246:, on May 4, 2016. Early did not say exactly how Sumner was connected to the case, but that investigators recently received new information that has led them to investigate him. On July 9, 1982, Sumner was convicted of aggravated rape and kidnapping from an attack the prior October inside an apartment that Sumner was trying to let. He was sentenced to concurrent sentences of 15-to-18 years on the rape charge and 9-to-10 years on the kidnapping charges. The earliest Sumner could have been released from Walpole State Prison was in 1997. It was not immediately clear how long Sumner was incarcerated for that case. Early said that Sumner was incarcerated several times during his life.
199:— a few miles from the town of Warren — for more than 20 years. Stanger moved to Florida a year after the Bish murder. Following the murder of Crystal Morrison, Stanger's girlfriend of 20 years, Morrison's sister alerted the Massachusetts authorities. Stanger was known to have access to a white car similar to the one seen the day before Bish's disappearance. He was also known to fish in Comins Pond and hunt in the woods where Bish's body was found. In addition, Stanger closely matched the description provided by Magi Bish of the man seen in the white sedan the day before Molly Bish's disappearance. Stanger has not been charged in her case.
258:
and mentioned the continued testing of evidence with advancements in forensic science. He also emphasized the importance of familial DNA in aiding the investigation and noted his support for legislative changes to facilitate its use. The Bish family continues to advocate for child abduction awareness and the resolution of Molly's case, with the
Worcester County DA's office remaining committed to solving the case. An anonymous tip line remains open for any information regarding Molly Bish's death.
143:
just minutes before Bish arrived. A local worker also reported that he saw a similar car parked at a cemetery connected to the pond by a path. Magi Bish was the last known person to see her daughter before her disappearance. Several hours later, police contacted Molly Bish's parents, informing them that no lifeguard had been on duty all day and that Bish's belongings had been left unattended at her station.
215:
He attempted suicide in prison after newspaper articles identified him as a potential suspect in Bish and
Piirainen's deaths. Battistoni, who had a criminal record dating back to 1980, had been in the area where Bish's body was found and resembles a composite sketch of the man Magi saw in the parking lot on the day before Bish disappeared.
180:, in late fall 2002. In May 2003, he mentioned this to Tim McGuigan, who contacted police. An intense search of the area soon located Bish's body. On June 9, 2003, her body was found 5 mi (8.0 km) from her family home. A cause of death was not determined, but investigators presume Bish was murdered and her remains buried.
257:
As the 23rd anniversary of Molly Bish's disappearance approached, District
Attorney Early provided an update on the investigation. Despite no arrests being made, Sumner, who passed away in 2016, remains a person of interest. Early expressed confidence in the ongoing efforts by state police detectives
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In
November 2011, Gerald Battistoni, a.k.a. Confidential Informant #62 for the Eastern Hampden County Narcotic Task Force, was named as a suspect in Bish's death by private detective Dan Malley of Massachusetts. Battistoni served time in prison for repeatedly raping a teenage girl in the early 1990s.
142:
On June 27, Magi drove her daughter to Comins Pond and dropped her off near the lifeguard station. Magi reportedly saw no sign of the stranger from the previous day or his white sedan. However, another witness reported that he saw a man matching the stranger's description in the pond's parking lot
282:
was killed seven years earlier. Her body was also found in a wooded area in
Hampden County. Police considered the possibility that the two cases could be related. Pouliot is considered a person of interest in both cases. It was discovered that Molly Bish had written a letter to Holly Piirainen's
139:. 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. Although he seemed suspicious at the time, she thought no further about him until after Bish's disappearance.
206:
who went missing in
Sturbridge. Bish and Piirainen were the same age in 1993, and Bish had written a letter of hope to Piirainen's parents in 1993. Stanger was not charged in this case. In 2012, forensic evidence led authorities to name David Pouliot — who died in 2003 — as a
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An extensive search was immediately launched. It was to become the largest and most expensive search for a missing person ever undertaken in
Massachusetts. Her case was profiled on numerous American television shows, including
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District
Attorney, announced a new person of interest on June 3, 2021—Francis P. Sumner Sr., a registered sex offender and a man with a more than 20-page criminal record, who was found dead inside his home in
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I am very sorry. I wish I could make it up to you. Holly is a very pretty girl. She is almost as tall as me. I wish I knew Holly. I hope they found her.
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768:"Gerald Battistoni, man eyed in murder of Massachusetts girls Molly Bish and Holly Piirainen, apparently attempts suicide in prison"
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In 2009, when
Stanger was being investigated for the Bish murder, police also questioned him in connection with the 1993 murder of
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Her disappearance lead to the most extensive, largest, and expensive search for a missing person ever undertaken in the state of
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In 2009, a new suspect was investigated. Rodney
Stanger, a Florida resident convicted of murdering his girlfriend, had lived in
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In the summer of 2000, 16-year-old Molly Anne Bish (born August 2, 1983) began working as a lifeguard at Comins Pond in
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113:, on June 27, 2000, when 16-year-old high school student Molly Anne Bish disappeared while working as a lifeguard.
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man charged with attempted kidnapping in New York was briefly under investigation in connection with the case.
