#unsolved murder
The Axeman of New Orleans (THEORIES)
THEORY ONE (THE BLACK HAND)
Due to the fact that The Axemans attacks almost exclusively targeted grocers of Italian descent, some people believe that the victims were actually victims of an early form of mafia called The Black Hand. It was named after a method of extortion that was being used at this time in Italian neighbourhoods. However this theory is subjected to a lot of scrutiny since so many of his victims survived. If the attacks were really due to unpaid extortion debts, why were some of them killed and some of them left alive.
THEORY TWO (VENDETTAS)
Similar to The Black Hand theory, some people believe that the murders may actually have been due to vendettas, since Scillian immigrants in the US at this time had huge distrust for the authorities, so they would often settle their disputes themselves. However the similarity in the MO makes this one hard for me to believe.
THEORY THREE (JOSEPH MUMFRE)
Joseph Mumfre is probably the man thst is associated with The Axeman most often. Mumfre apparently led a blackmailing gang in New Orleans which specifically targeted American Italians, which obviously fits the victim profile. Mrs Pepitone, the widow of The Axemans final victim, was certain that Mumfre was The Axeman, claiming that she saw him running from the scene. She believed this so strongly in fact that in December 1920, a year after The Axemans final murder, Mrs Pepitone reportedly shot and killed Mumfre, which could explain why The Axemans crime.
It is believed that Mumfre spent some time in prison between 1912 and 1918, the times apparently lining up with the breaks in the Axemans crimes, which could explain why the timing was so incredibly inconsistent.
Other reportings and recordings from the time however claim that Mumfre never actually existed, putting him down to an urban legend that arose in New Orleans as a way to try to come to terms with what happened and built some kind of explanation.
THEORY FOUR (COPYCATS)
Although The Axemans MO was so incredibly specific, the many inconsistencies lead some people to believe that the crimes were actually the work of multiple assailants, who may have been working together to terrorise the community.
THEORY FIVE (DEMON)
This theory isn’t usually taken very seriously in today’s society, but it is interesting to note that at the time of the attacks many God-fearing families really started to believe this after his letter was published, largely to his ability to seemingly appear and disappear without a trace.
The Axeman Of New Orleans (UNSOLVED)
Our story begins on the night of the 22nd of May 1918 in New Orleans. The bodies of grocery store owner Joseph Maggio and his wife Catherine were discovered in pools of their own blood by Joseph’s brothers who actually lived just next door. Joseph and Catherine’s throats had been slit with a razor while they slept, Catherine’s was actually cut so deeply thst her neck was almost entirely severed from her shoulders. Their heads had then been bashed in with an ace. It was a bloody and brutal crime scene, their blood was soaked into the mattress of their marital bed.
Police discovered the point of entry to the home upon arrival, a panel had actually been chiselled out of the back door to allow the attacker to enter. It was also quickly clear that burglary was not the motive for this crime. Nothing had been taken from the home, or at least nothing of value. The blood soaked axe (which actually belonged to the couple) had been left in the bathroom, the chisel had been left by the door and the razor blade was thrown into the neighbours garden.
The police were very quick to make arrests in this case, including one of the Maggio brothers, however due to a lack of evidence all of the suspects had to be released. Due to the time severely limited the technology available, the only evidence the police were able to find was a message, scribbled in Chalk on the floor a short walk from the crime scene, which read, “Mrs Maggio will sit up tonight just like Mrs Tony.” The police connected this message to Mrs Tony Chiambra, one of a number of grocers of Italian descent that were attacked and killed between 1911 and 1912. While these cases were never officially connected to The Axeman, the similarities in both the MO and the victim profile make it seem unlikely to me that they weren’t connected in some way.
