Something terrifying may be unfolding in the heart of New England — and residents are on edge.
In just a matter of weeks, eight bodies have been discovered across quiet, picturesque towns, sparking growing fears that a serial killer could be stalking the region. Now, police have finally broken their silence.
Rumors are swirling and fears are rising across New England as the death toll climbs — and now, authorities are investigating yet another suspicious death. This time, it’s a woman found unresponsive off a bike path in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The grim discovery was made Tuesday, April 22, near the 1500 block of Hall of Fame Avenue. Police rushed to the scene after receiving reports of a person unresponsive near the trail. The woman was quickly pronounced dead.
According to Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh, the department’s Homicide Unit, led by Captain Trent Duda, is launching an “unattended death investigation” in coordination with the Hampden District Attorney’s Murder Unit.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
The timing of this death — amid an eerily similar string of recent fatalities — has the internet ablaze with theories.
At least eight people, the majority believed to be women, have been found dead in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island between March and April.
What sparked the online panic
Human remains have surfaced in New Haven, Norwalk, Groton, and Killingly in Connecticut; in Foster, Rhode Island; and in Framingham, Plymouth, and now Springfield, Massachusetts.
But just because authorities found the remains during March and April doesn’t necessarily mean the victims all died within that same time frame. Officials have not confirmed any links between the deaths of the eight victims.
However, the pattern has fueled rampant speculation online that a serial killer could be targeting the region.
The online panic was sparked by a now-renamed Facebook group originally titled “New England Serial Killer”. MassLive.com reported that the group exploded in popularity, boasting more than 65,000 members and gaining over 15,000 new followers this month alone. According to Fox News, Google searches for “New England serial killer” spiked around April 7.
Still, law enforcement officials are urging caution. “Internet rumors are just that,” spokesman Ryan Walsh told Fox News Digital.
Connecticut State Police echoed that sentiment, saying there’s currently “no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public.”
Professor questions crime scene clues
Despite those assurances, the strange circumstances — and the sheer number of bodies — are hard for many to ignore. Peter Valentin, chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College, weighed in on the latest case in Springfield, describing the discovery as a “very recent death.”
The fact that police responded to reports of an unresponsive person is strongly suggestive of someone who did not have any post-mortem artifacts that would negate the need to check for vital signs needed to make a pronouncement,” he said.
“If someone is in full rigor mortis, there is no need to try to find a pulse… So this is a very recent death, unlike the others that are being attributed to the ‘New England serial killer.’”
Valentin also raised concerns about what investigators might have found at the scene.
“I am curious about what was recovered around the body,” he told Fox News Digital.
“There might have been paraphernalia suggestive of activity that is deemphasizing homicide (perhaps incorrectly) to the investigators… [The article] is filled with very cautious language… which might be intentional to not feed into what is now turning into intense scrutiny over every suspicious death in New England.”
The victims in New England
Here’s what we currently know about the victims connected to the growing fears of a possible serial killer in New England:
The first confirmed victim was Paige Fannon, a 35-year-old from West Islip, New York. She was reported missing on March 4, and just two days later, on March 6, her body was discovered in New Haven, found in the rushing waters of the Norwalk River after a heavy rainstorm.
”Paige has left behind two amazing parents, two sisters and one brother along with many more family members to mourn,” a GoFundMe page stated.
Then, on March 21, another body was found — this time belonging to Denise Leary, a 59-year-old mother of two who had been reported missing. Just four days later, on March 25, Rhode Island State Police uncovered the remains of Michele Romano, 56, in a wooded area of Foster.
The discoveries didn’t stop there.
On March 19, Groton, Connecticut police recovered another woman’s remains. She’s believed to be between 40 and 60 years old and may have had features linked to Turner syndrome.
Pushback from victims’ families
Just a few weeks later, on April 9, possible human remains were found in Killingly, although authorities haven’t confirmed the identity. A day later, Framingham firefighters discovered more remains, and due to the extent of decomposition, investigators believe the body had been there for several months.
Then, on April 23, a grim discovery was made in Salem, Massachusetts, where two male bodies were located near a local Walmart.
Despite the number of victims, law enforcement across all three states have maintained that there is no official evidence linking the deaths. The Facebook group that originally fueled the speculation — “New England Serial Killer” — renamed itself after pushback from victims’ families, particularly Romano’s. Her loved ones released a statement on Facebook, insisting:
“Michele’s passing is in no way related to any type of serial killer. We have complete faith in the Rhode Island State Police and our Private Investigator that the person responsible will be brought to justice sooner rather than later.”
New Haven police officer Christian Bruckhart, who’s part of the team investigating Denise Leary’s case, understands why people are drawn to the theory of a serial killer.
“There’s certain things that have a mystique about them, and I think serial killers are one… A serial killer is this almost mythical figure in the zeitgeist — I mean, how many Hannibal Lecter movies have been done?”
Still, he added that there is currently no indication of homicide in Denise Leary’s case, 59-year-old mother who was found dead near Rock Creek Road, New Haven.
“They’re out there, we know that they exist,” he said generally, “but I can only speak to my department’s investigation… there’s no indication there was any homicide.”
The cases remain open, and while speculation continues to swirl online, officials urge the public to rely on confirmed updates rather than social media rumors.
