Midwest Obsession Based on a True Story

2011-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

Lisa Chiaski photos, Bill Buss photos,

2010-11-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

Lori Esker Photo, Lori Esker in court

2010-11-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Lisa Cihaski Articles, Lisa Chiaski Articles

2009-04-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

There is not a lot of information about the case, but here are a few facts.

In the weeks before the murder Bill Bus breaks off his romantic and sexual relationship with Lori Esker. Lori becomes obsessed with Bill often speaking of him to any and everyone who will listen. She becomes so obsessed that she disrobes before Bill on one occasion, and she expressed that she is turned on by watching him. Lori becomes enraged at the thought of Bill and Lisa being together. She starts to express a desire to see Lisa dead. Lori tells everyone that she thinks that Lisa just wants Bill for his money and his farm. On Wednesday, September 20, 1989 Lori calls Lisa’s job at the Howard Johnson’s Motor lodge and asks for Lisa’s work schedule because she want to throw a “surprise birthday party.” Later
Lori rents a rental car from the Wolf’s Auto Care Company and drives 150 miles to the Howard Johnson hotel to wait for Lisa.

On Wednesday Lisa is last seen leaving her job as assistant sales and catering manager at the hotel. The next day she was found in her car strangled with her own belt. The coroner estimates the killing occurred between 8:30-10pm. Family members say that Lisa was very fearful of Lori, and just the day before expressed a desire to put everything behind them and become friends again.

Lori later confessed to the murder. She was sentenced to life in prison. She is eligible for parole in 14 years.

A few more articles below

These things happen in New York, in Milwaukee; not in Wausau.

But a jury Friday found the sobbing, pink-sweatered Esker guilty of first- degree intentional homicide in the Sept. 20 death of Lisa Cihaski of Birnamwood. Cihaski, 21, planned to marry Bill Buss, 26, an Eland farmer.

The murder has set this once tight-knit, Polish farming community against itself. During the week-long trial, relatives and friends of the women sat on opposite sides of court. It was like a wedding - groom on one side, bride on the other.

Even the towns, where many are related, took sides: Hatley for the Eskers, Birnamwood for the Cihaskis.

''It's about the biggest thing that's happened around here,'' says Albin Ostrowski, Esker's second cousin and Cihaski's third cousin.

Beyond the unlikely setting, the crime itself was all the more shocking because, statistically, women don't often kill other women. Only 350 of the USA's 20,000 homicides each year involve female killers and victims.

But, as prosecutors told it: Esker set out on a ''mission to kill.'' After concocting an elaborate alibi, Esker drove 150 miles to meet Cihaski in a hotel parking lot, strangled her with her own half-inch, blue belt and pulled a ring off her finger.

Esker then drove back to River Falls, where she attended college.

Defense lawyers said Esker killed Cihaski in self-defense as they argued and then fought over Buss.

Esker often spoke of winning Buss back after he broke up their two-year relationship at a street dance in Eland. Witnesses testified she called Cihaski a ''bitch'' and a ''slut.''

Esker once said seeing Buss on a tractor sexually aroused her.

Buss testified Esker twice tried to seduce him by sneaking into his bedroom after midnight and disrobing in front of him. One night she wore a ''red teddy'' and the next time ''blue teddy,'' Buss said. He made her leave each time, he said.

''She always had to be No. 1 and she got number one,'' said Vilas Cihaski, Lisa's father, referring to the first-degree charge. With a life sentence, Esker could be eligible for parole in 13 years, nine months.

That's not enough for Howard Johnson's front-desk manager Craig Tucker, who worked with Cihaski at the hotel. ''A case like this is a good reason for capital punishment,'' he says.

Whatever the punishment - a sentencing date hasn't been set - Ruth Tafelski of Birnamwood is glad the trial is over. For the first time in months, people won't rush to the news stand for the latest tawdry detail.

''People can continue with their lives now,'' Tafelski says.

Buss, who hours after the verdict was spreading manure on his fields, says his ''life will never return to normal because Lisa will never be back.''

Neither will the naive notion that it couldn't happen here.

Terry Esker now knows it can. The Eskers, the Cihaskis and the Busses are all customers at his hardware store in Hatley. He sent sympathy cards to both families.

''She was a good kid,'' he says of his fourth cousin. ''She just snapped.''

CUTLINE: BUSS: 'Life will never return to normal because Lisa will never be back.' CUTLINE: AFTER VERDICT: Officer Diane Krebsbach, left, leads away Lori Esker, who was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend's fiancee. CUTLINE: CIHASKI: Was strangled with her own belt by ex-dairy princess Lori Esker on Sept. 20.

THE IRONWOOD DAILY GLOBE, Ironwood, Ml — Saturday, Aug. 25,1990 Page 2
Esker gets 131/2
years in prison
WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — A
beauty pageant winner convicted
of strangling a former schoolmate
could have been sentenced to life
in prison but may be eligible for
parole in 13Vz years despite
wishes of the victim's family.
Lori Esker, 21, wept Friday
during a Circuit Court sentencing
hearing for first-degree intentional
homicide, which carries a
mandatory sentence of life in
prison.
The law allows parole within 14
years. Ms. Esker urged Judge
Michael Hoover not to use his
statutory discretion to extend the
parole date.
Ms. Esker, a University of Wisconsin-
River Falls junior, was
convicted in June by a jury. Marathon
County prosecutors said
she strangled Lisa Cihaski with a
belt in a rage after learning Ms.
Cihaksi was engaged to farmer
Bill Buss, 26, whom both had
dated.
All three had attended high
school together.

Tidbits

Lori and Lisa were once friends.
Tammy and her sister Lori were very close. Tammy was devestated by what happened.
Lisa’s family sues Lori in a wrongful death law suit and wins.
Bill Buss marries in 1993.
More info available in the article "Deadly Rivals" Glamour Magazine feb 1991 p 194 v89 n2

Midwest Obsession aka Beauty's Revenge

Midwest Obsession Based on a True Story

Lisa Chiaski photos, Bill Buss photos,

Lori Esker Photo, Lori Esker in court

Lisa Cihaski Articles, Lisa Chiaski Articles