Is there a serial killer in New England? Law enforcement says no, but online chat groups say yes. First at 6, rumors of a New England serial killer are spiraling online. Several bodies have been discovered. We begin now with a followup on the rumors circulating on social media regarding an alleged serial killer here in New England. Online. Online. Social media. 13 bodies, three states, one terrifying question. Is a serial killer hunting in New England? The discoveries came fast and without warning. Bodies turning up in rivers, near trails, and deep in the woods. Each scene more disturbing than the last. As the body count rose, so did the fear. But when the public demanded answers, they got silence, speculation, and then another victim. This isn't a movie. It's not just an online theory. These are real people, real families trapped between public suspicion and official denial. In this video, we separate fact from rumor to answer one question. What's really happening in New England? Let's dive in. New England might be known for its colonial charm, autumn leaves, and quiet coastal towns, but dig a little deeper and you'll find a history that's darker than most people realize. In the 1960s, Boston was paralyzed with fear as women were found strangled in their homes. 13 victims, one supposed killer, Albert Dalvo. To this day, some still believe the real Boston strangler was never caught. In the 80s, Michael Ross, the roadside strangler, stalked the back roads of Connecticut and New York, taking the lives of at least eight women. He was executed in 2005, the first to be put to death in New England in over 40 years. Then there was Craig Price, the so-called Warwick slasher, just a teenager when he murdered four people, including a mother and her two young daughters in Rhode Island. His crimes shocked even seasoned investigators. and more recently, the twisted case of Robert Bob Evans, a man who used multiple aliases to hide a string of murders across New Hampshire and California. His true identity wasn't discovered until years after his death. So, no, New England isn't immune to serial killers. If anything, its past proves how long a predator can go undetected and how deeply these crimes can hide in plain sight. But in the spring of 2025, the region was forced to confront that darkness all over again. In March alone, half a dozen sets of human remains were discovered in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Two more turned up shortly after, and by the end of April, the body count had climbed to 12. Most of the victims were women, and some of the crime scenes bore eerie similarities. State and local authorities tried to calm the unrest, insisting the cases weren't related, that there were no signs of foul play. Even so, some locals and especially online sleuths believe there's a prolific serial killer in their midst. And if that's true, the remains already found might just be the tip of the iceberg. It all began quietly but unsettlingly in early March of 2025 in Norwok, Connecticut. On Thursday, March 6th, officers from the Norwok and Wilton police departments were out searching for 35-year-old Paige Fannon, a longtime hairdresser from New York. She had vanished 2 days earlier from West Icelip, Long Island, and was last seen on March 5th in nearby Wilton. That search escalated quickly. Investigators discovered a trail of women's clothing scattered along the west bank of the Norwok River not far from an old abandoned bridge. A short time later, police divers recovered a body from the riverbed. New information this afternoon. Norwok police have identified the body of the woman recovered from the Norwok River. She's been identified as 35-year-old Paige Fannon of West Icelip, New York. She was found Thursday after Wilton police contacted Norwok PD for assistance regarding a missing person. Police say Fannon's clothing and personal items were left near the bank of the river. Ground and aerial searches followed. In the context of missing persons investigations, the search for Paige Fannon was relatively short. But the discoveries didn't end there. That very same day, 180 mi to the northeast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a hunter came across something strange while walking through the woods. sticking up from the damp earth beside a tree was what he first believed to be an old animal bone. It wasn't. He took a closer look and realized he was staring at what looked like human remains. The hunter called 911 to report the macob find and later that day, investigators confirmed that it was the top half of a human skull that had obviously been there for some time. The remains were sent out for analysis and identification. Unfortunately, however, the authorities never released the deceased's gender, approximate age, or estimated time of death. Following a developing story out of Graten, human remains have been found in an area near a cemetery. Police are investigating. 2 weeks after the findings in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a man in Grten, Connecticut, called the police to report a suspicious black suitcase near the entrance to the Colonel Leadyard Cemetery on Mitchell Street. He told the operator that it had been there for a few weeks, that his curiosity eventually got the better of him, and that he was overwhelmed by the telltale odor of rotting flesh when he went to take a closer look. A local police officer swung by the cemetery later that afternoon, and to his horror, the suitcase contained a decomposing human torso partially wrapped in a heavy duty trash bag. