MA - Sex offender Donald Mars, 73, charged in 1966 death of 10-year old Betty Lou Zukowski - 11/4/22

[Bishop Black]

Convicted sex offender charged with murder in 1966 beating death of 10-year-old Massachusetts girl

The suspect, who was a teenager at the time of her death, had been linked to the killing since 1997, but was not charged until now.

www.cbsnews.com

A 73-year-old convicted sex offender has been charged in connection with the 1966 disappearance and death of a 10-year-old Massachusetts girl, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Donald Mars was arraigned on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Betty Lou Zukowski, who left her Chicopee home on the evening of May 26, 1966, and was found beaten to death several days later in the Westfield River in West Springfield, prosecutors said in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield.

A not guilty plea was entered on Mars' behalf.

 

[weepingangel]

Thanks for posting this, I tried to find a thread for Betty Lou last night and wasn’t sure where to post since there wasn’t one.

 

[Mojito]

Molesting and ruining lives for over 50 years.

 

[Betty P]

Massachusetts Sex Offender, Now 73, Charged in 1966 Murder of Fifth Grade Girl Found Beaten and Drowned

Donald Raymond Mars has been indicted for the 1966 murder of 10-year-old Betty Lou Zukowski, who was beaten to death and drowned near Springfield, Massachusetts.

lawandcrime.com

Very disturbing that he molested and murdered this girl when he was only 17. I wonder how he met her and lured her out? At 17, did he have his own car? Someone saw her with him, as police were able to draw a sketch. Her friends mentioned a mystery guy named "Ralph".

Chicopee to West Springfield

www.google.com

I wonder how many other girls he attacked? Time to look up some of the older cases from that area.

 

[dotr]

by: Tony Fay Posted: May 2, 2024

Donald Mars, suspect in 1966 murder of Betty Lou Zukowski, to change plea

Convicted sex offender Donald Mars is expected to change his plea to guilty in the 1966 murder of 10 year-old Betty Lou Zukowski.

www.wwlp.com

'SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A nearly 58-year-old homicide investigation may finally come to a close in a Springfield courtroom on Thursday morning. That is where convicted sex offender Donald Mars is expected to change his plea to guilty in the 1966 murder of 10-year-old Betty Lou Zukowski.'

 

[Richard]

How many other victims are there?

 

[dotr]

May 2 2024 rbbm

75-year-old man sentenced to under 3 years in 1966 killing of 10-year-old girl

Decades after a 10-year-old Massachusetts girl was beaten to death, a man has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to under three years in prison.

www.nbcboston.com

''Authorities say he told multiple versions of the killing occurring in different places, giving the location of the girl's head injuries and then denying doing so.

Mars told police Betty Lou "hurt him more than he ever hurt her," according to prosecutors. He then acted out the crime, authorities say, making four downward strikes with his left arm and admitting to hitting the girl with a rock.''

 

[Betty P]

According to the article linked above, Mars confessed to the murder back in 1987 to his wife and mother, but LE didn’t do anything. It wasn’t until recently their cold case dept. decided to look at the case again.

Mars was originally identified by multiple witnesses who saw him with Betty Lou the day he killed her. He claimed it was an “accident”.

After his arrest, he later decided to accept a plea agreement to admit guilt in exchange for 3 yrs in prison. Three years.

I don’t understand why he wasn’t prosecuted in the late 1980s when he confessed.

 

[?!?]

According to the article linked above, Mars confessed to the murder back in 1987 to his wife and mother, but LE didn’t do anything. It wasn’t until recently their cold case dept. decided to look at the case again.

Mars was originally identified by multiple witnesses who saw him with Betty Lou the day he killed her. He claimed it was an “accident”.

After his arrest, he later decided to accept a plea agreement to admit guilt in exchange for 3 yrs in prison. Three years.

I don’t understand why he wasn’t prosecuted in the late 1980s when he confessed.

This entire story is 'sick.'

 

[Richard]

Guilty of "involuntary manslaughter" for beating a little 10 year old girl to death with a rock? Did the rock make him do it?

 

[Betty P]

Guilty of "involuntary manslaughter" for beating a little 10 year old girl to death with a rock? Did the rock make him do it?

The previous article said she was struck in the head 4 times. Doesn’t sound like an accident.

I wonder if she fought him? It may have made him angry and he struck out to kill her. Perhaps motivated less from anger and more from his fear that she would attract attention or tell someone about his assault on her.

 

[Betty P]

From an earlier article about Mars

“According to the state sex offender registry, Mars was convicted of child rape and assault and battery on a child under 14 in 1995. He is listed as a Level 3 sex offender, considered the most likely to reoffend. His most recent address was in Bedford.”

He was convicted of child rape and assault in 1995, but was living in his home town at the time of his arrest for Betty’s murder.

Arrest Made in Connection to 1966 Death of 10-Year-Old Massachusetts Girl

A 73-year-old convicted sex offender has been charged in connection with the 1966 disappearance and death of a 10-year-old Massachusetts girl. Donald Mars was arraigned Thursday on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Betty Lou Zukowski. Prosecutors say she left her...

www.nbcboston.com

Terrible.

 

[Betty P]

by: Tony Fay Posted: May 2, 2024

Donald Mars, suspect in 1966 murder of Betty Lou Zukowski, to change plea

Convicted sex offender Donald Mars is expected to change his plea to guilty in the 1966 murder of 10 year-old Betty Lou Zukowski.

www.wwlp.com

View attachment 500895
'SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A nearly 58-year-old homicide investigation may finally come to a close in a Springfield courtroom on Thursday morning. That is where convicted sex offender Donald Mars is expected to change his plea to guilty in the 1966 murder of 10-year-old Betty Lou Zukowski.'

In this video, the prosecutor mentions he had two prior incarcerations for separate child molestation charges. At least he spent some time in prison.

 

[?!?]

Massachusetts Sex Offender, Now 73, Charged in 1966 Murder of Fifth Grade Girl Found Beaten and Drowned

Donald Raymond Mars has been indicted for the 1966 murder of 10-year-old Betty Lou Zukowski, who was beaten to death and drowned near Springfield, Massachusetts.

lawandcrime.com

Very disturbing that he molested and murdered this girl when he was only 17. I wonder how he met her and lured her out? At 17, did he have his own car? Someone saw her with him, as police were able to draw a sketch. Her friends mentioned a mystery guy named "Ralph".

Chicopee to West Springfield

www.google.com

I wonder how many other girls he attacked? Time to look up some of the older cases from that area.

Here's a place to start (this from 2022):

LIST: Unsolved homicides in Hampden County

There are a total of 88 unsolved homicides in Hampden County listed by the District Attorney’s office.

www.wwlp.com