A month later, on the 27th of June, The Axeman Of New Orleans struck again. Baker John Zanca went to make a delivery to the grocery store owned by Louis Besumer just like he had many times before. When there was no sign of life from the front of the store, and no answer to his knocks, Zanca got the uncomfortable feeling that something wasn’t quite right, and he decided to walk to the back of the building where he knew that Besumer and his (supposed) wife, Harriet, would likely be sleeping. However when he did reach the back of the store, he discovered the couple lying in pools of blood, with multiple wounds to their heads, but somehow they were still alive.
The Besumers would reported waking up to extreme pain, before seeing their attacker hacking at them with their own axe. When police arrived at the scene, they saw the panel cut from the back door, saw the lack of stolen objects and saw that the Besumers axe, which was used to attack them, had once again been left in the bathroom of the home. One of the most intriguing elements to this case for me has always been the fact that The Axeman would never bring his own axe to his crime scenes, and would instead use the victims, as this suggests a lot of prior knowledge about his victims, their belongings, and where in the home these belongings were kept.
Once again, a string of arrests were made in this case, including one of Besumers employees, but due to the lack of evidence and the media frenzy which would occur, they were all released. It was discovered soon after the attack that Harriet was in fact not Besumers wife, but his mistress, which was a total scandal at the time and led to the media frenzy actually interfering with the case. This media frenzy would only worsen in the two months before Harriet would tragically die. Before she passed away, she actually pointed the blame Besumer himself, claiming that he was actually a German Spy. Police had a difficult time believing this, largely due to the fact that Besumers had received some pretty severe injuries during the attack, including a skull fracture. However they apparently came over to Harriet side because 9 months after the attack, and 7 months after Harriet unfortunate death, Besumer was arrested and actually taken to trial for the murder, where he was found not guilty and released.
The next attack would occur in August of the same year, but this time, there was only one victim. 8 month pregnant Mrs Schneider was attacked in her sleep while her husband stayed for work. Mr Schneider returned home from work to find his wife covered in blood, with some of her teeth missing and her skull cut open, but she was alive. A few days after the attack Mrs Schneider regained consciousness and told the police what little she remembered. She recaes waking to a figure hovering over her holding what she would only know to be an axe when he started to strike. Luckily Mrs Schneider made a full recovery, and her unborn baby girl was miraculously unharmed, and she was born not long after the attack.
Police were confused as to why The Axeman had attacked Mrs Schneider, the MO matched perfectly but the victim profile was so off. Mrs Schneider was neither a grocer nor of Italian descent.
Just 5 days after the attack on Mrs Schneider, an elderly Italian grocer and his wife woke to the sound of a struggle coming from the room next to theirs, where their uncle was sleeping. When they entered the room they discovered their uncle Joseph Romano with a head wound, badly bleeding, and they actually saw the attacker flee the scene. Romano neice described the attacker to police as “dark skinned, heavy set and wearing a dark suit and a slouch hat”. Once again, a panel had been removed from the door and nothing of value had been taken. Joseph unfortunately died from his injuries two days later.
Once again a media frenzy arose in New Orleans. Men began to arm themselves and watch over their families as they slept.
Police were looking into the growing list of things that simply didn’t make sense about this case. Why did The Axeman always leave the chisel behind? Why did he never bring his own axe, and how did he have this kind of knowledge of his victims belongings? And why had he killed Mrs Schneider and Joseph Romano, Mrs Schneider didn’t fit the profile, and why kill Romano and not his grocer nephew that was in the same home.
Just when the attacks began to speed up, with only 5 days between the last 2, The Axeman disappeared, for 7 long months the families of New Orleans began to hope again, wanting nothing more than for the axeman to be gone for good. But tragiy on the 10th March 1919, The Axeman returnee. When he did, nothing about his MO had changed. He entered the house through a cut out panel and he attacked the Cortimiglia fighting with The Axeman, a fight which he would lose, receiving multiple blows to the head and a fractured skull. The Axeman then turned to Rosie, and tragically her 2 year old daughter that she was cradling. The child sadly died instantly, and Rosie received a fractured skull.
