DOUGLAS (CBS) - Bonnie Kiernan is convinced her sister's killer, Rodney Stanger, is involved in the disappearances of Molly Bish and Holly Piirainen . 2000. She agreed to do this and to pick up the keys at Sumners place of business about 7 p.m.. She also contacted the Molly Bish Foundation, which is how Shamshak said he learned of the possible lead. Rodney Stanger, serving time in a Florida prison for killing Crystal Morrison, has been named a person of interest in the Bish murder. Molly Bish Murder Case Brings Mass. State Police to Fla. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). Magi says that Molly was proud to be a lifeguard and had worked hard to get the job. Miller said Stanger, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges in the Morrison murder, was declared mentally unfit for trial, but was deemed competent in the fall and has a "viable" defense. ", But William Miller, chief assistant public defender for the 5th Judicial Circuit in Marion County, represents Stanger and said his client's connection to the Bish case is purely speculative and "one of the most broadly circumstantial press junkets I've ever seen.". Im still living with my sisters killer still being out there, Heather Bish said at the time. Frank P Sumner Sr - side by side of two different photos of him (photo credit - wcvb.com) Episode Description: Molly Bish was just 16 years old when she went missing from her lifeguard job at Comin's Pond in 2000. John theorizes that Molly's abductor parked at the cemetery and went along the path to the beach. Several of the tips led to information that helped "move the case forward". They said that Molly's belongings were there, but she was not. The sketch was based on a description from Molly's mother, Magi Bish. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Despite setting up roadblocks, searching crime databases, and interviewing convicted sex offenders and others who matched the suspect description, police were unable to identify the man in the white car. A worker there also saw a white car later that morning. But comparing the photos of Pouliot to the sketch her mother helped create, gives Heather Bish new hope her sister's killer will be found. The Bish family hopes that the new composite drawing will lead them to Molly. After Bish' disappearance police released this sketch of a man seen near the pond on the day she went missing. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In June 2021, investigators identified a new suspect in this case: Francis "Frank" Sumner Sr. Over the years, they have received several tips about him. Market data provided by Factset. . Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. For more than two decades, the family of Molly Bish has searched for an answer. Details: Sixteen-year-old Molly Bish is the daughter of John and Magi Bish. Sumner lived in Spencer and had an auto shop there as well as others in Leicester and Worcester, according to authorities. He had moved to Florida following Bish's disappearance. He kept smoking and did not seem to care about her. Rodney Stanger, is serving a 25-year sentence in a Florida prison in the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend in 2008 - In 2012 he was implicated in the 2000 disappearance and murder of Molly Bish Kiernan and her boyfriend, Scott Reynolds, retrieved, among other items, a wallet they say was hidden in a kitchen cabinet. Fearing for Molly's safety, Magi waited for the man to leave. He smoked with his left hand, which the suspect did as well. Police officers searched the area and interviewed people. "We follow up on every lead," said Paul Jarvey . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Investigators from Massachusetts are in Florida looking for clues in the unsolved disappearance and death of Molly Bish, a teenage lifeguard, 12 years ago. A website devoted to finding her received thousands of hits. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Magi Bish dropped Molly off at the pond around 9:45 a.m. as she had each morning during her daughter's week as a lifeguard. When her mother dropped her off the day before the disappearance, she noticed a man with a mustache sitting in a white sedan, seemingly watching her 16-year-old daughter. The district attorney said the Bish family had mixed emotions when they were informed there was new evidence and a new person of interest connected to Mollys case. She found the wallet inside a kitchen cabinet. Shamshak said Stanger's family told him he was also known to fish at Comins Pond and to hunt in the wooded area near where Bish's remains were found. Mollys disappearance has transformed her parents into staunch child safety advocates. Some sources state: the unknown man was seen starting at Molly on multiple occasions; she was supposed to give swimming lessons that day; she was discovered missing at 10:20 or 10:30am; she was wearing flip flops; and there were broken branches in the nearby woods, which indicated a struggle may have taken place. Bish family watches man's arraignment - Worcester Telegram The police began an intense search of the Whiskey Hill area. At 9:50am, they stopped at a convenience store. