SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Online speculation that a serial killer could be on the prowl in southern New England continues to grow by the day as more and more bodies turn up, but local authorities are urging the public to pump the brakes on that narrative.
Since the beginning of March, several bodies have been found in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
The startling discovery of a woman found dead along a bike path in Springfield on April 22, not far from the MGM Casino and the NBA Hall of Fame, prompted the Hampden District Attorney’s Office to release a statement.
“We understand the unease that comes with such acts of violence, and we want the community to know that each of these cases is being thoroughly investigated in close coordination with our law enforcement partners,” District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said. “Our hearts go out to the families who are grieving.”
In a number of internet forums, including the 23,000-member New England SK Facebook group, people have been sharing their concern that some or all of the bodies recently found in New England might be connected.
Gulluni’s office shot down that notion.
“While online conversations around these incidents continue to grow, we urge the public to be mindful of the role that social media can play in spreading fear or misinformation,” the DA’s office statement read. “Unverified claims can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture.”
The launch of the death investigation in Springfield comes after a human skull was uncovered in the woods of Route 3 in Plymouth on March 6, and human skeletal remains were located along the Massachusetts Turnpike in Framingham on April 10.
“We are actively working every lead and deploying every available resource,” Gulluni added. “At this time, there is no indication that these incidents are connected to each other or are they a part of a larger public safety threat.”
In the Framingham case, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said it doesn’t appear that foul play was a factor in the person’s death. The Plymouth case remains under investigation.
Two bodies were found in the woods behind a Walmart in Salem on Wednesday, but in this case, police on Thursday announced that a 30-year-old man had been arrested on two counts of murder.
Police in Narragansett, Rhode Island, recently scoured the Black Point area of Scarborough Beach after an anonymous post in a serial killer group alluded to the possibility that multiple bodies were buried there, the department announced Thursday.
“The anonymous poster commented numerous times in the group about it being a metaphorical and literary work,” police said. “The user also posted that they were working on a novel and that users were overanalyzing a work of fiction.”
Police said that Narragansett detectives and Rhode Island State Police cadaver dogs conducted an extensive search of the beach “with negative results for any clandestine graves.”
Narragansett police said that they have also been in communication with the FBI.
The online chatter about a possible serial killer running wild also prompted a recent response from police in Groton, Connecticut.
“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 Groton.”
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