Fellow grocer Iorlando Jordano lived next door, and when he heard his neighbours screams, he raised the alarm and ran into their home in attempt to help in any way he could.
Luckily, both Charles and Rosie made full recoveries, and Rosie claimed to know exactly whk did this. Rosie pointed the blame at the very man who had gotten them help, claiming that Iorlando and his son Frank had committed this heinous attack. Charles ferverently denied this, and would reportedly go on to divorce his wife because of this. The men were actually arrested and charged with the attack however, Iorlando was sentenced to life in prison and his son Frank was actually sentenced to hang. It wasnt until almost a year later that Rosie withdrew her testimony, claiming that she lied out of spite and jealousy.
A few days after this attack, there was an intriguing and chilling new development in the case. The Times Picayune newspaper received a letter from ‘hell’ and addressed to 'esteemed mortal’. The Axeman had decided to contact the people he had been keeping in fear for so long., claiming to be a 'demon from the hottest hell’ with a 'close relationship with the angel of death’ bragging that he will never be found as he wasn’t a human. He then proceeded to make an unusual proposal:
Now to be exact, at 12:15 (earthly time) on next Tuesday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans. In my infinite mercy, I am going to make a little proposition to you. Here it is:
I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devil’s in the nether regions that every person shall be spared in whose home a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have just mentioned. If everyone has a jazz band going, well, then, so much better for you people. One thing is certain, and that is that some of you people who do not jazz it up on that specific Tuesday night (if there be any) will get the axe.
When the clock struck 12:15 on the 19th of March, New Orleans was full of noise and people 'jazzing it up’. A local composer actually created a song just for that night, which would go on to become a huge hit, titled, The Mysterious Axemans Jazz. The Axeman was satisfied and there would be no attack that night and there wouldn’t be another until early August.
Grocer Steve Boca was attacked while he slept, with the exact same MO as the previous attacks. Luckily Boca recovered but couldn’t remember anything at all about the attack.
One month later on the 3rd of September, teenager Sarah Laumann was attacked during the night, and suffered severe head injuries and missing several teeth. However a lot of people question whether this was actually the work because there are several inconsistencies, from the victim not fitting the profile, to the axe being found out in the garden and not te bathroom like all the others, and most noticeably because the attacker came through the window and not through a door panel.
Another month later, there would be one final attack, another attack which isn’t confirmed to have been the work of The Axeman. Mrs Pepitone woke up to the sounds of a struggle from the next door room where her husband Mike was sleeping. When Mrs Pepitone went into the room she saw her husband in a puddle of blood, with most of the room covered in blood spatter. But while Mr Pepitone fit the victim profile, Mrs Pepitone reported seeing two neb running from the scene. Mr Pepitone would sadly die of his severe injuries very shortly after the attack.
And that was the last New Orleans would see of the mysterious and horrifying Axeman of New Orleans. Sorry for the long wait but I hope the length of the post makes up for it. I’ll probably do a follow up some different theories I can find floating around.
The Unsolved Murder of Deanna Cremin
Deanna J. Cremin was a 17-year-old student living in Massachusetts, USA. She worked part-time at a local shop and did volunteer work with third-grade students at her school, Deanna dreamt of becoming a preschool teacher and loved caring for young children.
On 29 March 1995, Deanna went out with friends and visited her boyfriend, when she missed her normal curfew of 10pm her parents began to worry and contacted those she may have been with. Deanna’s boyfriend, Tommy LeBlanc, told them he had walked her halfway home, this was the last time anyone had seen her. Deanna’s family described LeBlanc’s behaviour as ‘unusual’- he usually walked Deanna all the way home.
Four days later, two young children stumbled upon Deanna’s body behind a housing complex. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted, the body was only a block away from her home.