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. #1 Family of Holly Piirainen hopes I-93 billboard provides clues about the 10-year-old's unsolved abduction and slaying MARCH 29 2011 Molly Bish Case: Numerous Tips Pointed to Newly Named - NBC Boston The news was welcomed by Molly's family. It was a question that left the family and others wondering. Over the years, several persons of interest have been identified in this case. He has pleaded not guilty. January 3, 2012 / 7:48 PM 'There is a variety of emotions involved with this as opposed to other homicides. Extra Notes: Results: Unresolved - In November 2002, a hunter spotted a blue bathing suit in the woods on Whiskey Hill near West Warren Road and the Nenameseck Sports Club in Palmer, Massachusetts, about five miles from Comins Pond. Molly Bish cold case murder probe eyeing convicted Fla. killer Stanger also drove a white car, frequently fished at Comins Pond and was an avid hunter where her body was found. The wallet was uncovered when Kiernen went to the Summerfield home her murdered sister shared with Stanger to retrieve belongings, The Telegram and Gazette reported. Although no cause of death could be determined, the manner of death was ruled a homicide. Possible Break In Cold Case Murders Of Molly Bish and Holly Piirainen "Compelling" anomalies were found underground, which suggested that something was buried there. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Sumner was indicted in Worcester Superior Court on Jan. 13, 1982. On June 3, 2021, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early announced that Francis P. Sumner, Sr. was a new person of interest in the case, NBC reported. Investigators also contacted Parabon NanoLabs, a private DNA testing company. . All rights reserved (About Us). 3 of 22 The remains of Molly Bish were found nearby three years later in 2003. This is is the Florida trailer once occupied by Rodney Stanger, serving time in a Florida prison for killingCrystal Morrison. Sumner joined her in his own car and the two looked at the apartment. And Magi Bish spent the last eight years thinking she saw her daughter's murderer and couldn't protect her. July 17, 2012 / 4:25 PM / CBS Boston. In 2001, famous sketch artist Jeanne Boylan helped her make a composite of him. Sitcoms Online - Main Page / Message Boards - Main Page / News . The man has been the focus of the investigation for two decades (sketch via The Republican). Molly's possessions were left behind. The police learned that a person who lived near the pond reported hearing a scream around the time Molly disappeared. Weve got to keep our foot on the pedal a little bit longer but it feels really good to have the opportunity to ask for the publics help, Early said. A composite sketch based on Magi's description produced no reliable leads. Bish was an active athlete who disappeared from her lifeguard post at Comins Pond in Warren, Mass., the morning of June 26, 2000. In 2007, investigators looked into Robert Burno after he was arrested for trying to abduct and assault a female jogger in Brimfield, a few miles from Warren. The friend says he constantly drove past her house. Five years earlier, he had been found dead in his home, but police received a verifiable tip that Sumner was involved in the disappearance of Molly Bish. And Bishs disappearance sparked the largest missing persons search in state history. When Molly went missing, her shoes, radio and med kit were left behind prompting a massive search effort that turned up nothing. Update . Kiernan also found two keys to a safe deposit box in Florida. Magi Bish makes direct appeal to killer of daughter Molly, Family of slain lifeguard hopeful after 12 years, Person of interest to be questioned again in Molly Bish case, Photos: Return of Boston's Pride parade after 3-year hiatus. He was known to operate auto repair shops in the Spencer, Leicester and Worcester areas, including Sumners Auto Repair. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Worcester County District Attorneys Offices anonymous tip line at 508-453-7575. Hampden County District Attorney said on Tuesday. Three years later, a hunter found her body about 10 miles away, in the woods of Whiskey Hill in Palmer. Kiernan told ABCNews.com that days before Morrison was killed the two sisters engaged in a series of strange, whispered phone conversations where Morrison would bring up the topic of murder and then repeatedly ask the name of Kiernan's bird -- "Molly.". Investigators from the Worcester District Attorneys Office would eventually execute a search warrant at Stangers Florida trailer home. Weve just got to keep doing what were doing.. 