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

[seichem745]

I am not familiar with the new information and police communications from 2011 that you and others were referring to.
Is above the information & communication from 2011? Googling I found the above info in an article from 2004/2005 suggesting a link to the murders, so I am assuming it is not the communications from 2011.

there are i believe 3 different written articles from 2011, one is about the police , one i believe is remembering henry which was about henrys sister, one was about using the facebook page to get new leads. state police wwere involve as was americas most wanted. one of the articles included the chronicle video which was done earlier. on top of that are videos by individuals interested in the case showing the crime scene and a find a grave video showing you how to get to henrys grave. then you can access the yearbooks all the way back to the 1950's, henry was a sophomore in 1974 so his graduating class was 1976. you havn't scene half of what is right online about this case.

 

[WSFalcon]

This is not unusual in cold cases - LE is sure or fairly sure they know who did it, but can't move forward to prosecution without more evidence. I had the same impression from their communications in 2011 - they were sending a message to some people - those who did it and those who know or suspect who did it. I hope there is someone out there who knows something and is finally willing to reveal what they know.

What were the communications from 2011 that gave the impression LE was sending a message to some people?
Most of what is see are new articles, Chronicle, etc. every few years which is good to keep it in front of people but I don't see much or any new info being shared in what I have looked at, so I would be curious to see the 2011 communications.

 

[seichem745]

they are all on the internet, i just replied about that. i just googled henry bedard 2011 and they are all right there. there is another one where the writer of the article called the killers cowards that is out there as well.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

An Anonymous tip is prompting a new investigation into two murders
decades apart. Swampscott Sgt. Tim Cassidy says the department received
credible information regarding an unsolved murder from 1941. According
to Cassidy the caller left some information about the murder scene and
left a name of a former Swampscott resident who was the murderer of
Frances Corcoran. Swampscott police say there are similarities with the
1941 murder case and the unsolved murders of 15-year-old Paula
Kallenback and 15-year-old Henry E. Bedard Jr. Frances Cochran's body
was found on July 20, 1941 on Swampscott road, mutilated, and partially
burned. Beard's body was found in a wooded area between Suffolk Ave
and Paradise Road in December of 1974, and Kallneback's body was
found in 1979 she was sexually abused and beaten with a baseball bat
that was found at the scene. Police believe all three are connected
somehow and say they are very anxious to speak with this individual
again because we believe he may have information that could help us
solve other cases." is anyone looking at these cases on here?

Here's some info about Kallenback's murder and its possible connection to Susan DeQuina.
https://www.facebook.com/TheForgott...nty-two-year-old-susan-dequi/262746043899672/
DeQuina, Susan Oct 3 1979

 

[WSFalcon]

they are all on the internet, i just replied about that. i just googled henry bedard 2011 and they are all right there. there is another one where the writer of the article called the killers cowards that is out there as well.

Thanks. I googled that and had seen and read most of these. I still have not seen any communication in my opinion makes me think that the police have a good idea who did this and were sending a message (what specifically did the police say in 2011 that had not been said previously other than new leads, clues, they may send the bat & clothes out for new DNA testing?).
There is some reference to new clues being reported in one article from 2011 that had ongoing updates/comments but understandably no specifics at all from what I read so I have no idea if they were real clues or not, especially as 2011 is approaching 10 yrs. ago.
I was not on the FB page that had been set up so I do not know what was discussed and shared there for info.
I have seen a few videos but the ones that I have seen do not share any new info if you are from Swampscott and familiar with the area and case.
The Globe article from 2019 does not have any new info either.
I have heard yearbook info is out there and would certainly provide names of classmates, students, etc. I would imagine that these were probably all known by Henry's friends, family and LE.
If one does a deeper internet I would think that they can find more info, though I still do not see anything in my opinion where the police are communicating to potential suspects.

Kind of an aside, for years it sounded to me like it was a random attack by a bad person, stranger that wandered into the area, except why did Henry go up there? I still do not think robbery was the motive.
The theory that it was other teens in an attack that went terribly wrong may be the best theory though in todays world we know that perps can hide in a community. I do not know who any of the abutters to the wooded area were back then, but I am curious if the police looked into that angle at all just to rule it out.
I am not saying or implying anything but I wonder if the police did look into the abutters to see if any had a criminal past, or have since committed crimes elsewhere.