Three main persons of interest were identified; Deanna’s boyfriend, who was the last person to see her alive, a local firefighter who was said to have been 'fixated’ with Deanna, and a third adult male who was later imprisoned for an unrelated crime. No charges were pressed and no arrests were made. Deanna’s case grew cold.
In 2019, the case was re-opened by a cold case unit who hope new DNA technology may provide a breakthrough, the unit claimed to know who killed Deanna but that they need more evidence to facilitate an arrest. Deanna’s murder remains unsolved.
The Unsolved Murder of Barbara Barnes
Barbara Ann Barnes was a 13-year-old American schoolgirl living in Ohio, USA. She was described as being a soft-spoken and intelligent girl who excelled in school. Barbara’s father had been shot to death in 1989 which had affected Barbara’s personality greatly, following the tragedy she became quieter and warier.
Barbara lived close to the middle school she attended, because of the short distance to her home she walked to and from school every day alongside other students. On 7 December 1995, Barbara was walking to school as normal, a neighbour recalled Barbara waving to her as she walked past and a classmate saw her walking her normal route. Barbara failed to arrive at school and when she never arrived home that afternoon an investigation began. Despite widespread searches and appeals for information, no trace of Barbara or clues as to what had happened to her were found.
On 22 February 1996, Barbara’s partially decomposed remains were discovered in a riverbed. The cause of death was determined to have been strangulation and Barbara had been raped. Despite extensive interviews and witness statements being taken police did not manage to find the killer or charge anyone in relation to the case. Barbara’s murder remains unsolved.
The Unsolved Murder of Lois Roberts
Lois Martha Roberts was a 39-year-old Australian woman. Previously a hairdresser, Lois sustained a brain injury in a car accident and had to undergo major rehabilitation, after which she moved to live in Lismore. Her family remember her as a vivacious and intelligent free spirit, who loved to travel and was known to hitchhike.
Lois was last seen outside Nimbin Police Station on 31 July 1998, it seems that she was hitchhiking between Nimbin and Lismore and was abducted at some point along this journey. Lois was seen getting into a white car, that was the last known sighting of her and remains unconfirmed. Six months later in January 1999, her mutilated body was found wrapped in an electrical cord. She had been tortured and raped before death, it is believed she was held captive for up to 10 days before she was murdered.
Theories surrounding Lois’ brutal murder include that she was about to expose a paedophile ring, that she was killed by a man who was in love with her twin sister and that she was murdered by a serial killer. The truth of what happened to Lois after she went missing remains a mystery. There have been no arrests; the murder remains unsolved.
The Murder of Shona Stevens
Shona Stevens was a 31-year-old mother of one living in Ayreshire, Scotland. Shona’s daughter, Candice, was only seven at the time of her mother’s murder.
On 10th November 1994, Shona went shopping at the local supermarket. She was last seen at about 1:10 pm walking home, just 10 minutes later, her unconscious body was found approximately 200 yards away from her home on a wooded path. The area Shona was found was regularly used by the local community as a shortcut to the supermarket. It is thought that the brutal attack on Shona lasted for about eight minutes and happened just after she was last seen. She had sustained serious head injuries and died in hospital.
In a bizarre twist, police released images of a novelty semi-naked toy figure wearing a red coat, the item was found at the scene of the crime. The police stated that the item looked like it had been broken off the keyring and had not belonged to Shona so may have belonged to the killer.
The motive for Shona’s murder remains unknown. There have been no arrests made concerning the case, the killer remains uncaught.
Milana Li was only 13 years-old when she was found deceased near her family’s Beaverton, Oregon home on May 10th, 2022.The young girl was last seen alive on May 8th. Milana left her home around 4:00 PM that afternoon to take a walk along the Westside Regional Trail to Barrows Park. Milana regularly walked this route and was typically only gone for half an hour to an hour. When she did not return for her 8:00 PM curfew, her family members began to worry. Milana was reported missing the following day.
