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

[WSFalcon]

I grew up in Swampscott at this time but have moved away. This case has always interested and bothered me.
I think that if someone had a good lead on a suspect it would have come out by now. I would think that Henry's relatives and close friends plus the police would not cover up a likely suspect. Given all the time that has passed there is a good possibility that the suspect is no longer alive.
I go back and forth thinking it was someone that knew him or a random stranger/perp that saw him walking and followed him. That is probably unlikely but we do know now with all the true crime stuff that does and can happen.
Even though it is small town, Paradise Rd/Rte. 1A is a main road that hundreds from the surrounding towns and cities pass thru every day so someone could have saw him and stalked him.
For what it is worth, here is some input and insight from someone from the area that was about the same age:
-Henry was older than me so I did not know him. I remember being in school talking about it and it shocked and scared all of us in the town, especially the kids.
-I had relatives on the police force and remember hearing some of the clues at that time.
-I knew the boy that found the wallet but I thought he found it several days later, not the same day. That certainly sounds like a clue from a timing perspective.
- My understanding was that the DPW worker that saw Henry was/is not considered a suspect and I would agree.
-I grew up about not far from there. I never heard it called the SV. My friends and I played and walked in the nearby woods and old tracks quite often but not that specific area. It was not easy to get to unless you abutted the old tracks or wooded area.
-The police chief mentioned was not the chief at the time.
-I can understand the speculation about cover up but I think there are just as many that would not allow a cover up and would be out to get a prominent family.
-The current chief is a local resident from a good family and my sense is that he would not go along with a cover up.
-Despite this being a big local story, it was different times then and many people in surrounding towns had never heard of it. If this was today, it would probably be solved or there would be many more suspects.
-I am not sure how good of a job the local police did investigating. I am not sure if during those times they had records or even looked into perps. I am sure the police put in a lot of time & effort investigating but I had heard things such as there were partial unidentifiable fingerprints on the bat, but the police had never fingerprinted Henry so they could not compare them. It also rained hard so evidence so that did not help.
-Several people in town believe someone knows who did it but they are not coming forward. I am skeptical of that, or if they do, it is a very small group (i.e. the murder and family/parents) as I do not think multiple people could keep a secret for this long.
-I don't necessarily agree that he knew the killer as he was hit from behind. He could have been surprised or chased.
-One thought is that it could have been an adult, like a pedofile. If it was someone he knew, like a teacher, adult, etc., I have a difficult time imagining and adult walking up there as it would have been very risky as it would stand out.
-Like most towns, there were a few bad apples, some roughly around the same age. I have wondered about a few but have never heard of anything connecting them.
-RIP Henry. As I said I did not know him but have always heard good things from those who did and it was quite a tragedy for his poor family.

 

[Betty P]

I grew up in Swampscott at this time but have moved away. This case has always interested and bothered me.
I think that if someone had a good lead on a suspect it would have come out by now. I would think that Henry's relatives and close friends plus the police would not cover up a likely suspect. Given all the time that has passed there is a good possibility that the suspect is no longer alive.
I go back and forth thinking it was someone that knew him or a random stranger/perp that saw him walking and followed him. That is probably unlikely but we do know now with all the true crime stuff that does and can happen.
Even though it is small town, Paradise Rd/Rte. 1A is a main road that hundreds from the surrounding towns and cities pass thru every day so someone could have saw him and stalked him.
For what it is worth, here is some input and insight from someone from the area that was about the same age:
-Henry was older than me so I did not know him. I remember being in school talking about it and it shocked and scared all of us in the town, especially the kids.
-I had relatives on the police force and remember hearing some of the clues at that time.
-I knew the boy that found the wallet but I thought he found it several days later, not the same day. That certainly sounds like a clue from a timing perspective.
- My understanding was that the DPW worker that saw Henry was/is not considered a suspect and I would agree.
-I grew up about not far from there. I never heard it called the SV. My friends and I played and walked in the nearby woods and old tracks quite often but not that specific area. It was not easy to get to unless you abutted the old tracks or wooded area.
-The police chief mentioned was not the chief at the time.
-I can understand the speculation about cover up but I think there are just as many that would not allow a cover up and would be out to get a prominent family.
-The current chief is a local resident from a good family and my sense is that he would not go along with a cover up.
-Despite this being a big local story, it was different times then and many people in surrounding towns had never heard of it. If this was today, it would probably be solved or there would be many more suspects.
-I am not sure how good of a job the local police did investigating. I am not sure if during those times they had records or even looked into perps. I am sure the police put in a lot of time & effort investigating but I had heard things such as there were partial unidentifiable fingerprints on the bat, but the police had never fingerprinted Henry so they could not compare them. It also rained hard so evidence so that did not help.
-Several people in town believe someone knows who did it but they are not coming forward. I am skeptical of that, or if they do, it is a very small group (i.e. the murder and family/parents) as I do not think multiple people could keep a secret for this long.
-I don't necessarily agree that he knew the killer as he was hit from behind. He could have been surprised or chased.
-One thought is that it could have been an adult, like a pedofile. If it was someone he knew, like a teacher, adult, etc., I have a difficult time imagining and adult walking up there as it would have been very risky as it would stand out.
-Like most towns, there were a few bad apples, some roughly around the same age. I have wondered about a few but have never heard of anything connecting them.
-RIP Henry. As I said I did not know him but have always heard good things from those who did and it was quite a tragedy for his poor family.