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After Gerald Battistoni was named as a suspect, private detective Dan Malley and the Bish family asked for
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870:"NE Unsolved: Worcester investigators update Molly Bish disappearance as 23rd anniversary approaches"
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597:"14 years ago Molly Bish vanished, family still wants justice - Boston News, Weather, Sports FOX 25"
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571:"NECN - Breaking News, Boston Weather, politics and the Latest Business, Health, Arts and Sports"
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In 2004, Magi and John Bish founded The Molly Bish Center and Foundation in collaboration with
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family following Holly's disappearance. This is an excerpt from Molly Bish's letter:
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931:"Holly Piirainen Case: David Pouliot Linked to Death of Missing Girl in 1993"
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738:"Molly Bish Murder Investigation: Police Outsource DNA Testing Of Evidence"
348:"Here's where the Molly Bish case stands 20 years after her body was found"
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176:. A hunter had seen a blue bathing suit in the woods on Whiskey Hill in
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However, as of 2024, Bish's abduction and murder case remain unsolved.
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795:"Rapist's death may shed light on Holly Piirainen, Molly Bish cases"
515:"Rodney Stanger sentenced to 25 years for murder of girlfriend"
367:"Molly Bish case reaches sad 24th anniversary, still unsolved"
623:"Cold Case Murder of Holly Piirainen, 10, Linked to Dead Man"
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793:
Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF (November 13, 2014).
459:"Bish parents speak of impact of arrest - The Boston Globe"
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sent the DNA evidence to Texas. Gerald Battistoni died at
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615:
16:
Unsolved 2000 child murder in Warren, Massachusetts
840:"New tests planned on evidence in Molly Bish case"
770:. Masslive.com. November 23, 2011. Archived from
249:To date, there have been no arrests in the case.
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831:
682:"A break in unsolved Bish, Piirainen slayings?"
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461:. Boston.com. November 21, 2005. Archived from
120:. In June 2003, Bish's remains were found in
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656:"Jailed rapist apparently attempts suicide"
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1015:History of Worcester County, Massachusetts
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485:"232 Everett St, Southbridge, MA 01550"
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1005:Unsolved murders in the United States
1000:Missing person cases in Massachusetts
995:June 2000 crimes in the United States
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880:from the original on November 9, 2023
545:"Possible Suspect In Molly Bish Case"
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346:Sudborough, Susannah (June 7, 2023).
274:Possible connection to Piirainen case
838:Loiaconi, Stephen (April 16, 2013).
708:"FBI Joins Molly Bish Investigation"
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1020:Incidents of violence against girls
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495:from the original on July 23, 2011
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390:"Where's Molly? Bay State Mystery"
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1010:Deaths by person in Massachusetts
990:2000 murders in the United States
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441:"Unsolved Mysteries - Molly Bish"
365:Barnacle, Sarah (June 28, 2024).
329:"Molly Bish's remains identified"
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744:. April 15, 2013. Archived from
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929:Smith, Dave (January 3, 2012).
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304:List of people who disappeared
278:Fellow Massachusetts resident
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935:International Business Times
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975:2000s missing person cases
224:Massachusetts State Police
197:Southbridge, Massachusetts
103:killing of Molly Anne Bish
331:. WCVB-TV. Archived from
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228:Lemuel Shattuck Hospital
105:is a currently unsolved
35:1997 photo of Molly Bish
211:in the Piirainen case.
447:on September 10, 2008.
372:Telegram & Gazette
335:on September 27, 2011.
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244:Spencer, Massachusetts
980:2000 in Massachusetts
910:on September 10, 2018
577:on September 10, 2012
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161:America's Most Wanted
137:Warren, Massachusetts
111:Warren, Massachusetts
45:Warren, Massachusetts
24:Killing of Molly Bish
801:on November 25, 2014
774:on November 25, 2011
465:on December 27, 2005
429:on February 5, 2012.
292:Molly Bish at age 10
900:"Molly Bish Center"
850:on October 28, 2014
742:The Huffington Post
551:on February 6, 2009
525:on November 1, 2010
633:on January 4, 2012
423:"Missing children"
268:Anna Maria College
234:in November 2014.
209:person of interest
167:Unsolved Mysteries
109:which occurred in
941:on March 9, 2014.
748:on April 17, 2013
662:on March 13, 2014
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960:Find A Grave
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912:. Retrieved
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854:October 27,
722:January 28,
529:November 7,
499:November 7,
469:November 7,
404:November 7,
253:2023 update
220:DNA testing
190:Connecticut
188:In 2005, a
155:Disappeared
92:Perpetrator
61:Attack type
969:Categories
956:Molly Bish
637:January 3,
352:Boston.com
310:References
87:Molly Bish
519:Ocala.com
878:Archived
778:July 26,
752:July 26,
666:July 26,
627:ABC News
607:July 26,
493:Archived
398:Archived
394:CBS News
298:See also
290:—
173:48 Hours
41:Location
581:June 1,
555:June 1,
95:Unknown
262:Legacy
178:Palmer
170:, and
84:Victim
76:Deaths
47:, U.S.
916:2019
886:2023
856:2014
807:2016
780:2015
754:2015
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694:2013
668:2015
639:2012
609:2015
583:2009
557:2009
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101:The
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