Milana and her family are originally from Kazakhstan. The family moved to Beaverton a few years before Milana’s untimely death. Milana’s mother lives full time in Beaverton with their children, while Milana’s father travels back and forth between Beaverton and Kazakhstan, where he runs a business. Members of the community in Beaverton described Milana and a quiet and sweet young girl. When she was first reported missing, police classified her as a runaway-despite the fact that she has no history of such behavior.
Shortly after 2:00 PM on May 10th, police received a call about “suspicious circumstances” in a small stream at Westside Linear Park. When officers responded the scene, they found the body of a young girl in the water. A short time later, the young girl was identified as Milana Li.
An autopsy determined that Milana died by homicide. At this time, investigators have declined to comment on her exact cause of death. Very little other information about the investigation has been revealed. Police are now searching for Milana’s killer. Though an arrest has not yet been made, police maintain that they do not believe there is a threat to the community at this time.
If you have any information that could lead to an arrest of Milana’s killer, please contact Beaverton authorities at 503-629-0111.
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Taylore Jones was murdered inside her New Orleans, Louisiana home during the early morning hours of December 21st, 2021. The 26-year-old woman was living in an apartment in the Bywater neighborhood at the time of her death. The New Orleans Police Department responded to a call shortly after 5:00 AM about a woman who had been stabbed in the 700 Block of Lesseps Street. When officers arrived at the apartment, they found Taylore suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she passed shortly thereafter.
Taylore had lived in New Orleans for less than a year before her untimely death. She moved there in March 2021. According to friends, Taylore was attracted to the music scene in New Orleans. She also loved being able to travel around town on her skateboard. In fact, just hours before she was killed, Taylore was seen riding her skateboard home from her job at Café Negril.
A few months after Taylore’s murder, police released surveillance footage of the potential suspect. In the footage, a person wearing all black is seen walking towards Taylore’s apartment. Around 30 minutes later, the same individual is seen running away from the apartment. Police believe Taylore was killed within that 30-minute window.
A motive for Taylore’s murder is unclear. Reports state that nothing was stolen from Taylore’s apartment, so a robbery has been ruled out. Police have yet to identify the person in the surveillance footage, and they are hoping that somebody from the public will recognize this individual. Detectives note that the person appeared to have a distinct belt buckle and keychain that is visible in the footage.
There is a monetary reward available for any information that could lead to the arrest of Taylore’s killer. If you recognize the person in the footage, or if you have any other information that could help the investigation, please contact the NOPD at (504) 658-6020.
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Aszia Grimes was only 25 years-old when she was found murdered in Rochester, New York on September 12th, 2020. The young woman had been reported missing three days earlier. Aszia’s body was found by a passerby in a vacant lot on Orchard Street, close to her home in the Lyell Avenue neighborhood. Investigators quickly determined that her death was a homicide.
During the early stages of the investigation, Capt. Frank Umbrino of the Rochester Police stated that “police will not be releasing [Aszia’s] cause of death to protect the integrity of the investigation.” However,a post on Aszia’s case on rochesterunsolved.com states that Aszia was the victim of an assault that resulted in her death. Capt. Umbrino also said that the location where Aszia’s body was found is an area that is “not normally traveled.” Police have declined to comment on whether or not they believe Aszia was murdered in the spot where her body was found.
Aszia reportedly struggled with developmental disabilities since birth. At the time of her death, Aszia also was struggling with drug addiction. Despite this, Aszia was not known to have any enemies or conflicts with others. Members of the community described her as a helpful neighbor and a great friend. Still, the Lyell Avenue neighborhood where Aszia lived is not unfamiliar with violence. Aszia’s murder was the seventh murder that the city had experienced over a span of three weeks.
Aszia’s loved ones have vowed to never give up on finding Aszia’s killer. They also hope that Aszia’s death will help raise awareness on the ongoing issues of drug abuse and violence in Rochester. Aszia’s friend Maritza Santiago told reporters that she believes Aszia might still be alive if there were more resources and helpful services available to people struggling with addiction. Police have not commented on whether or not they believe Aszia’s drug use played a role in her murder, but it appears that is has not been ruled out.