 

[Betty P]

What were the communications from 2011 that gave the impression LE was sending a message to some people?
Most of what is see are new articles, Chronicle, etc. every few years which is good to keep it in front of people but I don't see much or any new info being shared in what I have looked at, so I would be curious to see the 2011 communications.

JMO, it's the act of bringing the story back up, LE discussing it, implying the killer or people who know what happened are still living. It's not a direct communication, it's indirect. The FBI often instructs local LE in how to do this. How they go about it depends on the way the crime was committed and the profile they develop of the killer. IMO, in the 2011 news coverage, they did a great job of educating the public about the case and eliciting much-deserved sympathy for the family who is still committed to finding the killer. That can have the effect of startling the killer out of complacency, make him paranoid. In a person who might be helping hide information, it can elicit some guilt. JMO

 

[WSFalcon]

JMO, it's the act of bringing the story back up, LE discussing it, implying the killer or people who know what happened are still living. It's not a direct communication, it's indirect. The FBI often instructs local LE in how to do this. How they go about it depends on the way the crime was committed and the profile they develop of the killer. IMO, in the 2011 news coverage, they did a great job of educating the public about the case and eliciting much-deserved sympathy for the family who is still committed to finding the killer. That can have the effect of startling the killer out of complacency, make him paranoid. In a person who might be helping hide information, it can elicit some guilt. JMO

Agree. That make sense. I guess I was looking for something like in other cases where LE spoke more directly to the culprits, such as at a press conference where they say something like....you may be watching, we have likely interviewed, etc.

 

[Betty P]

Agree. That make sense. I guess I was looking for something like in other cases where LE spoke more directly to the culprits, such as at a press conference where they say something like....you may be watching, we have likely interviewed, etc.

Sometimes they do speak directly, sometimes not. I guess it depends on the killer's profile and what they're trying to elicit. I don't know if the FBI helped the local police, etc., but my impression of some of that news coverage in 2011 was LE trying to elicit guilt or regret in someone. JMO, it seemed like they were trying to elicit a guilt response from someone who might know something. I'm not an expert, just my opinion.

 

[seichem745]

I agree with Betty as well. when i was done looking at everything i saw at the time I was left with a strong gut feeling, intuition, not from the mind but a feeling. that feeling was DAMM, they know who did this and they are going all in, they are going for it right here, right now! there were direct quotes by LE that would have to paraphrase now but started with "we believe" ... I include looking at the chronicle video and listen closely to It again it's an 'i believe' scenario.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

If you're talking about the car dealer, he never went to Swampscott High. He's from Salem.

Perhaps there is more than one? After all, rumors say Henry’s killer is deceased. The car dealer is alive and doing well. Also there was a student with the same name who attended Swampscott High. He was a senior.

 

[WSFalcon]

Re-watched the Chronicle Special. Very moving particularly listening to Henry's father.
I knew a few of the people and their families in the program.
I agree that it is good to get the news coverage to keep the story out there and they were trying to elicit a guilt response from someone. Though after listening a few times I had a different take and do not think that the police have a good idea who did this. It mentions that they followed up a lot of leads, new tips, new anonymous letters, etc. but seemed like nothing substantial. Listening to the State Police detective talk about how on one hand it looks like it was personal, but he then says however nothing to indicate.....
I am sure that LE/SPD have put in a lot of time and effort trying to solve this terrible crime, but it still looks like a mystery without good forensic evidence to narrow down the suspects. Unfortunately it may not be solved until the culprit(s) or someone they confessed to comes forward.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

Perhaps there is more than one? After all, rumors say Henry’s killer is deceased. The car dealer is alive and doing well. Also there was a student with the same name who attended Swampscott High. He was a senior.

Apologies, someone had confused the two before and brought up the car dealer's domestic violence allegations as the reason he could have been Henry's killer. I assumed you were following that path as well.

