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

[EndlessEnigma]

Body of Henry Bedard Jr., teen killed 50 years ago, exhumed in Swampscott
There is a renewed investigation happening now. Henry’s body was exhumed today in Swampscott and sent for a new autopsy and testing his body as well as the bat with new technology. Fingers crossed this gets solved for Henry’s family and all of us who have waited for justice for Henry far too long.

 

[dotr]

Oct 1, 2025
A body is being exhumed in Swampscott, and sources told the WBZ-TV I-Team it belongs to Henry Bedard Jr.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

I am so, so happy to hear they're using new technology and testing. IMO any progress is good progress. Hoping it leads to answers for Henry and his family

 

[Betty P]

Amazing. I wonder if LE had a tip recently that prompted the court order.

Bless his heart. Such a tragedy.

Prosecutors and police urged anyone with information about who killed Henry to contact investigators at 1-855-MA-SOLVE or [email protected].

Body of teen killed in Swampscott in 1974 exhumed in new search for evidence

The body of a 15-year-old killed over half a century ago was exhumed Wednesday at a cemetery in Swampscott, Massachusetts, as investigators search for more evidence, officials said.

www.nbcboston.com

Tucker said there's no significance for why they chose this day for the exhumation but said the court order to exhume Bedard was a result of "information recently received," according to a press release.

 

[seichem745]

Henry was hit five times. It was personal. The boys who found Henry’s wallet turned it in. Whether there was any money in it was left unsaid in order to protect the integrity of the investigation. Police have always believed it was someone in Henry’s circle who murdered him. There must be a reason they believe that.

the first hit probably killed him, maybe the other hits were just to make sure he was dead? you cant assume this was a crime of passion.

 

[Rush4087]

I wonder what LE investigators are hoping to learn by exhuming Henry's body? I can't imagine that post-autopsy and burial they would be expecting to find any perp DNA on the body or elsewhere in the casket.

Idk, maybe the "information recently received" included the description of a wound or something that only the perp(s) - or someone the perp(s) told - would know?

Whatever the reason, I hope it leads to the identification of the murderer(s). RIP Henry Bedard

Jmo

 

[Betty P]

I wonder what LE investigators are hoping to learn by exhuming Henry's body? I can't imagine that post-autopsy and burial they would be expecting to find any perp DNA on the body or elsewhere in the casket.

Idk, maybe the "information recently received" included the description of a wound or something that only the perp(s) - or someone the perp(s) told - would know?

Whatever the reason, I hope it leads to the identification of the murderer(s). RIP Henry Bedard

Jmo

I was wondering the same thing. The comments of the prosecutor/DA gave the impression they might have been talking to someone who knew some details about the murder. They talk of new science, etc. so it sounds like they're looking at DNA. Perhaps they're hoping to find the perp's DNA there. If they needed any DNA info about Henry, the could have gotten some info from testing his siblings. I've also wondered whether they were ever able to retrieve and test blood on the baseball bat. It's been handled quite a bit, possibly.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

The baseball bat had a partial print and DNA. Whether it is blood, skin, or hair, they have new and better ways to test evidence now. They are also doing another autopsy on his body. Perhaps they have learned something new or it’s all just a shot in the dark.

 

[dotr]

Oct 4, 2025
A local forensic scientist believes, even after 50 years, an exhumation in the unsolved Bedard case could be a game-changer.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

the first hit probably killed him, maybe the other hits were just to make sure he was dead? you cant assume this was a crime of passion.

He wasn’t just hit in the head and he had five blows to his head. I don’t assume anything. The leading theory is the murderer and Henry knew one another and there was a girl in the mix. Sounds like anger and jealousy. However, it’s just a theory that’s floated around, it may not be true. Hopefully we will have answers one day soon.

 

[seichem745]

He wasn’t just hit in the head and he had five blows to his head. I don’t assume anything. The leading theory is the murderer and Henry knew one another and there was a girl in the mix. Sounds like anger and jealousy. However, it’s just a theory that’s floated around, it may not be true. Hopefully we will have answers one day soon.

I never heard anything about other hits besides the head but have always wondered about that. if there was a struggle maybe there is more hope of some kind of modern technique to solve this.

 

[Same Old Stella]

I get the feeling somebody with a guilty conscience talked or someone overheard a conversation they weren't supposed to hear or someone let something slip to someone else who reported it. The more killers/witnesses involved in a crime, the harder it is to keep it a secret forever.

 

[seichem745]

I get the feeling somebody with a guilty conscience talked or someone overheard a conversation they weren't supposed to hear or someone let something slip to someone else who reported it. The more killers/witnesses involved in a crime, the harder it is to keep it a secret forever.

whatever the tip was, its something they hope the body can verify. I wonder what the track record on exhumations is on solving cases? and if they get the who, will the family ever know why?

 

[Lwieckowicz]

whatever the tip was, its something they hope the body can verify. I wonder what the track record on exhumations is on solving cases? and if they get the who, will the family ever know why?

They wouldn’t go as far to exhume unless they were very sure they’d find new information in doing so that would lead to solving the case.

Perhaps this is a death bed confession or someone waited until somebody died to talk. MOO

 

[seichem745]

They wouldn’t go as far to exhume unless they were very sure they’d find new information in doing so that would lead to solving the case.

Perhaps this is a death bed confession or someone waited until somebody died to talk. MOO

 

[seichem745]

They wouldn’t go as far to exhume unless they were very sure they’d find new information in doing so that would lead to solving the case.

Perhaps this is a death bed confession or someone waited until somebody died to talk. MOO

Just a thought but maybe if there were multiple people there besides the killer maybe it was a conspiracy of silence due to fear?