Aszia’s mother Debi Tellier stated that she believes Aszia’s murder remains unsolved because there is an abundance of other unsolved murders in the area that have overwhelmed investigators. During a 2021 march to raise awareness on Aszia’s murder, Debi told reporters, “the reason they haven’t been able to find the person who killed my daughter and left her for dead in an empty lot is because they’re too busy being worried about all the other murders going on and we want it to stop.”
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Aszia’s killer is asked to contact the Rochester Police Major Crimes Unit at 585-428-7157.
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Blake Chappell’s life was headed in a positive direction during the fall of 2011. The then-17-year-old was adjusting to life in a new town after his family moved to Newnan, Georgia earlier that year. Previously, Blake and his mother Melissa lived in Clayton County. Melissa decided to move Newnan after Blake got into a physical altercation with the stepfather of his ex-girlfriend. The incident was tough on Blake, but he was doing seemingly well in Newnan. He quickly made new friends and started dating a new girlfriend. Unfortunately, before Blake’s life could continue to flourish, he was brutally murdered. His murder remains unsolved today.
Blake was last seen alive during the early morning hours of October 16th, 2011. On the evening of October 15th, Blake attended his high school homecoming dance with his girlfriend, Rion. Blake reportedly had a great time at the dance–he called his mother afterwards to tell her that he had “the best night of his life.” Blake and Rion were picked up from the dance by Rion’s mother. The pair then went back to Rion’s house where they watched a movie. Around 11:30 PM, Rion’s mother drove Blake to his friend Austin’s house, where he planned to spend the night.
At some point between 2:00 and 3:00 AM, Blake snuck out of Austin’s house and walked 3 miles back to Rion’s house. He arrived there around 4:30 AM and snuck in through Rion’s bedroom window. About half an hour later, one of Rion’s relatives caught Blake and Rion together. Knowing he was not supposed to be there, Blake quickly left the residence and began walking back toward Austin’s house.
During his walk, Blake texted with Rion several times. Around 5:30 AM, he sent her a message saying he was stopped by a police officer who asked where he was going. He sent one final text a few minutes later before ceasing all communication. Blake never arrived back at Austin’s house and was never heard from again. Blake’s mother Melissa was alerted about her son’s disappearance around 11:00 AM, after Austin contacted her and said that Blake had left his house and never returned. Melissa reported Blake missing very shortly thereafter.
Extensive searches for Blake ended unsuccessfully. Then, over two months later, passersby in Summer Grove spotted human remains in a local creek near East Newnan. Police were called, and the human remains were later identified as that of Blake Chappell. He died from a gunshot wound to the head.
After the discovery of Blake’s remains, the case shifted to a homicide investigation.
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Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Barraza was murdered in the driveway of her Tomball, Texas home on January 25th, 2019. The 29-year-old woman was preparing for a garage sale on the morning of her murder. Elizabeth was holding this garage sale in hopes of making some money to help fund a five-year anniversary trip to Florida with her husband, Sergio. She put together the sale on short notice, so very few people were aware it was happening.
Sergio left for work just minutes before Elizabeth was killed. He reportedly left the home around 6:48 AM, as Elizabeth was setting up for the garage sale. Shortly after Sergio left, a black Nissan Frontier Pro-4X pulled up near the Barraza’s driveway. The driver of the car then exited the vehicle and approached Elizabeth. Neighbors reportedly heard Elizabeth say “good morning” to this person before the person pulled out a gun and shot Elizabeth four times at point-blank range. The suspect then ran back to the Nissan, which was still running, and drove off.
Elizabeth was rushed to the Memorial Hermann Hospital, where she died a few hours later. Police then immediately began to investigate her murder. Elizabeth loved ones have struggled to find a motive for her killing. She is described as a kind young woman who loved Star Wars and Harry Potter. Elizabeth reportedly had no known enemies or any known issues with others.
