MA - Tracy Gilpin, 15, murdered in 1986, Plymouth *arrest in 2018*

[UnderSea]

I haven't been able to find a thread for Tracy anywhere here. If there is one, please merge! Thanks! Also, I'm not sure if this the right location for this thread.

"[FONT=&quot]State Police arrested 61-year-old Michael Hand of North Carolina Sunday and charged him with the murder of then-15-year-old Tracy Gilpin of Kingston, Massachusetts."

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http://wwlp.com/2018/03/11/arrest-made-in-1986-murder-of-15-year-old-tracy-gilpin/

 

[UnderSea]

A little more:

"An arrest has been made in the unsolved murder of Tracy Gilpin, the sister of Massachusett’s State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin.

When Gilpin was appointed to head the MSP, the reason behind her career choices rose again: Gilpin wanted to go into law enforcement after Tracy was killed."



http://boston.cbslocal.com/2018/03/...y-gilpin-sister-tracy-unsolved-murder-arrest/

 

[Gardener1850]

Accused Murderer In 1986 Massachusetts Cold Case Charged

Authorities released new details on the case Tuesday following Hand's indictment. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said Hand followed Gilpin after she left a party, attempted to sexually assault her and dropped a 73-pound boulder on her head.

Following Hand's arrest, Kerry Gilpin released this statement: "For the past three decades, we have remained hopeful that Tracy's murderer would be identified. The much-welcomed news of an arrest in the case leaves us cautiously optimistic that justice for Tracy is within reach."

 

[folieadeuxnola]

Killing of Tracy Gilpin: What we know about the 1986 death of Col. Kerry Gilpin's sister


For decades, the family of 15-year-old Tracy Gilpin searched for answers in order to find her killer. The teen left a party in Kingston, Massachusetts in October 1986 and disappeared.

She was eventually found dead in Myles Standish State Park in Plymouth. Tracy died from a massive head fracture.

In March 2018, a suspect in Tracy's killing was found.

 

[jaejae]

All these cases are terrible particularly a child like this. Most of us are lucky we are not directly connected to such horrible cases but people are and there are more than you might think:

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/national-business/article237069474.html

 

[TootsieFootsie]

'Cat-out-of-the-bag' ruling delays trial for man accused of killing Tracy Gilpin in 1986

A judge has suppressed potentially incriminating testimony from the upcoming trial of a man accused of the 1986 murder of Kingston teen Tracy Gilpin.

www.wickedlocal.com

PLYMOUTH – A Superior Court judge has suppressed potentially incriminating testimony from the upcoming trial of Michael Hand, the man accused in the 1986 murder of Kingston teenager Tracy Gilpin.

In a ruling earlier this month, Judge Brian Davis ruled that statements Hand made to his pastor about Gilpin just before his arrest in 2018 cannot be admissible when he goes on trial.

Davis ruled that the statements fall under the so-called "cat-out-of-the-bag" doctrine for incriminating statement made after an involuntary confession.

 

[JEMB135]

Most recent I could find on this is here, from October 2024: A setback in case against man accused of 1986 Myles Standish forest murder - Plymouth Independent

The case wasn’t looking good at that point. Anyone know of more recent updates?