Dennis’ corpse. Lois claims the death was an accident, though an autopsy reveals brutal abuse. Dennis is buried and Lois is never charged. Decades pass, then a woman named Jerry arrives at Dennis’ grave seeking answers.
It is now early 1987 and the media reveals that Lois and Harold were able to adopt four more children after the death of Dennis. All four children eventually ran away, and the oldest, RENEE gives the world a first-hand account of life in the Jurgens home. Jerry’s adult daughter MISTY stands by her side as Lois is arraigned and charged. Melinda and Clayton face the daunting task of trying a twenty year-old murder case. Robert, now 27 and a police officer realizes he is the only witness to the crime his mother committed as she is dragged off in handcuffs.

ACT 2 The trial approaches, and Robert recalls being taken from his home and being placed with Mrs. Jurgens for an extended period due to the suspicions Child Welfare had after Dennis’ death. Angie recalls Lois threatening to burn her to death for speaking to the authorities, and then sees Robert returned to Lois after Mrs. Jurgens dies in a suspicious fire. A SOCIAL WORKER tells of how Renee and her brothers soon joined Robert after a loophole keeps caseworkers from discovering the secrets of the Jurgens home. Teenaged Renee and Robert live through the nightmare of Lois’ cruelty and further descent into madness and soon run away from home. The authorities revoke Harold and Lois’ parental rights and are they are barred form adopting more children. Lois lives quietly for eleven years until a reporter informs her that Dennis’ case has been reopened due to the probing of his birth mother.
Melinda and Clayton have no problem proving child abuse as neighbors and family members at last come forward to shed light on the actions of Lois and the system that failed to save Dennis. Their difficult task is proving a decades-old murder, relying on the testimony of Robert to assure Lois’ conviction. From the witness stand he guides us (and Jerry) through the night before Dennis’ dead body was discovered; as a raging Lois, angered by flood water filling her basement takes out her aggression on Dennis’ three year-old body. After years of abuse, Dennis no longer has a fight left in him and passes away.
Robert’s testimony leaves no doubt as to Lois’ guilt and she goes to prison; Jerry wonders if all she and Dennis sacrificed will do anything to stop the flow of Child Abuse in America. And the story goes on…