Welcome to Websleuths and to this thread, WSFalcon! We certainly appreciate all the helpful information you provided. Thanks for the insight into local life and people.

I do agree, LE probably bungled some things back then. Like other small city/town LE back then, they probably didn't have a lot of experience handling murder cases, especially one as unusual as this.

I also agree with you about the current police chief. He's been interviewed numerous times and sounds very sincere about trying to solve Henry's murder. Not many police chiefs today put that kind of effort into solving a case this old.

A lot of people dismissed the idea of Henry being attacked by a pedo or adult with other motives because of the remote location, known mostly to local kids. It's possible, though, that someone followed him there. That brings up the question of the weapon, though. An adult walking through town carrying a baseball bat probably would have been noticed. Where do you think the baseball bat was located? Did the killer bring it with him or was it left lying around up there on the hill, with the killer grabbing it on the spur of the moment?

Just a few questions, hope you don't mind. We don't often have locals visit here for discussion, so we like hearing your opinions, memories, etc. What do you and other locals think about the reason Henry went up to the hill that day? Was he taking a shortcut? Did someone arrange to meet him there? Was he going there to wrap the Christmas gift he had just bought?


I agree, the possibility of a stranger following him there and accosting him exists. Did that kind of crime (mugging, robbery) happen much in Swampscott back then? Do you recall if the town had many vagrants passing through or a criminal element that lived there? Not saying Henry was involved at all, but was there much drug use in the area back then?

Thanks again, we appreciate your sharing what you know. If you ever have the opportunity to communicate with Henry's family, please give them our best. They seem like such a great family and we're so sorry they lost Henry. I admire their persistence in finding out who killed him.

 

[WSFalcon]

Betty P-good point on dismissing an adult or pedo walking up there as it was remote, plus why did they have this bat (I hadn't fully thought of that). I have had the same thought on if it was an adult from the community that was not known then to be a problem as in the 70s we did not know much about that stuff. We were naive back then and most did not know about serial abusers or pedos.
It was not easy getting up there the way Henry went (a kid, teen could go that way but it would stand out to see an adult going up that way right off a busy street). The kid that found the wallet house abuts the old tracks and that small wooded area which is why he had easy access and would play in the woods.
The road that Henry was walking on is the main road thru the town and is a very busy route connecting Swampscott with Lynn & Salem and other cities. I only recently wondered if someone saw him and that set off the perp. It is possible the bat was laying around.
Many think someone knows who the bat belonged too but I am not sure. I played baseball and it s not like today's baseball. We had bats we liked but bats were cheap an old bat could've been lying around.
"Just a few questions, hope you don't mind....
What do you and other locals think about the reason Henry went up to the hill that day?" Many say and think that he was meeting someone. If so probably another kid. I heard one or two rumor guesses but I don't want to repeat as just a guess unsubtantiated rumor in my opinion.
If he was meeting an adult that he thought was ok but was not (teacher, friend, coach, etc.) at a park, parking lot, or in a car, I could see that being a possibility, but I find it difficult to imagine a known adult walking up into that small wooded area.
"Was he taking a shortcut?" No, it was Not a short cut home. The shortcut story has been repeated in papers and by locals but what bothered me ( I grew up 1/2 mile from there) was that it was not a shortcut. I think I read where his sister said that in the later stories too, that it was Not a short cut home.
There were old train tracks and woods in town that were very common shortcuts by kids but this was hard to get to and was not really a shortcut anywhere.
"Did somoen arrange to meet him there"? That is the main thinking .
Was he going there to wrap the Christmas gift he had just bought? I doubt that. Why go up there. He could have wrapped them in the park, on a bench right across the street.
Did that kind of crime (mugging, robbery) happen much in Swampscott back then? No, small town though it is in a very settled area. Surrounding cities had more crime but considered safe. Though crimes were not as widely reported then.
Do you recall if the town had many vagrants passing through or a criminal element that lived there? Not saying Henry was involved at all, but was there much drug use in the area back then?
I would say no but it is very easy for vagrants and people to pass thru. The bus that ran from Boston to all these towns/cities stopped right across the street. I took it many times to go to neighboring cities and even in to Boston with only friends. It was a different time.
The main train/commuter rail runs thru the town. The train station is about a 5-10 min. walk from there. We did have some bad local elements, like most towns/cities and there were some vagrants that would pass thru. I believe the local police were good back then at keeping an eye out on them. I have never heard of a connection with any bad people in town, and if so, how did they get him up there is still a big mystery and question.
I have never heard anything credible that he was involved with drugs. I did not know him personally and I am sure that like most teens he could have been involved with partying, drinking, pot, etc. at times but I have never heard anything other than he was a good regular kid. I do not believe this was like a hardcore drug or money related incident.
Unfortunately we did not have the awareness back then of strangers, or known people in the community that were preying on kids/teens, plus the technology is not what we have today for pinpointing where people were and solving crimes.