The KM who was a senior is still around. He lives in another town but I think his mother still lives in Swampscott in the same house. It's quite a walk from SV (though he may have had a car as a senior). Is there any reason you suspect him?

 

[Richard]

Henry Bedard, age 15, Murdered 16 December 1974

 

[EndlessEnigma]

Apologies, someone had confused the two before and brought up the car dealer's domestic violence allegations as the reason he could have been Henry's killer. I assumed you were following that path as well.

The KM who was a senior is still around. He lives in another town but I think his mother still lives in Swampscott in the same house. It's quite a walk from SV (though he may have had a car as a senior). Is there any reason you suspect him?

Confusing. Ive heard the killer was from another town, yes Salem, his initials KM. Comes from a prominent family and people suspect him because of his girlfriend’s mysterious death. But I’ve also heard Henry’s killer is now dead which led me to think it couldn’t be that KM. Maybe another...I still lean toward the POI seen arguing with him at school the morning of his death.

 

[PerhapsIt'sYou]

I haven't seen any evidence connecting Car Dealer KM to Bedard. Just rumors. No evidence they even knew each other

 

[EndlessEnigma]

I haven't seen any evidence connecting Car Dealer KM to Bedard. Just rumors. No evidence they even knew each other

I agree with you there. I don’t think the car dealer did it. Just wondered if there might be another KM it is a common name. Or maybe KW? Because of The initials on the bat. What do others think is etched on the end of that bat.

 

[seichem745]

Thanks. I googled that and had seen and read most of these. I still have not seen any communication in my opinion makes me think that the police have a good idea who did this and were sending a message (what specifically did the police say in 2011 that had not been said previously other than new leads, clues, they may send the bat & clothes out for new DNA testing?).
There is some reference to new clues being reported in one article from 2011 that had ongoing updates/comments but understandably no specifics at all from what I read so I have no idea if they were real clues or not, especially as 2011 is approaching 10 yrs. ago.
I was not on the FB page that had been set up so I do not know what was discussed and shared there for info.
I have seen a few videos but the ones that I have seen do not share any new info if you are from Swampscott and familiar with the area and case.
The Globe article from 2019 does not have any new info either.
I have heard yearbook info is out there and would certainly provide names of classmates, students, etc. I would imagine that these were probably all known by Henry's friends, family and LE.
If one does a deeper internet I would think that they can find more info, though I still do not see anything in my opinion where the police are communicating to potential suspects.

Kind of an aside, for years it sounded to me like it was a random attack by a bad person, stranger that wandered into the area, except why did Henry go up there? I still do not think robbery was the motive.
The theory that it was other teens in an attack that went terribly wrong may be the best theory though in todays world we know that perps can hide in a community. I do not know who any of the abutters to the wooded area were back then, but I am curious if the police looked into that angle at all just to rule it out.
I am not saying or implying anything but I wonder if the police did look into the abutters to see if any had a criminal past, or have since committed crimes elsewhere.

i agree the robbery was opportunity. what what said basically was they believed the killer (s) lived very close by. They said they believed other had information or knew who did it. and the direct quote was "it is a matter of getting people to talk.

 

[seichem745]

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward" - Soren Kierkegaard

 

[Tommy2step]

God...almost every day I read about cold cases solved from 40 something years ago...and this case which has the murder weapon, partial fingerprint, the victim's clothes, small area where he was murdered... And...nothing. Crickets. Frankly, it's either the ineptitude of LE or a cover up protecting rich, powerful people. Rumors and hunches by people afraid to do anything aren't going to get it done. But then again, it is Massachusetts so what should one expect?

 

[WSFalcon]

The more recent articles, which are old now, have mentioned that they never fingerprinted Henry so LE did not know if it was Henry's partial finger print on the bat. Does anyone know if this is true?
I have always thought that even if Henry was not fingerprinted, I would think that if LE asked his family could have and would have supplied items that he had handled that had is fingerprints on them.
As far as old cold cases, I hope any discussion will somehow help to solve the case but look at the GSK. There was a Lot more physical evidence as well as eye witnesses in that case and it took decades to bring someone to justice.