MA MA - Holly Piirainen, 10, Sturbridge, 5 Aug 1993
- Thread starter SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
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I agree.
And I think the amateur drawing of the skyline (the backdrop of the Boston tank) are reminiscent of the 1980’s/early 1990’s cubist resurgence. Very basic cubes and shapes make up the skyline in an almost graffiti like manner. Definitely an 80’s thing.
They have had this tank top for thirty years. Obviously the investigators searched for its origins for a long time before asking the public for help.
I’m wondering if this tank/graphic was made by a personal individual at those kiosks/ stalls where you could get personal shirts made? The lack of a tag or a size on the shirt is indicative of when you buy tees in bulk to craft, design, tie dye, etc.
It’s either that, or that tank was so ubiquitously sold at tourist spots like Fanueill Hall, Fenway, Logan, etc. that it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.
ETA: The drawing of the skyline reminds me of Shel Silverstein’s drawings that accompanied his poems. Those poems and drawings were done in the 70’s. I’m just thinking the graphic might also be older than the 80’s.
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I'm glad they shared this, but I mean in 30 years since it was worn let alone made or purchased people who might be able to remember it might be dead. They didn't know whose shirt it was anyway even after all of these years. I don't get why something like this wouldn't have been shared at some point before the 30 year mark. I know LE likes to keep it's hand close, especially when the crime seems solvable at the beginning, but jeesh.
My thoughts about it...it's possible this tank top is similar to the green curtain in the Amy Mihaljevic case. If you are familiar with that one, Amy's body was found along a rural road and a bit further down the same road was a green curtain. LE always thought that perhaps her body had been transported inside the green curtain and dumped, but they didn't know this for sure until DNA technology advanced to the point where they could match the curtain forensically to her and her home. So they actually used the green curtain as their "hold back" information to weed out bad and irrelevant tips and to use in interrogations of POIs to make sure if they ever got a confession, it was legit. But once they knew for sure it was linked, they asked the public for tips on it. The criticism at the time was the same as yours - it may be too late for anyone to remember.
You can clearly see that the tank top in Holly's case has been labeled for possible DNA evidence. Maybe they've recently been able to determine that Holly's DNA is definitely on this shirt but there are multiple male profiles or one or more unknown incomplete profiles. For that reason, they need more information to proceed and they are hoping someone out there has info on who might have owned this shirt or had access to a shirt like this. All speculation.
imstilla.grandma
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Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni revealed a piece of evidence recovered from the vicinity where Holly’s remains were found: a distinctive white tank top with a blue, pink and purple “Boston” logo on the front. There are no identifying tags on the shirt, but investigators are hoping to drum up a memory and learn the manufacturing information or other details about it.
“Someone owned it, right,” Gulluni told reporters. “Someone bought it. Someone wore it to that area. We’re hopeful someone will come forward.”
www.masslive.com
“It is our mission to deliver justice for these victims and their families. For all of us involved, it is a solemn and deeply meaningful obligation,” Gulluni said at the press conference.
“However, in many instances, we can’t do it alone. We need the public’s assistance; we need someone who knows something to stand up with us and do what is right,” he continued.
Items recovered from the area around Piirainen’s remains have remained in State Police custody ever since, with certain items subjected to further forensic testing over the last six months, according to the DA.
www.bostonherald.com
“Someone owned it, right,” Gulluni told reporters. “Someone bought it. Someone wore it to that area. We’re hopeful someone will come forward.”
Cold Case: Hampden DA hopes ‘Boston’ shirt will help solve 1993 slaying of Holly Piirainen in Brimfield
Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni revealed physical evidence from the 1993 murder of the 10-year after further advances in DNA analysis.
“It is our mission to deliver justice for these victims and their families. For all of us involved, it is a solemn and deeply meaningful obligation,” Gulluni said at the press conference.
“However, in many instances, we can’t do it alone. We need the public’s assistance; we need someone who knows something to stand up with us and do what is right,” he continued.
Items recovered from the area around Piirainen’s remains have remained in State Police custody ever since, with certain items subjected to further forensic testing over the last six months, according to the DA.
Cold Case: ‘Boston’ Tank top information sought in 1993 murder of 10-year-old girl
The last time a family member saw 10-year-old Holly Piirainen alive was at around 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 5, 1993, when she walked down the road in the area of Allen Road and South Shore Drive, Hampden …
www.bostonherald.com
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My first thoughts went to the Mihaljevic case as well, but for different reasons. Releasing this type of holdback info is almost pointless 30 years after the fact. Who's going to remember a shirt someone wore (or a curtain someone had) 30 years later?
I'm all for holding back info to weed out false confessions/accusations, but this shirt, like the handmade curtain in Amy Mihaljevic's death, were investigative gold when the crimes happened. Someone absolutely could have recognized these items....then. Now, they are a shot in the dark, if that.
Hopefully this info brings someone forward, but it's definitely frustrating knowing LE sat on this for 30 years and let memories fade, potential witnesses pass away and a vile crime go unpunished (not to mention leaving a predator free) because they didn't want the extra work of having to vet suspects.