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the Connecticut State Medical Examiner's Office could only determine that the victim was female and was probably between 45 and 65 years old at the time of her death. The following day, a resident of New Haven, Connecticut, 50 mi east of Graten, made yet another grizzly discovery while clearing brush from a wooded area near his home on Rock Creek Road. Again, the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition. But just a few days later, the deceased was identified as 59-year-old Denise Liry, who disappeared from New Haven in the fall of the previous year. Her son Joshua told the authorities that she suffered from a number of mental health issues, including depression and paranoid schizophrenia. He also said that 2024 had been a particularly tough year, and that his mother had been acting strangely immediately before she disappeared. On the night of Sunday, September 28th, she told her son that she was going out and asked him to switch off her phone's GPS function. A few minutes later, she walked out the front door and got into a car that had just pulled up to the curb outside. Joshua couldn't tell what kind of vehicle it was or who was driving it, but he was relieved when his mother came home a few hours later. The next few days were relatively uneventful, but Miss Liry didn't respond when Joshua knocked on her bedroom door on the morning of Tuesday, September 30th. At that point, he decided not to disturb her because he assumed she just wasn't ready to get up. However, he was surprised to find that the door was locked from the inside when he went back to check on her again a few hours later. Joshua immediately called his aunt, who urged him to hang up and contact 911. When emergency workers forced their way into Miss Liry's locked bedroom later that morning, they found her bed empty and one of the windows wide open, suggesting she had climbed out her bedroom window. As the body count continued to rise across the region, so did the speculation. Online forums lit up with talk of a serial killer, and soon the rumors were spilling into the community, creating fear, tension, and growing distrust. With most of the victims being middle-aged women and the circumstances raising more questions than answers, the New Haven Police Department felt amounting pressure to address the public's concerns. Oh, Stephanie and Aaron. Just in the last week, New Haven police say they've received calls from People magazine and Rolling Stone. They say someone actually came up from Florida knocking on doors in the neighborhood, even reaching out to that family to see if there was any potential links to those other remains in New England. Well, New Haven police say clearly there aren't any right here. It seems to be growing and there's just there's no basis behind it. New police addressing the swirling rumors and those wondering online if the death of missing woman Denise Liry is connected to any other recent cases of human remains. Social media can can speculate. We have to deal in facts. There's no facts to support that this woman was murdered. The 59year-old was reported missing by family back in late September. In March, her remains were discovered not too far from her home. But over the past 2 months, speculation has grown online of a southern New England serial killer. The Connecticut State Police is heading up a case in Danielson, telling Eyewitness News, "This investigation remains active and ongoing. There is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries." As for New Haven Officer Christian Brewart, the department spokesperson says while the medical examiner listed Lir's death as undetermined, the autopsy showed no signs of foul play. To the people who are uh avidly investigating, we're hiring and feel free to come come apply. I get that it's there's a you know a sense of wanting to investigate or you know interest from you know social media online, but you know this woman had a family. She was she was loved and we you know the family needs time to to grieve. By Wednesday, March 26th, four bodies had already been discovered across Connecticut and Massachusetts. But later that same day, the death toll grew. In Foster, Rhode Island, about 90 mi east of New Haven, an unsuspecting walker came across another set of female remains near a welltraveled trail. Just like the torso found in Groten, Connecticut, this body was partially wrapped in a trash bag. Needless to say, the find unnerved many of the town's residents. It's a shame. You know, I hope they catch whoever did it. For Tom Slater, a lineup of police cruisers outside his home last night, followed by a visit from state detectives this morning, confirmed his worst suspicions. They just said that they found a suspicious trash bag. And being in the fire service, I I kind of knew, you know, that yeah, they found the body. Rhode Island State Police confirmed the remains of an unidentified woman had been located just a stones throw from his home, beaten traffic along Planefield Pike in a vacant lot. I mean, it happened somewhere else and they just, you know, wooded area. They dumped the body. The investigation started last night after officers say a foster resident called in the suspicious discovery. The investigation continued well after sundown with crews returning early this morning. Still no word on how long the remains had been abandoned there and what was actually recovered. Slater says now looking back, he wouldn't be surprised if they were there for a while. I know my dog's been acting strange when he comes out here and he's always sniffing over towards that way, but I mean, I don't know how long the body's been there, but he would pick it up. Meanwhile, for others living along Route 14, the discovery serving as a reminder that even in their typically quiet part of town, anything can happen. Soon after the disturbing discovery, the victim was identified as 56-year-old Michelle Romano, who disappeared from Foster the previous summer under what investigators described as mysterious circumstances. Michelle had been an advocate for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the Trudeau Center in Warwick and West Bay, Rhode Island for over a decade. She enjoyed time in nature, especially at the beach, and loved painting and listening to music. She leaves behind two children. According to Michelle's family, it wasn't like her to abandon her kids and run off without telling someone where she was going and when she'd be back. Investigators didn't