 

[Betty P]

Betty P-good point on dismissing an adult or pedo walking up there as it was remote, plus why did they have this bat (I hadn't fully thought of that). I have had the same thought on if it was an adult from the community that was not known then to be a problem as in the 70s we did not know much about that stuff. We were naive back then and most did not know about serial abusers or pedos.
It was not easy getting up there the way Henry went (a kid, teen could go that way but it would stand out to see an adult going up that way right off a busy street). The kid that found the wallet house abuts the old tracks and that small wooded area which is why he had easy access and would play in the woods.
The road that Henry was walking on is the main road thru the town and is a very busy route connecting Swampscott with Lynn & Salem and other cities. I only recently wondered if someone saw him and that set off the perp. It is possible the bat was laying around.
Many think someone knows who the bat belonged too but I am not sure. I played baseball and it s not like today's baseball. We had bats we liked but bats were cheap an old bat could've been lying around.
"Just a few questions, hope you don't mind....
What do you and other locals think about the reason Henry went up to the hill that day?" Many say and think that he was meeting someone. If so probably another kid. I heard one or two rumor guesses but I don't want to repeat as just a guess unsubtantiated rumor in my opinion.
If he was meeting an adult that he thought was ok but was not (teacher, friend, coach, etc.) at a park, parking lot, or in a car, I could see that being a possibility, but I find it difficult to imagine a known adult walking up into that small wooded area.
"Was he taking a shortcut?" No, it was Not a short cut home. The shortcut story has been repeated in papers and by locals but what bothered me ( I grew up 1/2 mile from there) was that it was not a shortcut. I think I read where his sister said that in the later stories too, that it was Not a short cut home.
There were old train tracks and woods in town that were very common shortcuts by kids but this was hard to get to and was not really a shortcut anywhere.
"Did somoen arrange to meet him there"? That is the main thinking .
Was he going there to wrap the Christmas gift he had just bought? I doubt that. Why go up there. He could have wrapped them in the park, on a bench right across the street.
Did that kind of crime (mugging, robbery) happen much in Swampscott back then? No, small town though it is in a very settled area. Surrounding cities had more crime but considered safe. Though crimes were not as widely reported then.
Do you recall if the town had many vagrants passing through or a criminal element that lived there? Not saying Henry was involved at all, but was there much drug use in the area back then?
I would say no but it is very easy for vagrants and people to pass thru. The bus that ran from Boston to all these towns/cities stopped right across the street. I took it many times to go to neighboring cities and even in to Boston with only friends. It was a different time.
The main train/commuter rail runs thru the town. The train station is about a 5-10 min. walk from there. We did have some bad local elements, like most towns/cities and there were some vagrants that would pass thru. I believe the local police were good back then at keeping an eye out on them. I have never heard of a connection with any bad people in town, and if so, how did they get him up there is still a big mystery and question.
I have never heard anything credible that he was involved with drugs. I did not know him personally and I am sure that like most teens he could have been involved with partying, drinking, pot, etc. at times but I have never heard anything other than he was a good regular kid. I do not believe this was like a hardcore drug or money related incident.
Unfortunately we did not have the awareness back then of strangers, or known people in the community that were preying on kids/teens, plus the technology is not what we have today for pinpointing where people were and solving crimes.

