The Case of the Long Island Teen Murders

Between June 1984 and March 1985, Kelly Morrissey, Theresa Fusco, and Jacqueline "Jackie" Martarella disappeared or were murdered in Suffolk County, New York. The striking similarities between the cases led investigators to suspect a connection. Decades later, DNA identified Richard Bilodeau as the suspect in Theresa Fusco's murder, while the other two cases remain unsolved.

The series of crimes began on June 12, 1984, when 15-year-old Kelly Morrissey disappeared while walking home in East Northport after visiting friends. Despite extensive searches, she was never found, and investigators now presume she was murdered. Five months later, on November 30, 1984, 16-year-old Theresa Fusco disappeared while walking home after finishing work at a local roller skating rink in Northport. Three days later, her body was discovered in nearby woods. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Just three months later, on March 2, 1985, 19-year-old Jacqueline "Jackie" Martarella disappeared while walking to work at a Burger King restaurant in East Northport. Her body was discovered the following day in a wooded area. Like Theresa, she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. The similarities between the crimes led investigators to believe the cases could be connected, making them one of Long Island's most enduring mysteries. Richard Bilodeau (Theresa Fusco only); Kelly Morrissey and Jacqueline Martarella remain unsolved.

Kelly Morrissey vanished without leaving any confirmed trace. Despite exhaustive searches involving law enforcement and volunteers, her body has never been recovered. Theresa Fusco's body was discovered in a wooded area in Dix Hills after she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Investigators recovered forensic evidence from the scene that would later prove critical decades later. Jacqueline Martarella's body was found in another wooded area after she was sexually assaulted and strangled. Detectives noted similarities in the method of attack, victim profiles, and locations, strengthening suspicions that the murders may have been linked.

The three investigations became some of Suffolk County's most complex cold cases. Detectives examined possible serial offender theories, interviewed hundreds of witnesses, and pursued numerous suspects over several decades. The investigation into Theresa Fusco's murder resulted in the wrongful convictions of John Kogut, Dennis Halstead, and John Restivo during the 1980s. Those convictions were later overturned after DNA testing excluded all three men from the crime. In 2025, investigators used investigative genetic genealogy to identify Richard Bilodeau as the suspect responsible for Theresa Fusco's murder. He was indicted in 2025, more than 40 years after the crime. Investigators have not publicly linked Bilodeau to the murders of Kelly Morrissey or Jacqueline Martarella, and those cases remain unsolved.

Richard Bilodeau was indicted for the murder of Theresa Fusco following a breakthrough in DNA evidence. The disappearance of Kelly Morrissey and the murder of Jacqueline Martarella remain unsolved. Authorities continue to investigate whether the three cases are connected.