find any significant clues while searching Michelle's apartment, and the medical examiner couldn't determine a cause of death. Then additional unidentified human remains were discovered in Killingly, Connecticut on Wednesday, April 9th, bringing the total number of bodies found to seven across three states since early March. In the last 2 months, seven bodies have been found around New England. And while law enforcement is not connecting the cases, people online have other ideas. Boston 25 News reporter Bob Ward joins us live in Bronton. Bob, the talk is getting loud enough for pe police to address these rumors. Rachel, you know, more and more people online are paying attention to this. They are concerned that some or all of these cases might be connected and that a serial killer might be striking in New England. In some corners of social media, like Facebook, the idea that a serial killer could be on the prowl in New England is getting more popular. This Facebook group, New England SK, has nearly 9,000 members. And in other forums, people are posting their concern that some or all of the bodies recently found in New England might be connected to each other. Since the beginning of March, seven bodies have turned up in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Some of the bodies are unidentified remains. The bodies discovered in Groten and Killingly, Connecticut are close to a Rhode Island case. So far, law enforcement is not connecting the cases. However, the talk online has grown so loud that recently Groten, Connecticut police issued a statement that said in part, "Regarding references circulating on social media about incidents in the state of Rhode Island, we currently have no information connecting those events to any of the incidents in Groten. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the next disturbing development. 2 weeks later on Tuesday, April 22nd, police in Springfield, Massachusetts responded to reports of an unresponsive woman found near a bike path roughly 75 mi from the earlier scenes. She was discovered alive, but tragically she later died and an investigation into her death was started. 3 days later, on Friday, April 25th, the Graten Police Department held a press conference to announce a major development related to one of the earlier cases. Good afternoon. My name is David Burton, Bur. I'm the chief of police for the city of Garten. City of Gartner Police Department would like to provide an update into the investigation that began in March of 2025. At this time, we've been able to identify both a victim and a suspect of this crime. The victim is identified as Suzanne Wormser, aged 58, who's a resident of the city of Graten. The suspect is identified as Donald Coffel, aged 68, who's also a resident of the city of Graten. Both the victim and the suspect knew each other, and this was a targeted event. Let's go over a timeline. On 31925, we responded to a crime scene at Colonel Ledger Cemetery where the victim was located. Detectives then began talking with neighbors in the area and checking for video coverage, which could assist in uncovering what had happened along with establishing a timeline. Additionally, follow-up was performed and on leads that were received via the department's social media page as well as calls placed to the department by community members. This included contacting other police departments in surrounding states to research whether or not the reported incidents were related. On 411 of 25, a tip line was established which began to receive additional information. And on 416 of 25, a tip received from a concerned citizen provided a possible victim identification and led us to Allen Street. On 417 of 25, the Allen scene residence Allen, I'm sorry, Allen Street residence was searched and another crime scene was discovered and processed. This resulted in the initial identity suspect who was interviewed at that time as a person of interest. On 418 with the initial testing completed, the two crime scenes were connected. On 422 of 25, the suspect was interviewed for a second time and on the same day, a witness came forward with specific details about the crime as told to them by the suspect. And on 423 at 25, the suspect was interviewed for a third time and at that time confessed to the murder, providing details that matched the scene documentation as well as evidence collected by the investigators. Today, the suspect was arrested and transferred to the State of Department Corrections. He was held on a $1 million bond pending his arraignment at New London Part A, which is located at 17 Huntington Street in New London. The charges that were leveled against the suspect are murder in violation of Connecticut General Statute 53A54, tampering with physical evidence in violation of Connecticut General Statute 53A 155, an improper disposal of a body in violation of Connecticut General Statute 7-64. The city of Graten Police Department along with myself wish to express our sincere condolences to the family of Suzanne Worms who was a victim of this heinous incident and did not deserve to lose her life at the hands of the suspect. And with that, I'll take some questions. Can you talk about how each other and what transpired as far as So this is a cohabitating relationship. They meaning they live together. As far as uh the violent act itself, that would be a key piece of the crime scene, and we're not going to talk about that at this time. Suzanne Worms's remains were found less than a third of a mile from her last known address in Grunt. