Found Deceased MA - Henry Bedard, 15, found murdered, Swampscott, 16 Dec 1974

[WSFalcon]

that person wouldn't even tell his good friend anything but vague info, I believe that persons fear is real. I can't see any reason to make up a story like that. If there is a confession i really don't know if it will bring anything positive to anyone. I imagine that a lot of friends of the killer will be shocked and hurt. but that being said, the 50th anniversary is coming up and it would be a shame to let that pass without some kind of social outcry.

Question for my understanding on this information...."that person wouldn't even tell his good friend anything but vague info,..."
"that person" was not the person that commented/posted on the forum, correct? The person that posted/commented was "his good friend"; correct?
So just and only to clarify, the poster/commenter has a good friend that told him he knows who the killer(s) were, but is vague and won't come forward because he is fearful that the killer(s) would then harm him.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

I have never heard anything about why. the poster mentioned his friend said that older kids hated henry but if that is true then again the question is why? I believe this murder was very personal, if the killer worked himself up into a hatred for henry there was a reason and it most likely took time. so i speculate that something happened earlier in the year. i believe when it was stated wrong place wrong time, that was about the initial event that put this in motion, not about the events of dec 1974. i feel their is a story here, a history between henry and the killer, a connection, not friendship.

I appreciate you sharing what you know. I have heard that not everyone liked Henry. But I’ve also heard he was very sweet. Whatever the case, I wish it would be solved.

The same year Henry died another teenager, a female, same age, was found with blunt force trauma on Salem Rd. In Swampscott. I’ve often wondered if the two cases could be connected. Her name was Paula Kallenback if you wish to explore. Also, though Swampscott is a beautiful town, it is right next to Lynn, which is not so nice and nicknamed the city of sin.

 

[seichem745]

again, i don't think it has anything to do with coming forward, i believe all they have is hearsay but the point is multiple people have stated they have fear of even mentioning this. the fear seems to be of the individuals finding out they they talked about it. if this is true then that would be an indicator of why there seems to be no real discussion all the way back to the beginning. I believe it is credible that the people involved in this murder went on in life to be dangerous and that the average person from swampscott has a healthy fear of that.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

again, i don't think it has anything to do with coming forward, i believe all they have is hearsay but the point is multiple people have stated they have fear of even mentioning this. the fear seems to be of the individuals finding out they they talked about it. if this is true then that would be an indicator of why there seems to be no real discussion all the way back to the beginning. I believe it is credible that the people involved in this murder went on in life to be dangerous and that the average person from swampscott has a healthy fear of that.

You’re not referring to KM are you? I really don’t think he had anything to do with it but...ya never know.

 

[WSFalcon]

I believe it was the original facebook page created in 2011 by a member of the beard family and someone else. it went private at some point so i cannot access it. when i saw the post on this site i knew i had heard that scenario before. the poster on the facebook page had much more detail and more info but that is why i have always believed the post here on this forum because it is the same story. it is possible maybe that one could find that private facebook page and request to become a member?

I figured it may be from the earlier private FB. Some later comments on FB and LE seem to indicate that there is still some uncertainty on who the culprit(s) are, or at least there is little to no evidence as they are still asking for information. One of the previous stories of the crime along with the bat photo was reposted not too long ago asking for others to share the information to potentially help identify the bat and provide new clues.

 

[seichem745]

it is just like this forum there are a lot of theories and opinions, the theory we are discussing has been consistent over time and seems to make the most sense in light of the fact that the people most invested in this case say they know who did it and are done looking for the "who". I am also choosing to believe that person is 100% credible based on everything i know. i think concerned individuals should focus on the 50th anniversary. i wish someone would write a book and others would create an interest locally to coincide with the 50th anniversary. if confession is the only hope for a resolution i would hope that there is a way to chip away at the person responsible. I would venture he has family in town but i would doubt he lives there.

 

[seichem745]

well if the males involved were brothers as it has been speculated i feel the killer will wait till all other guilty parties are dead. I havn't put that much thought into it but it seems to me that death bed confessions are not done for moral reasons but out of fear of God. i could be wrong but i don't see what good a confession would do at this point, the damage has been done.

 

[WSFalcon]

well if the males involved were brothers as it has been speculated i feel the killer will wait till all other guilty parties are dead. I havn't put that much thought into it but it seems to me that death bed confessions are not done for moral reasons but out of fear of God. i could be wrong but i don't see what good a confession would do at this point, the damage has been done.

"well if the males involved were brothers as it has been speculated" I had not heard that rumor. It sounds like that was speculated years later as even in the follow-up articles and stories years later, such as on Chronicle and others later, there seemed to be little or no indication that they knew who did it. Close friends, someone in the friend group as well as a bad out of town perp opportunity killing were still being put out there by locals & LE as potential theories or suspects to look for.
Also, "the males involved" seems to imply that there was a female(s) involved.
If this information came from the FB page, it would not have been anonymous.
If brothers I would think that should narrow it down a bit though I can see how brothers would keep it quiet, which makes me wonder where this speculation came from, such as from the non-males involved telling someone.

