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The discovery of an eighth body in New England is fueling speculation by internet sleuths that a serial killer might be behind a spate of recent deaths across the region.
On Tuesday, the body of a woman was discovered off a bike path in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her cause of death is currently unknown and police have not yet released her identity.
The following day, officers in Salem, Massachusetts, found two dead men in a wooded area next to a Walmart. Authorities are trying to determine whether foul play was involved.
As the investigations continue, people in a Facebook group with over 4,000 members dedicated to news of a potential area serial killer think the deaths could be connected to other murders that occurred in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island over the last two months.
Social media commentators have discussed whether the killer could be someone with military or law enforcement connections or a truck driver. One commenter even asked Chat GPT to come up with a sketch of the potential murderer.
“It's a very scary world in New England right now and if the police are putting people at risk telling everyone not to worry when they should,” one person in the group wrote.
A spokesperson for the Connecticut State Police told The Independent that an investigation remains active and ongoing.
“There is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries,” the spokesperson said, refuting the serial killer rumors.
But some authorities are following up on the rumors.
On Thursday, the Narragansett Police Department in Rhode Island said it had recently been made aware of concerning posts claiming that multiple bodies had been buried in the Black Point area of Scarborough Beach, about 40 miles from Providence.
Officials contacted the FBI and conducted an extensive search of the area, but no hidden graves were found.
So far, only three of the deceased individuals have been identified — Paige Fannon, 35, of West Islip New York, whose body was discovered in March in the Norwalk River, Denise Leary, 59, who was found deceased in New Haven last month and Michele Romano, 56, of Warwick, New York, who was found in Foster, Rhode Island also in March.
An obituary for Romano states she loved spending time in nature, the beach, painting, and listening to music.
“Her radiant energy, generosity, and bubbly personality will be missed by all who knew her.”
She’s survived by her two children, nieces, nephews, cousins, sister and extended family.
English (US) ·