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, making visual identification impossible. To confirm the identity, the Connecticut State Medical Examiner's Office extracted DNA from the torso and compared it to samples obtained from personal items recovered at Suzanne's residence. The results came back positive. Kafel and Worms lived together in a shared apartment. At first, he denied knowing anything about her disappearance, but during a third round of questioning, investigators noticed inconsistencies in his story, and that's when he cracked. According to police, Kafel confessed to killing Suzanne during a heated argument over a drugrelated dispute. He told detectives he struck her with a baseball bat, then used a handsaw to dismember her body. Police later recovered both items along with a bag of bloody clothing from the apartment. Forensics confirmed it. The blood matched Suzanne's DNA. Um, I'm Donald Coff. Coffel was arrested and charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. Authorities were clear this was not a random act of violence. It was personal. It was brutal, and it was entirely separate from the other cases being investigated across the region. But Coffel never stood trial. On May 9th, 2025, just weeks after his arrest, he died in custody at Carrian Correctional Center. The Department of Correction later confirmed that Kppell had been battling advanced pancreatic cancer and that his death was not considered suspicious. So, while his case brought some closure to the Wormser family, it also reinforced what law enforcement had been saying from the beginning. Not every body is part of a larger pattern. And just when it seemed like things might be slowing down, additional discoveries pushed the region further into panic. More remains were found in Taton, Massachusetts on Friday, April 25th. And 2 days later, a boater called 911 to report a body in the Connecticut River near the town of Rocky Hill. Then the Hampton District Attorney's office in Springfield, Massachusetts, announced that the woman found near the Springfield bike trail 6 days earlier had been identified as 45-year-old Megan Meredith. I sat down with Hampton District Attorney Anthony Galoon this afternoon and that's when he confirmed with me that his office has in fact determined that this matter is a homicide. 45year-old Megan Meredith was found in the area of Springfield's Riverfront Park early Tuesday morning. Meredith was unresponsive at the time she was found and later died. And on Friday, the status of that discovery went from unattended death to homicide. However, the Hampton District Attorney's Office assures Western Mass News that his office in conjunction with the Springfield Police Department is working on this case vigorously. And in terms of any risk to public safety, this is what District Attorney Anthony Galoon had to say. I'm always a proponent of people being aware of their surroundings and being careful no matter where you live and where you are. Uh but with the the the recent instance, the recent murder this week and anything else, I I am not in a position to say there's no reason to believe there's a need for any heightened concern or uh or safety measures for anybody in this region. While the cause of death was not disclosed, officials stated that at this time her death is not believed to be connected to the other remains found across New England. But the story didn't stop there. In the weeks that followed, two more sets of remains surfaced. None of them part of the original timeline, but each one landing like an aftershock. One in a river, one near a celebrity's beachside mansion in Westerly, Rhode Island, and each one raising the same question. Are these isolated incidents or more pieces of the same disturbing puzzle? And as for the skeletal remains found in Killing Lee, Connecticut, first reported back on April 9th, they've since been confirmed to belong to an unidentified man believed to be between 25 and 45 years old. That discovery broke the pattern of female victims and has been reclassified accordingly. Officials believe those remains had been there for about a year. In Ptucket, Rhode Island, another male body was pulled from the Secon River in late April. No ID, no cause of death was released. But it was the westerly discovery which caused a media frenzy. Not just because it added to the growing list of human remains, but because of where it happened. Just blocks from Taylor Swift's Watchill Mansion, one of the most high-profile addresses in Rhode Island. The neighborhood is known for the iconic Ocean House, and is near pop star Taylor Swift's vacation home. Lanna Folk has more on the investigation. It kind of alarmed me. It's a spot known for its milliondoll views. It was just something very out of uh the ordinary for Westerly. But Wednesday morning, Westerly police made a chilling discovery. I saw three police cars. Um one undercover, two looked like Westerly Town police officers, and there was a medical examiner pulling in behind me. Investigators called to Everett Avenue just before 9:30 in the morning for reports of human remains. Police tell NBC 10 they found what appeared to be a human leg bone. Taylor Day lives nearby. She was driving by as investigators arrived. Scary for Westerly cuz Wesley's I consider a very safe safe town. Police aren't releasing any names yet and they don't suspect foul play. I think finding a leg is just a leg is very suspicious. You may not recognize Everett Avenue, but just up the road is the iconic Ocean House. The luxury landmark now the backdrop of this disturbing discovery. Probably a couple football fields um away from Taylor Swift's house in the Ocean House. I would never expect anything like that. It's the latest in a string of grim discoveries and debunked rumors of a serial killer in southern New England. My mind immediately went to all the uh theories that are being thrown around. Still, many residents like Taylor are on edge. I'm more aware of my surroundings. Um, I don't go places that are, you know, kind of dim or where I could be alone. Um, just trying to stay out in public and just be vigilant. Police quickly secured the area. Cadaavver dogs were deployed and forensic teams combed the shoreline along Everett Avenue, trying to determine whether this was an active crime scene or yet another dumping ground in what some now feared was part of a larger pattern. The Rhode Island Medical Examiner's Office took custody of the remains. But so far, no identification has been made. No confirmed sex, no DNA match, just a