Throughout the investigation, detectives learned that Elizabeth’s murder was caught on surveillance footage from a resident’s security camera. The footage shows a person driving a Nissan Frontier Pro-4X around the street more than once before finally pulling up near the Barraza’s driveway after Sergio left the house. This suggests that the assailant was waiting for Sergio to leave before approaching Elizabeth. The footage then shows the suspect walking up to Elizabeth. The two briefly spoke before the suspect lifted the gun and shot Elizabeth four times–three times in the chest and once in the head. The suspect then ran back to the car and drove away. However, the surveillance footage shows the vehicle returning to the scene just a few minutes later–seemingly to confirm that Elizabeth was, in fact, dead.
Despite having footage of the suspect, police have yet to make an arrest in Elizabeth’s case. While there have reportedly been several leads, police still have not publicly named a suspect or person-of-interest. Additionally, there is unfortunately a lack of additional physical evidence that might lead to a suspect. Police were unable to find any shell casings on the scene, making it very difficult for them to identify the gun that was used to kill Elizabeth.
The low quality of the surveillance footage has made it difficult for investigators to get a clear picture of the suspect. Some believe the stature and gait of the suspect resembles a woman, but this has not been confirmed. Some believe that the suspect was wearing a wig as a disguise.
Elizabeth’s parents are currently offering $50,000 for anyone with information that leads to the arrest of Elizabeth’s killer. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please call 713-222-TIPS (8477).
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Amber Hagerman and her brother Ricky were riding bikes in their neighborhood in Arlington, Texas on January 13, 1996. After venturing into an abandoned parking lot, Ricky left Amber to return home for fear of breaking their mother’s rules of riding too far away. When Amber didn’t return with Ricky, Amber’s parents and grandparents left in search of her. Finding a police officer at the scene, they were told a man had called the cops when he heard a young girl screaming and saw a man carrying a young girl to his truck. Four days later, after an extensive search, Amber’s body was found stabbed to death near a drainage ditch. Despite the horror of the case, it led to the development of the AMBER Alert system.
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Standing at 5 foot 6 inches and weighing 135 pounds, Danny Croteau was big for a seventh-grader. His parents would describe him as a daydreamer. He often spoke about wanting to go on safari and loved making his siblings laugh. On the 15th of April, 1972, Danny was found floating under the Interstate 291 bridge in the murky waters of Chicopee River. He had been bludgeoned over the head with a heavy object, presumably a rock. The autopsy concluded that he had died of fractures of the skull and lacerations of the brain.
The family’s former parish priest, Richard Lavigne, has long been considered a suspect in the slaying. A witness claimed that on the night of the murder, she had spotted Lavigne near the crime scene but was threatened by the then-bishop and district attorney from coming forward. It was never disclosed what the woman supposedly saw but the report alleges a grave abuse of authority and raises many questions. Carl Croteau, Danny’s father, was told by former Hampden County District Attorney, Matthew Ryan Jr. that “he didn’t think he could get 12 jurors to convict a priest.” Lavigne wasn’t publicly named as a suspect until the 1990s after he was convicted of molesting two alter boys.
Following his molestation conviction, Danny’s brother, Joseph, filed a suit against Lavigne, charging that he had molested him when he was 13-years-old. In fact, Joseph made a statement alleging the abuse back in 1972 but nothing ever came of it and it was brushed under the rug. At a time and a place when few would believe a priest could molest, never mind kill, a child, no charges were ever brought against Lavigne for the murder of Danny.
Lavigne had long been coddled by his superiors in the Springfield Diocese and was stopped from parish to parish where he abused child after child. Over the years, more people can’t forward to say that Lavigne had molested them. Lavigne, who still maintains his innocence, currently lives with his mother in Chicopee.
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