
Although the notion of a serial killer active in the Connecticut River Valley area during the 1980s is at times difficult to fathom, all signs point to this being true.
Between 1983 and 1985, six women were found dead in the vicinity of New Hampshire and Vermont. Tragically, it is believed that one such victim was Jane Boroski, who endured multiple stab wounds, twenty-seven to be exact, before miraculously surviving this attack.
It can only show that while a region may not always appear hostile on the surface, dark secrets may be present nevertheless. Without a shadow of a doubt, greater awareness of this apparent serial killer is essential against further travesties occurring again in the future.
Victims of Connecticut river valley killer
The discoveries of Cathy Millican, Mary Elizabeth Critchley, Bernice Courtemanche, and Ellen Fried have left the citizens of New Hampshire shocked and grieving. All four women stayed within the region, and their disappearances left a haunting impression on locals.
Millican’s body was the first to be discovered on October 24, 1978, in New London; three years later, the body of Critchley was found in Unity. Sadly, Courtemanche’s disappearance in West Claremont did not bring about a better outcome for her family.
Lastly, Fried, who disappeared after speaking to her teacher via payphone only a few days prior to her disappearance, will always remain another forgotten victim of this killer.
Eva Morse, Lynda Moore, and Agnew, who fell victim to the killer in July 1984, September 1985, and July 1985, respectively, all shared a great tragedy.
While Eva was hitchhiking in Charlestown, New Hampshire, Lynda fell victim in Unity, and Agnew was found deceased in Hartland, Vermont–suggesting that the killer changed his modus operandi.
While each of their deaths was heinous in nature, as they were all stabbed and had their throats slit, it is crucial to assess why these women were targeted.
Research into this heinous crime should be conducted to ensure that no one else has to suffer as these three women did.
Jane Boroski’s attack gave detectives a revelation of information to go off with, but beyond what she could provide, the investigation had stagnated.
To better understand the perpetrator, criminal psychologist John Philpin was consulted for the type of person he believed was responsible for this heinous act.
According to her hypothesis, once Jane stopped struggling and defending herself, the attacker seemed to have lost interest in continuing his rampage.
Even though she provided descriptions of both the killer’s vehicle and license plate number as well as an accurate description of him personally, police could not locate the perpetrator despite their best efforts. Interestingly enough, the stabbing spree ceased right after Jane managed to escape.
Who were the suspects?
On the morning of May 20, 1984, sixteen-year-old Heidi Martin went out for a jog. An unsettling event occurred when only twenty-four hours later, her body was discovered behind an elementary school in Hartland, Vermont.
Under immense psychological pressure and distress from the authorities, a twenty-one-year-old man by the name of Delbert Tallman confessed to committing acts of rape and stabbing Heidi Martin.
Much to everyone’s surprise, he recanted his confession and ultimately walked away with an acquittal. To this day, there is still no valid evidence, so the crime surrounding Heidi Martin remains unsolved.
Gary Westover’s chilling unthinkable confession to his uncle Howard Minnon had the potential to solve a long-standing cold case.
In 1997, Westover – a forty-six-year-old paraplegic from New Hampshire – told his uncle that he and three friends had gone drinking one night before taking a trip to Vermont, where they committed the horrific murder of Barbara Agnew.
Minnon immediately brought this information forward to the police, but for reasons unknown, nothing was done about it. Westover’s unfortunate revelation left many questioning why justice wasn’t served for such an atrocious act of violence.
Since Michael Nicholaou’s tragic death in 2005, investigators have found it difficult to connect the former helicopter pilot and army killer to the series of murders that unfolded shortly after his demise.
Despite a physical description of the attacker that was nearly identical to Nicholaou, inconclusive DNA testing results and an absence from the area at the time of three of the murders have left authorities uncertain as to whether or not he committed them.
Although much time has elapsed since these murders first occurred, these cold cases still remain unsolved by police.
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