Maybe also the justice system needs to take the most conservative steps because although it is the family who generally wants justice I think some crimes are investigated and charged as the state's prerogative. I mean if someone assaults you sometimes you can drop charges but maybe in murder it is the responsibility of the state to investigate regardless of family preferences.
I think your analysis is probably very close to the truth. In fact, I think that LE has very sound investigative practices that I don't totally understand. It is just when you get to 30 years it's so close to approaching when someone with kids or knew a kid is much closer to a statistically average age of death.
Imagine the perp is in their 40s, if you had a kid at 30 who was the victim, you had a sibling or cousin that was 40, and your parents were 50, it puts all these people at 60, 70, and 80 after thirty years.
Like I said I am sure there are reasons it's just frustrating at the top level.
Well, with the Mihaljevic case, the curtain was found 300 yards away from her body along a rural road. That's a couple of football fields away. If she had been found wrapped in it and they still held the info back, then I would question the decision a lot more (don't get me wrong, like you I do question it as an outsider, but I understand I'm not privy to all the evidence). But if I understood correctly, forensic techniques didn't advance enough until 2021 when they were able to definitively say that her DNA was on that curtain.
We heard in the news articles about the tank top in Holly's case that it was found "in the vicinity" of her body and that only within the last six months was it referred for further forensic testing (implying that some testing had already been done on it over the years), so I'm wondering if it was a similar thing to Amy's case where it was found in the vicinity of, but not right next to Holly's body, and until recently they did not have definitive forensic evidence that it was related. When I walk in the woods I do see abandoned clothing at times, it's not rare to see that, so there would be a need to determine pretty conclusively that the tank top was actually related to the crime. I am frustrated that it took this long too, but I don't think it was simply a matter of police not wanting to do extra work.
Source for the "vicinity" and "further forensic testing" comments - In '93 case of Holly Piirainen, authorities say clothing could hold answers
It definitely isn't due to LE laziness. Most cops I know are hard workers and also want to put these people away if possible. After 30 years it could have been misplaced accidentally and rediscovered.
I hear ya, but even if the shirt nor curtain (no matter how far away it was) ends up having anything to do with either homicide, they've collected them, they should chase the lead down to the nth degree and try to find out the origins of the items. Worst case scenario, they find out they have nothing to do with either crime and move on. To not do that 30 years ago was irresponsible.
Both police agencies had nothing to lose (except effort) and everything to gain from trying to identify the origins of 2 very identifiable items. With Mihaljevic, that opportunity is lost. No one has come forward, possibly due to time. Hopefully with Holly's case it's not too late.
Definitely could have been misplaced evidence as the reason for the delay in asking the public, but this article says:
"The top was recovered in good condition in the vicinity of where Holly's remains were found, Gulluni said. The markings, stains and tears seen on the top, were discovered after it was recovered and subjected to testing, he added.
The shirt has been in the possession of investigators since her body was discovered and Gulluni said it has been a matter of interest since.
Within the past six months, case items such as the top were identified for further forensic testing. Gulluni would not say whether DNA evidence has been discovered on the top."
Source: In '93 case of Holly Piirainen, authorities say clothing could hold answers
That seems to indicate to me that they've had it all along, they have wondered how it fits in, and only eithin the last six months have tests revealed how it truly relates to the case. But they are hoping for a concrete lead, a name of who might have worn this shirt.
I'm not a lawyer, but I can see one possible problem if you introduce to the public the idea that something is connected to a crime, when it's possibly not. You run the risk of gifting the defense at a later trial some reasonable doubt. Most of the time, in relation to the crime scene in particular, LE will only release to the public what they know (through testing and evidence) is true or related, not what they think or suspect. It doesn't mean, though, that they aren't running down leads on items behind the scenes.
But that's okay - I don't want to obscure the bigger picture, which I think we all do agree on - that we hope that even with the delay, this still leads to fruitful information for Holly.
Not saying laziness had anything to do with either of these cases. I'm sure a lot of work went into both these cases by a lot of people. The problem is the decision to keep very identifiable items, whether they ended up having anything to do with either case or not, as hold back information. The origin of those items needed to be found out, for good or bad, and that opportunity was lost.
Might have been nothing, might have been everything.
Yeah especially with what looks like tourist kind of shirts
weepingangel
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Thirty years after Holly Piirainen’s abduction, her murder remains unsolved
Authorities are still seeking help with the decades-old homicide investigation, releasing in February evidence found near where Holly’s remains were recovered.
Thinking of Hollys case and thinking of her family on the 30th anniversary of her devastating abduction and murder.
I recently listened to a very well done podcast by Richard Price titled “Hollys been Taken: A true crime podcast”
The podcast was done with Holly’s family and there is a lot of information about Hollys case.
What interested me the most was that Hollys family said that the investigators told them that the man in the truck that had been following the two teen girls up the road from where Holly was taken knew what t-shirt Holly had been wearing the day she was abducted and murdered.
This information (the description of the shirt she had been wearing) had not been publicly released.
The team of retired LE investigators that formed the Help Holly website strongly believe the man in the truck is her murderer due to the timing of his whereabouts when Holly was taken. This information regarding him identifying the t-shirt Holly had been wearing strengthens that idea.
