New England 'serial killer' fears escalate as cops make another grim discovery in picturesque town
Fears of a serial killer stalking quaint New England towns have soared once again after a woman's body was found off a bike path.
Police in Springfield, Massachusetts, responded to reports of an unresponsive person on Hall of Fame Avenue on Tuesday afternoon.
A woman was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived, and spokesman Ryan Walsh said the homicide unit has been called in to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
'The SPD Homicide Unit under the direction Captain Trent Duda is conducting an unattended death investigation in conjunction with the @HampdenDA Murder Unit, pending an autopsy by the Medical Examiner,' Walsh said.
The grim discovery comes as residents across Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are on high alert about a potential serial killer living in their midst.
In total, eight bodies have now been discovered across the idyllic region, sparking community groups and rumors online about whether they're connected.
Authorities have not announced any connection between any of the eight victims, and several have insisted they are not investigating links.
Walsh said: 'Internet rumors are just that.'
There are mounting fears that a serial killer is on the loose and stalking quaint New England towns after multiple sets of remains turned up in a two month window
A woman was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived to a bike track on Tuesday, and spokesman Ryan Walsh said the homicide unit has been called in to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death
Chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven's Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences Peter Valentin spoke to Fox News Digital and said cops responding to 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.
'If someone is in full rigor mortis, there is no need to try to find a pulse because the presence of rigor mortis means they are unequivocally dead. So this is a very recent death, unlike the others that are being attributed to the 'New England serial killer,' Valentin said.
On March 6, the remains of 35-year-old Paige Fannon of West Islip, New York, turned up in New Haven. Her body had been found in a fast-moving Norwalk River the night after a heavy deluge.
Then on March 21, police found another set of human remains, later confirmed to be that of missing 59-year-old mother-of-two Denise Leary.
On March 25, Rhode Island State Police found another set of remains in a wooded area of Foster, which were later identified as missing 56-year-old Michele Romano.
Several other sets of unidentified remains have also been located in New England towns during a similar time period.
A Facebook group named New England Serial Killer initially amplified community concerns, but was renamed in part after Romano's family urged them not to lump the 56-year-old in with other potential victims.
'Michele's passing is in no way related to any type of serial killer,' the family said in a statement.
Paige Fannon disappeared on March 4, just two days before she was found
The remains of Paige Fannon (right) were found on March 6, and just weeks later on March 21, Denise Leary's (left) body was found
'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.'
There is also no indication that the eight sets of remains all belong to people who disappeared - or died - recently.
Several were in such a state of decomposition that they're yet to be identified, suggesting they may have been exposed to the elements longer than others.
Police in Groton Connecticut on March 19 uncovered the remains of a woman they believe to be aged between 40 to 60.
They said the woman appeared to have lightly pigmented skin, and features typically associated with a person with Turner syndrome. The condition is a genetic disorder where a chromosome is missing or altered and can cause numerous health issues.
On April 9, another set of possible human remains were discovered in Killingly. Police did not reveal the identity of the remains but said there is no known threat to the public relating to the discovery.
The next day, firefighters in Massachusetts discovered more remains in Framingham. The decomposition of the remains suggested they had been there for at least several months.
And on Wednesday, police discovered another two bodies, both male, near a Walmart in Salem.
On March 25 Michele Romano was found dead. 'Michele's passing is in no way related to any type of serial killer,' the family said in a statement.
Officers were pictured during the search for Michele Romano
'There is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time,' Connecticut State Police said earlier this month.
New Haven police officer Christian Bruckhart told MassLive that he understands the 'mystique' and speculation surrounding a potential local 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?' he said.
He is part of the team investigating Denise Leary's death, and said that the evidence so far does not suggest she died by homicide.
'They're out there, we know that they exist,' he said, generally speaking about serial killers.
'But I can only speak to my department's investigation, in the missing person case, that there's no indication there was any homicide.'
