Chapter 3 – Where’s Dennis?
Thursday December 23, 1965 – Friday December 24, 1965
According to later accounts Dennis Sites arrived at the Rising Sun Hotel between 8:00 and 8:30 the evening of December 23 and ordered a beer, the first of many he would consume that night, from the proprietor, Donald Ray Strickler.
He remained there until 2:00 AM closing time, chatting with his friends, playing pool and other games, but never without a glass of beer or a ginger brandy in his hand.
After the bar closed, a few of his friends drove him to the Blue Star Diner on Route 422 just outside of Stouchsburg where he spilled a glass of milk, made an obscene pass at a waitress, and left without paying his check.
Then his friends drove him back to Newmanstown where he had parked his wife’s 58 Chevy, and they went on their way. It was about quarter after four.
Diane Sites was in a panic. This was her second pregnancy, so she knew the signs.
It was well past six o’clock in the morning on Friday December 24, and the baby was most definitely on its way. She had to get to the Reading Hospital, which was at least a half hour’s drive, and Dennis still wasn’t home from last night. Where was he anyway? He had her car. Not that she was in any condition to drive herself. And she needed someone to watch her three year old. And Dennis had the Blue Cross cards.
Of course, she had to call her folks, but she knew the first thing her mother would say.
“Where’s Dennis?”
There was no question though that her mom and dad would drop everything to help her.
She called Dennis’s folks too. Maybe he was there.
But he wasn’t. They hadn’t heard from him. Well, if you do hear from him, let him know I’m at the Reading Hospital. I need his Blue Cross cards.
Her parents were at her apartment by quarter of seven. Her mother stayed behind to babysit, and Diane got into her father’s car, and off they drove to the Reading Hospital. She only hoped there was enough time. The contractions were pretty regular now.
When the three year old woke up, Diane’s mother Pauline decided to take him to her house on North Race Street. She could take care of him there, and she had things to do. And people to call.
A little before 7:00 AM, Mrs. Dolores Zeller opened the draperies in her living room at 206 East Linden Street. Her house was diagonally across the street from Carrie Layser’s home.
“Larry,” she called to her husband. “There’s a bluish-green car parked in Carrie’s driveway. That’s not her car.”
Larry came to the window to have a look.
“No, that’s not Carrie’s. That’s a 58 Chevy.”
“Doesn’t it belong to that young couple that comes to visit Carrie’s daughter now and then? Diane Weiss? But she married that Steitz, didn’t she? What’s her husband’s name?”
“I dunno. Steitz or Sites. Something like that.”
“I wonder what they’re doing at Carrie’s place at this hour? Darlene doesn’t live there anymore.”
“If it’s any of your business, I’m sure Carrie will tell you. Probably dropping off a Christmas gift. Now what about breakfast?”
“Yes, dear.”
A little before 9:00 AM Diane Sites gave birth to her second son at the Reading Hospital.
A little after 9:00 AM “Corky” Erdman was traveling west on Linden Street in the direction of Carrie Layser’s house when he saw a 58 Chevy driven by Dennis Sites coming toward him. Corky waved and Dennis waved back.
About 9:30 AM George Sites, Dennis’s father, arrived at the apartment of Diane and his son. When he knocked on the door, Dennis answered but didn’t invite him in.
George told him that his wife was having their baby at the Reading Hospital, and Dennis needed to get there with his Blue Cross cards.
“Where have you been? Everyone’s been looking for you?”
“I really tied one on last night. I was at the stone quarry trying to sleep it off.”
And with that, he shut the door.
Between 11:00 AM and noon Ethel Steinmetz noticed the broken window at Carrie’s house and set in motion the discovery of Carrie Layser’s body by Mrs. Keller and Officer Sheetz.
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