 

[seichem745]

brothers was put out there ages 18 and 20. I speculate henry went up there to meet someone, possibly a girl. I believe after all these years that those involved most likely have talked in confidence with friends or possibly under the influence of drugs. especially after feeling they were never going to get caught.

 

[WSFalcon]

brothers was put out there ages 18 and 20. I speculate henry went up there to meet someone, possibly a girl. I believe after all these years that those involved most likely have talked in confidence with friends or possibly under the influence of drugs. especially after feeling they were never going to get caught.

That would make them about 65 years old today. An 18 & 20 yr. old brother plus 1 female, that knew 15 yr. old Henry and were hanging up in that small woods/wooded area on a Dec. weekday. If true I would think that would narrow down the suspects, though I understand that does not equate to evidence.
I had heard another rumor or conjecture at one time though it was very vague and unsubstantiated though I would be interested in hearing what other locals think if I can get back there again.

 

[WSFalcon]

I appreciate you sharing what you know. I have heard that not everyone liked Henry. But I’ve also heard he was very sweet. Whatever the case, I wish it would be solved.

The same year Henry died another teenager, a female, same age, was found with blunt force trauma on Salem Rd. In Swampscott. I’ve often wondered if the two cases could be connected. Her name was Paula Kallenback if you wish to explore. Also, though Swampscott is a beautiful town, it is right next to Lynn, which is not so nice and nicknamed the city of sin.

"The same year Henry died another teenager, a female, same age, was found with blunt force trauma on Salem Rd. In Swampscott......"
Who was that? I don't recall another murder of 15 yr. old that same year and can not find anything on it. I believe there have been disappearances or murders a few years later in the surrounding area that some have speculated about a connection, but I am not aware of a murder of another teen especially the same year.
Although Swampscott is a relatively small and safe town, it is a heavily populated area just outside of Boston so there are unrelated crimes.

 

[seichem745]

there was a womans body dumped, partially burned on what we always called danvers rd for some reason, i believe she was in her 20"s and it was in the 1960's i think. it was never solved.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

"The same year Henry died another teenager, a female, same age, was found with blunt force trauma on Salem Rd. In Swampscott......"
Who was that? I don't recall another murder of 15 yr. old that same year and can not find anything on it. I believe there have been disappearances or murders a few years later in the surrounding area that some have speculated about a connection, but I am not aware of a murder of another teen especially the same year.
Although Swampscott is a relatively small and safe town, it is a heavily populated area just outside of Boston so there are unrelated crimes.

From the Lynn daily Item:

Fifteen year-old Paula Kallenback left a party on Western Aveune the night of November 16, 1974, to hithchike a ride home. The area where she was last seen is "not too far" from Winnepurkit Ave. In 1980, Kallenback's body was found "in a wooded area of Swampscott Road in Salem, with her cause of death ruled to be blunt force trauma".

 

[EndlessEnigma]

Are you sure she wasn’t FOUND in 1980? But murdered November of 1974?

 

[seichem745]

she was from lynn and found in lynn. there are 100"s of cold cases from lynn.

 

[WSFalcon]

Are you sure she wasn’t FOUND in 1980? But murdered November of 1974?

I think someone stated on Websleuths that she went missing the same year as Henry's murder though I believe that is not correct.
From what I read she was born in 1964, which would make her 15 in 1979. I believe she went missing Nov. 1979, last seen at or leaving a party in Lynn, and found a couple of months later in the woods Jan. 1980. Which is why it has been linked to the other young lady from Lynn that went missing 1-month earlier in Oct. 1979, also last seen leaving or at a party in Lynn.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

I think someone stated on Websleuths that she went missing the same year as Henry's murder though I believe that is not correct.
From what I read she was born in 1964, which would make her 15 in 1979. I believe she went missing Nov. 1979, last seen at or leaving a party in Lynn, and found a couple of months later in the woods Jan. 1980. Which is why it has been linked to the other young lady from Lynn that went missing 1-month earlier in Oct. 1979, also last seen leaving or at a party in Lynn.

Yes. I just double checked and she was murdered in 1979. Sorry. I need to be more careful checking my sources.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

she was from lynn and found in lynn. there are 100"s of cold cases from lynn.

Oh. I know.

 

[seichem745]

people have no problem comprehending bad people who murder and rape and 100"s of cold cases in Lynn. One cold case from swampscott and no one wants to believe it could happen there. People are people, and people kill a lot, unfortunately.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

Butterfly's info checks out so far. I can believe this. HT's birthday was 12/16 and his stepfather was RICO'd, some of the docs and details are online. PP is currently involved in Little League. I think this one puts together all those pieces that don't seem to fit.