19:24 EDT 01 Aug 2012 Boston 25 News facebook feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News twitter feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News youtube feed(Opens a new window), School administrators: Create a closings account, Kylie Jenner officially renames baby son; We just really didnt feel like it was him, Mass. Although impressed with its uncanny accuracy, Magi still felt something was missing the cigarette that the man was holding. [2] On June 26, the day before her disappearance, her mother, Magi, saw a mustached man in a white car parked in the lot of the beach where Bish's lifeguard post was located. Earlier this month, before Massachusetts investigators announced a new lead in the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old lifeguard Molly Bish, detectives showed the victims family a photograph that immediately reminded them of the composite sketch of a suspect decades ago, according to a new report. Marion County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jenifer Fisher said he's been jailed since Feb. 25, 2008, when police responded to a call from a child reporting that a man, later identified as Stanger, was choking his mother, a neighbor of Stanger's. Then, Sumner pulled the woman into a bedroom, turned on a stereo to medium volume, and raped her. Pictures: New clues in missing Mass. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Magi says the pond is in a beautiful location, but it is isolated and surrounded by woods. Bill Greene/Boston Globe/GettyState Police troopers collect evidence during the search for Molly Bish off of West Warren Road. The town's rural charm and quaint innocence made it perfect for the Bish family. Public DomainMollys Bishs case remains unsolved. Height:5'7" Mollys killing is a case familiar to many people across Massachusetts. Magi says there was a lot of confusion, and nobody seemed to know where Molly was. The district attorney added that he is proud of the detectives and the unresolved homicide unit who have worked on the case leading up to Thursdays announcement. "It looks just like him. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. As of 2022, the disappearance and murder of Molly Bish remain unsolved, but the family believes the end is near on finding the culprit, even if it means there may never be full closure. Heather Bish said the family has gotten its hopes up and had them dashed over many leads in the past that didn't pan out. Finally, the drawing was complete. He began kissing her as she pushed him away. Randy Stanger, a former Southbridge resident, owned a white Chrysler Park Avenue. Earlier this month, before Massachusetts investigators announced a new lead in the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old lifeguard Molly Bish, detectives showed the victim's family a photograph. Teen's 2000 Murder Trail Leads to Fla. Former Southbridge resident Rodney Stanger has emerged as a possible suspect in the Bish case. And the District Attorney has not publicly named any suspects in the case. It is not clear what evidence police uncovered, but detectives are expecting to interview Stanger in his prison cell at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida on Thursday, according to ABC. Were looking for any bit of information no matter how small. About an hour later, Molly's boss arrived at the beach and learned that she was not there. He was convicted of aggravated rape and kidnapping in the 1980s. This is what I have left of my Molly, Heather said in the video. Photos: Will this evidence solve Bish murder? - WCVB Channel 5 The wallet contained an identification card with a picture strikingly similar to sketches of a man seen by the pond from where Molly Bish was snatched in 2000. Numerous tips over the past 21 years have led to a newly-named suspect in the 2000 murder of 16-year-old Molly Bish, according to the Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. After Bish' disappearance police released this sketch of a man seen near the pond on the day she went missing. John says he had a sinking, hollow feeling as the searches occurred. While there, he attacked, raped, and choked her, and then threatened to kill her. I guess there was a sense of relief in some regards.. JonathanVonErich. WANTED: Massachusetts Murderer | Crime Junkie Podcast The information we have that led us to this point we think is very solid but we still have to keep going on the matter, Early said in an interview with MassLive on Thursday afternoon. The Death of Molly Bish - Hue and Cry But she was nowhere to be found. Rodney A. Stanger, 60, resembled a sketch prepared after Molly's disappearance of a man seen by Magdalen M. Bish, Molly's mother, at Comins Pond. Update on Molly Bish - Sitcoms Online Message Boards - Forums In June 2016, prosecutors announced that they planned on sending twenty-four pieces of evidence to a lab so that "enhanced DNA testing" could be conducted. Whether Bish's killer turns out to be Stanger or someone else, Heather Bish said they want that person to know that the Bish family will "always wage a campaign to find him.

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