MA MA - New Bedford Highway Killer (1988/89) *UNSOLVED*

[jaejae]

Here is some more information on these cases:

New Bedford Highway Killer - Wikipedia

New Bedford Highway Killer

https://listverse.com/2019/05/27/10-still-unidentified-serial-killers/

 

[x0xnikkielynn]

Has anyone looked into the map where the bodies where found and found somwthing off about it?

 

[Earth]

Has anyone looked into the map where the bodies where found and found somwthing off about it?

Such as?

 

[Tommy2step]

From what I've seen, it appears that all of the victims were left in spots around New Bedford but not actually in the city. Maybe the killer was in LE and did not want city detectives investigating...It's also interesting to note that 2 victims (who are still considered missing) had family who were in LE. Killer may have also worked in some capacity for the city and knew too many people who might recognize him. I still think the killer could have been in LE or maybe impersonated LE. I mean, Ken Ponte and his buddy Paul were actually honorary sheriff s who carried badges...

 

[x0xnikkielynn]

multiple bodies in lakeville Freetown area, dartmouth, westport but only one in marion

 

[x0xnikkielynn]

idk I just feel this serial killer is very repititious in what he does. like he was poking fun at police and jurisdictions almost cocky in what he was doing because a few of those bodies where placed minutes away from each other and they still couldnt find them

 

[Tommy2step]

My theory, just a hunch, is going toward 2 different killers. All of the bodies were found about 50 feet off the road on highways except for one. That was Rochelle Dopierla. Her remains were found in a gravel pit in an abandoned quarry -about a half mile off the highway on a twisty road with no lights. very different scene. Rochelle was going to testify against Ponte in a case where he threatened someone with a gun. The last people to be seen with her were Nancy Paiva's abusive boyfriend and Ken Ponte. this was the end of April 1988. Rochelle was living with him at times and he drove her around to buy drugs for him. Ponte also let people know that If anyone ever testified against him, he would kill them. So who was the other killer? I'm still going with Degrazia. He just fits too well. He knew the area well for doing jobs, broke up with girlfriend and lost job (murders start here), lots of anger towards women (mother was abusive), past history of violent acts towards women, was in Weld Square alot, girlfriend marries another guy, gets pregnant from another guy... Another thing...police had theorized that the killer left the bodies just off the highway in order to have a quick getaway. In an interview with police, Degrazia stated that when he did pick up prostitutes, he would drive off as quick as he could to "get away from them". Women whom he did pick up would say that he literally kicked them out of the truck and sped off. Women also said that he was okay until she started talking about money and then he would lose it and become violent. Almost as if he didn't see this as a john-prostitute relationship. I've read that some people who knew him -including Freetown detective Alan Alves-say he couldn't have been the killer because he was too much of a wreck and wouldn't be able to hide this from people. I call BS on this. He was a heavy drinker and we all know drinking can lower inhibitions and give people courage to do something they might be nervous about. He was also described as religious and attended services frequently. Okay, so he went to confession alot. We all know that what is said between a parishioner and the priest is sacrosanct - can't be admissable. As a reformed Catholic myself, I know all about guilt. So you go to confession, unload it and then the guilty feelings go away and get lesser. Whose to say there weren't 2 different Tonys? The guy who worked hard, overcame a lot and attended mass frequently and then the one who got down on himself, got some booze in him, went looking for fun and then it got out of hand and " uh oh...I did it again...but that wasn't me, that was someone else...not me". To those who say he might have been slow-witted, remember that he did have the presence of mind to turn course and lawyer up before he was supposed to show up for a polygraph...

 

[Tommy2step]

Just keeping this moving forward...anybody know when the documentary is coming out?

 

[Back2black914]

Just an observation.. I went to UMass Dartmouth and am familiar with this area. Many parts of route 140, 195 and 88 are very straight and flat highways.. If it's night time, you could pull off on the side of them with your lights off and see for miles in either direction if headlights were approaching. Whoever the killer was I'm sure used this to their advantage when choosing where to dump the bodies.

 

[GVH]

From what I've seen, it appears that all of the victims were left in spots around New Bedford but not actually in the city. Maybe the killer was in LE and did not want city detectives investigating...It's also interesting to note that 2 victims (who are still considered missing) had family who were in LE. Killer may have also worked in some capacity for the city and knew too many people who might recognize him. I still think the killer could have been in LE or maybe impersonated LE. I mean, Ken Ponte and his buddy Paul were actually honorary sheriff s who carried badges...

Tommy2step: Which victims had relatives in LE again?

 

[Tommy2step]

Hey GVH. I believe it was Marilyn Cardozo Roberts and Christina Monteiro. if I remember correctly, Roberts' father was a retired New Bedford detective.

 

[GVH]

From everything I've read, DeGrazia seems the most likely; however, serial killers do not tend to be suicidal. That is just one of the issues I have with Tony. His upbringing and incidents with prostitutes points to a high probability of psychopathy though.

