CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit has identified the final victim in the Bear Brook murders, closing a 40-year search for answers in the notorious case.
Rea Rasmussen, born in 1976 in Orange County, California, was the biological daughter of Terry Peder Rasmussen, the man responsible for the murders, and Pepper Reed, who has been missing since the late 1970s, New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announced Sunday.
“This case has weighed on New Hampshire and the nation for decades. With Rea Rasmussen’s identification, all four victims now have their names back,” Formella said in a statement.
The Bear Brook murders involved the discovery of four victims in barrels in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. The first barrel was found in 1985, containing the remains of an adult woman and a young girl. A second barrel was discovered in 2000, with the remains of two more girls.
In 2017, investigators linked one of the children to Terry Rasmussen, who was a known serial offender who died in prison in 2010.
By 2019, three victims were identified as Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughters, Marie Vaughn and Sarah McWaters. The fourth victim, Rasmussen’s biological daughter, remained unidentified until now.
Initially, the identification of Rea Rasmussen was confirmed through DNA testing and documentary records on Friday, September 5.
“We never forgot Rea. We never stopped looking,” said New Hampshire State Police Detective Sergeant Christopher N. Elphick. “Naming her brings a sense of justice but also reminds us of the unanswered questions that remain.”
The investigation into the disappearance of Pepper Reed, Rea’s mother, remains active, and authorities continue to seek information about her whereabouts, alongside Terry Rasmussen’s movements during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