Thank you so much, WSFalcon, for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it. Given the remote location, hard to climb up to and somewhat out of the way, it sounds like Henry went to meet someone there. I traced the route on Google maps a while back and it certainly didn't look like a short cut.

Henry went there to meet someone and it was a little out of his way. He probably didn't plan to stay long as it was getting close to dark and he still had a long walk ahead of him.

Whomever he met with was angry and attacked him without much warning. Maybe it was like an ambush. I wish we knew whether the bat was already there (maybe left by some kids playing in the area) or if the killer brought it with him.

I agree, it also doesn't sound like the kind of spot where a teacher, coach, etc. would arrange to meet with Henry. As you see from past comments here in this thread, most who have gone to the site agree it was a quiet neighborhood where someone would probably notice a stranger coming up the street or parking at the end to go into the woods. The killer would possibly have blood on his clothing, so he took a big risk leaving the scene. Then again, it happened around dinner time when a lot of families might not have been outside or looking out a window.

I hope some others here drop by and read your posts. I'd like to hear what they think, too. I may also ask one of our WS members here who is retired LE to see if he can give us an idea. I've been reading up on another cold case of the shooting of two teen boys in a nice middle class neighborhood in Detroit the night before July 4, 1964. One of their detectives stated back then when young men are murdered, its most often done by other young men.

Thanks again!

 

[PerhapsIt'sYou]

This was a crime of rage. Very personal. It wasn't a stranger or a transient

 

[Tommy2step]

I don't know...I think strangers can commit rageful crimes too. See the case of Tony Muncy...his killer was a stranger. Crime was particularly grisly.

 

[WSFalcon]

Wondering if there is anyone else that has any useful insights, viable theory or suspects? Perhaps there are people that were close to the investigation or situation that may know something or be able to piece things together.
Not looking of course for any names to be thrown about but asking only to see if this tragic case could finally get resolved.

 

[Richard]

Henry Bedard, Jr. Age 15, Murdered 16 December 1974



Markings on the end of the Louisville Slugger baseball bat used as a murder weapon.


... Investigators are hoping anyone with information that could help close the case will contact Detective Sergeant Jay Locke at 781-595-1111 or [email protected].

LINK:
Swampscott Police Renew Push To Solve 45-Year-Old Murder

 

[Henrys Angel]

I read somewhere else on this forum that the bat was found 50 ft from Henrys body.. how they got that info I dont know. to me that suggests a kid throwing it in the direction away from the direction that HE had to go home to. I just remembered. CG when I posted a pic said it triggered him so much bc he remembered the bat.. he had a melt down I thought he had only found the wallet/empty? and the perfume now hes telli ng me he saw the bat... You know that the bat has been fixed with pins and there are two fingerprints on it.. that I can see today. if the bat has been fixed those prints would be useless unless they come back to some who is not LEO. Two people CG and MC know a lot more than they are telling .. maybe mommy too. The boys were still playing on the hill until at least 4.30pm and had been up there since about 2 ish.

 

[Henrys Angel]

It helps if you can find a darker version of the photo that shows more contrast.

Here's the one I posted previously

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/attachments/img-jpg.193492/

Depending on how you rotate the image, you'll see a K and an M. In this photo, you see a "K" tilted 90 degrees. Look again and you'll see an upright "M". Ignore the number 1, as it's the maker's stamp. The carving was somewhat sloppy, but it was likely done by a kid.

 

[Henrys Angel]

3 kids on the hill night body was found, Cliff and his two friends. Why are they out in the dark on the hill? Where are their parents ? two on the right and one on the left, where are all the adults

 

[Henrys Angel]

Dec 16th was a Monday that year

 

[WSFalcon]

3 kids on the hill night body was found, Cliff and his two friends. Why are they out in the dark on the hill? Where are their parents ? two on the right and one on the left, where are all the adults

CG's house abutted the old train tracks which the wooded area/SV was off of, which is why the kids were playing there. Kids often played on the old train tracks and in woods.
As far as where are the parents? This was the 70s, different times. Not unusual for kids to be out at that time hanging out, playing, etc.
I believe CG was 4 grades behind Henry, which is quite a bit for kids so they would not have really been friends or hung out and may have not even known each other. I have never heard anything that CG was involved and do not believe that he was.

 

[Richard]

From a 2019 posting by the Swampscott Police Department:

... The following information is in relation to an unsolved murder that occurred in Swampscott.

In December of 1974, 15yr old Swampscott resident Henry Bedard Jr. had gone missing after he had done some errands. Within hours, his parents knew something was wrong and desperately organized a group to search for him. On the 16th of December, a 10yr old boy stumbled upon the body of the 15yr old high school boy.