 

[dotr]

Wondering if the first woman who was murdered, best represents ''the look'' the killer most desires in a victim?

Robbin Rhodes was the first woman to die. HANDOUT / BRISTOL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

July 25 2020
CRIME HUNTER: Who was serial killer who terrorized New Bedford?

The victims of the New Bedford Highway killer who terrorized the Massachusetts town for 13 months.HANDOUT / BRISTOL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

''Thirteen months was how long his reign of terror lasted.

The tally was 11 dead women, all snatched off the streets of hardscrabble fishing town New Bedford, Massachusetts. More women were raped.

And then the murders suddenly stopped.

Between March 1988 and April 1989, a serial killer was preying on the city of 95,000 sex workers, nearly all of whom struggled with drug addiction.''

 

[Tommy2step]

You make a good point,GVH, about killers not committing suicide...although there have been a few...Herb Baumeister comes to mind. He committed suicide after going on the run after bodies were found on his property. Degrazia had spent a lot of time in jail- including threatening the DA Pina. LE was focusing more on him as a suspect and then the charges against Ponte were dropped because the case was rather flimsy. Its likely that Degrazia knew the heat would fully be on him with Ponte essentially off the radar and Degrazia would be next one up....he then killed himself... although some family members believe he was killed in a cover-up. I think that once Degrazia was out of the picture, there was no more push for the case with the new DA Walsh. Walsh, the special prosecutor Walsh appointed and several detectives all felt that Degrazia was the guy...and now that he was gone...why go forward? Women were no longer disappearing...

 

[GVH]

Good thoughts Tommy2step; however, while women were not disappearing in New Bedford any longer, a completely unknown serial killer could have simply shifted location in the United States or abroad. I don't believe that to be the case here, but it would have been the absolute PERFECT time to depart the area and continue committing serial murders elsewhere. Just brainstorming.

 

[GVH]

Just an observation.. I went to UMass Dartmouth and am familiar with this area. Many parts of route 140, 195 and 88 are very straight and flat highways.. If it's night time, you could pull off on the side of them with your lights off and see for miles in either direction if headlights were approaching. Whoever the killer was I'm sure used this to their advantage when choosing where to dump the bodies.

Back2black - appreciate the insight into the highway topography. From what I have read, it sounded like the killer ensured that all of the bodies were just outside of the town of New Bedford... Likely to cause cross county/town issues for the different police departments. If this is true the killer certainly had above average intelligence OR the killer was in law enforcement... Or both.

 

[GVH]

Wondering if the first woman who was murdered, best represents ''the look'' the killer most desires in a victim?

Robbin Rhodes was the first woman to die. HANDOUT / BRISTOL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

July 25 2020
CRIME HUNTER: Who was serial killer who terrorized New Bedford?

The victims of the New Bedford Highway killer who terrorized the Massachusetts town for 13 months.HANDOUT / BRISTOL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

''Thirteen months was how long his reign of terror lasted.

The tally was 11 dead women, all snatched off the streets of hardscrabble fishing town New Bedford, Massachusetts. More women were raped.

And then the murders suddenly stopped.

Between March 1988 and April 1989, a serial killer was preying on the city of 95,000 sex workers, nearly all of whom struggled with drug addiction.''

dotr, I wonder how similar Tony's mother looks in comparison to these women? If she did indeed abuse him to the extent that has been reported, he could have been seeing his mother's face in each of the victims...

 

[dotr]

dotr, I wonder how similar Tony's mother looks in comparison to these women? If she did indeed abuse him to the extent that has been reported, he could have been seeing his mother's face in each of the victims...

Exactly what i was getting at, did his first known victim resemble his mother and was she a sex worker too? imo, speculation.

 

[Tommy2step]

Excellent points about Tony's mother. I've never seen a pic of her...has anyone else?

 

[dotr]

Posting for the very large, clear pics at link.
September 2017
New Bedford Highway Serial Killer case unsolved | Daily Mail Online
''Nine women found dead, two still missing: Nearly 30 years later, the mystery of the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer who terrorized Massachusetts remains unsolved

• Women with similar backgrounds - usually involved in drug addiction and prostitution - began disappearing around New Bedford in 1988
• Nine bodies were discovered strangled and dumped near area highways, while two women remain missing to this day
• A local lawyer and former heroin addict kept emerging as a suspect in the investigation; he had known or worked for several of the victims
• The lawyer, Kenneth Ponte, had relocated to Florida but returned to Massachusetts to face a murder charge in one of the deaths
• The murder charge was eventually dropped and Ponte blamed authorities for ruining his career and his life; he died in 2010
• Another man, Tony DeGrazia, was charged separately with raping six prostitutes and was considered another suspect
• DeGrazia denied killing any women and took his own life in 1990
• Journalist Maureen Boyle, who covered the killings and investigation three decades ago, has published a new book about the unsolved serial murders ''