I’m left wondering:
Is the man in the truck Holly’s murderer?
What is his relationship to David Pouliot?
What is his relationship to the 22 year old deceased man that was exhumed in relation to Holly’s case?
www.helpholly.com
I recently listened to a very well done podcast by Richard Price titled “Hollys been Taken: A true crime podcast”
The podcast was done with Holly’s family and there is a lot of information about Hollys case.
What interested me the most was that Hollys family said that the investigators told them that the man in the truck that had been following the two teen girls up the road from where Holly was taken knew what t-shirt Holly had been wearing the day she was abducted and murdered.
This information (the description of the shirt she had been wearing) had not been publicly released.
The team of retired LE investigators that formed the Help Holly website strongly believe the man in the truck is her murderer due to the timing of his whereabouts when Holly was taken. This information regarding him identifying the t-shirt Holly had been wearing strengthens that idea.
I’m left wondering:
Is the man in the truck Holly’s murderer?
What is his relationship to David Pouliot?
What is his relationship to the 22 year old deceased man that was exhumed in relation to Holly’s case?
An Open Letter
Holly Piirainen was abducted and murdered in the Sturbridge, MA community, her remains left in the woods to rot.
www.helpholly.com
Jaime Rainha
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That last episode of the podcast was pretty interesting! I’m wondering whether those teen girls who saw the guy driving the truck just before Holly went missing and were creeped out by him were questioned about the ‘Boston’ shirt? Did they see someone wearing it, or notice that it was draped over the seat of the truck maybe?
somequestions
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I am sort of surprised this case has not been solved.
One aspect of the case that confused me was that I had always thought Holly Piirainen was abducted from Allen Road as a suspect was driving through the area. This was wrong. She was actually abducted from South Shore Drive if what I remember reading is correct. It was near the intersection of South Shore Drive and Allen Road that the abduction happened. I wonder what the exact location of the shoe on the road was on South Shore Drive?
Because of the trees surrounding the area approaching South Shore Drive, I thought that was interesting because if the abductor was driving on Allen Road they would literally have to try and stop immediately once they turned their head to see Holly Piirainen walking towards Allen Road. You cannot see anything on South Shore Drive until you are almost right at the intersection of South Shore Drive and Allen Road in Sturbridge, MA. This is due to the trees.
The other strange part was the shoe being left at the scene. I know that is not strange in itself, but I wondered how tight the shoe was on her foot? It is not unheard of that in an abduction, a piece of footwear it left, but it is usually something loose fitting. Maybe Holly Piirainen did not tie her shoes or tie them very tight?
Because of the remoteness of South Shore Drive, if I were a detective in this case, I would have thought based on what is known, that the abductor in this case is someone who lives on South Shore Drive close to where the shoe was found or was driving to or from South Shore Drive on the day of the abduction.
I thought a suspect named David Pouliot was linked to the crime scene back in 2012? Maybe the case has been solved, but not officially because the suspect died in 2003? Hopefully someday soon this case comes to a conclusion.
One aspect of the case that confused me was that I had always thought Holly Piirainen was abducted from Allen Road as a suspect was driving through the area. This was wrong. She was actually abducted from South Shore Drive if what I remember reading is correct. It was near the intersection of South Shore Drive and Allen Road that the abduction happened. I wonder what the exact location of the shoe on the road was on South Shore Drive?
Because of the trees surrounding the area approaching South Shore Drive, I thought that was interesting because if the abductor was driving on Allen Road they would literally have to try and stop immediately once they turned their head to see Holly Piirainen walking towards Allen Road. You cannot see anything on South Shore Drive until you are almost right at the intersection of South Shore Drive and Allen Road in Sturbridge, MA. This is due to the trees.
The other strange part was the shoe being left at the scene. I know that is not strange in itself, but I wondered how tight the shoe was on her foot? It is not unheard of that in an abduction, a piece of footwear it left, but it is usually something loose fitting. Maybe Holly Piirainen did not tie her shoes or tie them very tight?
Because of the remoteness of South Shore Drive, if I were a detective in this case, I would have thought based on what is known, that the abductor in this case is someone who lives on South Shore Drive close to where the shoe was found or was driving to or from South Shore Drive on the day of the abduction.
I thought a suspect named David Pouliot was linked to the crime scene back in 2012? Maybe the case has been solved, but not officially because the suspect died in 2003? Hopefully someday soon this case comes to a conclusion.
Caring1
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October 24, 2023
The District Attorney is asking for the public’s help with any information about this shirt. They are looking for the origins of where it was known to be sold and its manufacturer. It appears to be a shirt that an adult would wear.
www.wwlp.com
The District Attorney is asking for the public’s help with any information about this shirt. They are looking for the origins of where it was known to be sold and its manufacturer. It appears to be a shirt that an adult would wear.
Holly Piirainen case: 30 years since body found in Brimfield
This week marks 30 years since the discovery of Holly Piirainen’s remains found in a wooded area in Brimfield. Her family and the District Attorney’s Office continue to ask for the publ…
www.wwlp.com