Henry Bedard Jr. was discovered buried under a pile of leaves, a baseball bat (Louisville Slugger) was located just feet from his body.

The area where Henry was murdered was near the hill overlooking the DPW. This area at the time was a popular hangout spot for kids. It is possible he was going there to meet someone. The murderer(s) could have been someone he knew or a random act of violence.

This murder investigation has been continuously investigated by Detectives from Swampscott Police along with Massachusetts State Police Detectives CPAC Unit assigned to Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett over the last 45 years.

The baseball bat pictured was collected as evidence in 1974 from the crime scene. This bat has unique markings on the handle that investigators are hoping can lead to the owner.

Over the years this case has had many pieces of information brought to investigators, along with numerous interviews to obtain as much info as possible. As in any investigation of this nature, an attempt to connect physical evidence to those individual(s) involved is the goal.

If anyone has any information about the murder of 15yr old Henry Bedard Jr, please contact:

Detective Sergeant Jay Locke
781-595-1111
[email protected]
Massachusetts State Police
Detective Anthony LoPilato [email protected]
Chronicle Video:
https://tinyurl.com/wttca6w

Henry Bedard, age 15
https://www.facebook.com/swampscott...Zc4V-iSPxh1c-720Wsf2cx1iv3khJTAA&__tn__=*bH-R

Markings on the handle end of the baseball bat used as a murder weapon.

LINK:
Swampscott Police Department

 

[Henrys Angel]

Thanks! Is the top of the hill the area that connects to the residential street?

Great photos!

You make a good point about the observant neighbors. If they had seen someone coming out of the woods that night/evening they probably would have recognized a local kid and would certainly noticed if it was a stranger. Seems likely it was someone local, as you say, someone close to Henry's age who knew where the hang out spot was located and probably hung out there himself.

It's possible he left in the other direction, towards the city garage area because he knew the people on Suffolk Ave would recognize him.

Either way, that's one heck of a hill to climb up and down. Imagine how difficult that was on a cold, rainy evening just before Christmas.

Who were the other two kids that were with Cliff Choodmen thatd afternoon ?

 

[PerhapsIt'sYou]

I've been to the murder scene, but I am unsure exactly where in the woods the body was found.

So if one is entering the woods at the end of Suffolk, where would you go to get to the spot the body was found?

 

[Henrys Angel]

CG's house abutted the old train tracks which the wooded area/SV was off of, which is why the kids were playing there. Kids often played on the old train tracks and in woods.
As far as where are the parents? This was the 70s, different times. Not unusual for kids to be out at that time hanging out, playing, etc.
I believe CG was 4 grades behind Henry, which is quite a bit for kids so they would not have really been friends or hung out and may have not even known each other. I have never heard anything that CG was involved and do not believe that he was.

I have a pic of the two boys standing up on the hill in the dark with the stretcher right there, CG's mum had already been out ther with her son I hear she was traumatized from CG so why woulnt she keep her child right next to her for goodness sakes, There has been a murder of a boy ???? I know about the 70s and 60s when the lights came on we went inside, unwritten rule.

 

[Henrys Angel]

I've been to the murder scene, but I am unsure exactly where in the woods the body was found.

So if one is entering the woods at the end of Suffolk, where would you go to get to the spot the body was found?

The hill is approx 200 ft across from Suffolk to the Business out the front... The bat was supposedly found 50 ft from body. <modsnip: Contacting case players is not allowed>

 

[Richard]

It would be useful to see other photos of the bat. It could be dated by the type of label it has. If it was in fact "pinned" or glued and taped to repair it, then it would no longer have been used for baseball games, but rather owned by a kid who picked it up after a game or practice in which it was broken. Today, wooden bats are only used in professional baseball - not in schools or little league.

Markings stamped on the end of the handle by the maker usually are only a single numeral. A "1" or "2" would indicate the weight of the bat, such as 31 ounces or 32 ounces respectively. Other markings scratched, carved, written, or stamped over the numeral would indicate that the bat was used by a specific ball player. Bat boys for the teams would know what the markings stood for.

 

[WSFalcon]

The hill is approx 200 ft across from Suffolk to the Business out the front... The bat was supposedly found 50 ft from body. <modnsip: Contacting case players is not allowed>

I may not understand your comment but everyone knew about the bat, the markings and that it was the murder weapon. The bat was in the local newspaper and widely discussed including the markings.
LE and others have tried to figure out if anyone had a connection to the bat but no-one has been able to identify it, at least as far as I know.