leg bone badly weathered, found in a place that shouldn't have had anything like this. As of May 16th, 2025, the body count across New England stands at 13. Although officials continue to insist there's no evidence these deaths are connected, many community members remain concerned. These days, more and more New Englanders are checking their windows and doors throughout the day and making sure their homes and apartments are buttoned up tight before turning in for the night. Meanwhile, crime afficados and amateur sleuths continue to discuss, debate, and spread unfounded rumors about the cases and their possible connections on online forums and social media. Is there a serial killer in New England? Because that's what a bunch of people online are saying. I guess they found like eight bodies in quick succession and now people are throwing out the idea that maybe they're linked. Wake up, babe. New serial killer just dropped. In all seriousness, apparently there is a serial killer in New England currently. One of the main sources of online speculation included Facebook groups focused on the so-called New England serial killer. In early April, one group's anonymous member posted a cryptic message suggesting that multiple bodies had been buried along Scarboro Beach in Naragansit, Rhode Island. The post triggered a full-scale response. Law enforcement along with cadaavver dogs launched a multi-day search of the area. It was costly, comprehensive, and ultimately nothing was found. As investigators dug deeper, they discovered that the same user had posted several follow-up comments, clarifying that the original message was metaphorical and part of a fictional narrative. The user also stated they were working on a novel and that others were simply misinterpreting a creative writing exercise. In the end, no charges were filed, but the incident underscored how easily online rumors can spill into real world investigations and how quickly speculation can turn into action. All of the online chatter, even when well-intentioned, can blur the lines between fact and fiction. And that's exactly why some experts have stepped in to bring the conversation back to reality. According to James Allen Fox, one of the nation's leading criminologists who has studied serial killers for more than 30 years and has written 18 books, there are two major reasons why the New England serial killer theory doesn't hold up. First, there's no apparent connection between the victims, and that matters. Most serial killers operate with a very specific victim profile. Whether it's gender, race, age, or physical characteristics, they typically target one type. Second, the locations. These remains weren't found in one area. We're talking about many different cities and towns. Fox points out that serial killers usually have a preferred dump site, someplace familiar, predictable, safe, where they know the terrain, and can avoid detection. And here's the practical angle. Most serial offenders hold down jobs. They have lives, families. They're not roaming the Northeast for weeks on end, hunting random victims. And there's another layer that often gets overlooked, timing. Some of these remains were found just days after the victims disappeared. Others authorities believe they'd been there for months, maybe even longer. That kind of variation makes it hard to draw a straight line between the cases. Even the methods of disposal vary wildly. Rivers, suitcases, wooded trails. That level of inconsistency doesn't align with what we typically see in serial crimes. Most repeat offenders develop rituals, habits they rely on. They evolve, sure, but they don't improvise this much. So, if this was the work of a single killer, it wouldn't just be rare, it would be unprecedented. For these reasons and more, according to Fox, it is highly unlikely this is the work of a serial killer. Dr. Katherine Ramsland, a forensic psychologist and author, recently discussed the impact of social media on public perception. She stressed the importance of focusing on factual information and the potential harm that unfounded theories can cause to investigations and victims families. That also seems to be the consensus among law enforcement experts. That causes the the speculation to to really catch fire over the internet. You have groups like the Web Sleuth that are looking into this that are making it into a bigger case than it may actually be. Uh there's no uh forensic information at this point that ties any single one of these events to uh another event. No one should jump to conclusions as to what may be going on here. J Paul Vance, a retired state police lieutenant and WFSB's law enforcement analyst, says agencies share information, comparing any similarities. If it reaches a point where you need to be concerned, they're going to let you know. And these are difficult cases. I'm not going to say they're not, especially, you know, when you get two or three in the same, you know, similar area. 13 sets of remains, three states, weeks of speculation. One big question. Is there a serial killer in New England? Law enforcement says no. And right now, the facts back them up. There's no consistent victim profile. Men, women, different ages, different backgrounds. Some missing, some not. A few still unidentified. There's no clear pattern in how the bodies were found. no shared cause of death and no telltale signature linking them together. And geographically, these cases are spread across three states, different towns, different timelines, different jurisdictions. Not exactly the footprint of a typical serial killer. Could some of the cases be connected? It's possible. Some investigations are still active. Tests are pending. Families are waiting for answers. The story isn't finished, but as of the time of this upload, there is no credible evidence pointing to an active serial killer. The experts have spoken. Law enforcement agrees, and that matters because fear spreads fast, but facts, they take time, and that's what this case needs most. Time, patience, and the truth.