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with doordash [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
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time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
00:01:59
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website [Music]
00:02:12
February of 1960 was a cold month in the New Hampshire city of Manchester and a thick blanket of snow covered the ground
00:02:21
on Tuesday February 2 an employee of Manchester Waterworks headed out to Lake Massabesic to conduct a routine search
00:02:28
of the area the four square mile Lake required close monitoring as it provided the city's
00:02:35
drinking water the employee noticed that one of the drainage holes from the reservoir wasn't
00:02:42
flowing properly they got closer to get a better look and discovered that the drain was partially
00:02:49
blocked by a red bag and a gray snow boot unsure what to make of the items the employee turned them over to the police
00:02:59
around at the same time police received a call from a local couple named Charles
00:03:04
and Irene velarde they were concerned as their 18 year old daughter Sandra hadn't returned home
00:03:12
their previous evening Sandra had spent part of the day at a local Factory where she worked as a
00:03:18
secretary afterwards she visited a library saw a movie and attended a swimming class
00:03:26
around 9pm Sandra boarded a bus to her parents house and disembarked at the closest Stop approximately one mile from
00:03:34
their property the journey required her to walk down a dimly lit path near Lake Massabesic
00:03:42
she never made it home Charles and Irene vallade were shown the red bag and snow boot found stuck in the
00:03:52
drain off Lake Massabesic they confirmed the items belonged to their daughter a large-scale search for Sandra valade
00:04:02
commenced immediately 200 volunteers and 60 troops from the National Guard braved the freezing
00:04:10
conditions to search the heavily wooded area surrounding Lake Massabesic as a patrol plane flew overhead
00:04:18
they were on the lookout for the color red among the snowy landscape as Sandra had been wearing a Scarlet colored
00:04:24
blouse on the night she went missing near the lake Mitsubishi Canal they soon found another item
00:04:32
Sandra's coat the Garment was stained with blood with the droplets littering the surrounding
00:04:39
snow and trailing to a nearby Road by the time Sandra had been missing for nine days warmer weather partially
00:04:48
thought some of the heavy snow that blanketed the area on Wednesday February 10 a motorist was
00:04:56
driving along a quiet Road 10 miles south of Sandra's home all of a sudden he noticed a flash of
00:05:04
scarlet sticking out from a snow bank on the side of the road [Music] [Music] [Music]
00:05:35
the driver pulled over to investigate on the other side of the snow bank just a few feet from the road Sandra valade's
00:05:44
body lay on its side her severely bruised face buried in the snow she still wore the Scarlet blouse but
00:05:52
was naked from the waist down investigators confirmed that Sandra's body had been concealed into a passing
00:06:00
snow plow had Disturbed the snow around her earlier that day the cold conditions had preserved her
00:06:08
body enough for a pathologist to conclude that Sandra had been sexually assaulted violently beaten stabbed and
00:06:16
shot four times with the 22 caliber rifle police believed that Sandra had likely
00:06:22
accepted a lift home from the bus stop she was then taken to the woods where Sandra was attacked and ultimately
00:06:29
killed her body was then dragged to the snow bank where her killer attempted to bury
00:06:35
her he then discarded her belongings into the lake in the Woodland approximately two miles
00:06:44
away investigators uncovered the knife used in the attack it was surrounded by blood stains and
00:06:51
clumps of Sandra's hair the 22 caliber rifle was nowhere to be found police believed the perpetrator was a
00:07:02
local who was familiar with the Quiet back roads where Sandra's body was found on the night Sandra disappeared a
00:07:10
witness had been driving near the canal when they saw a dark-colored Chevrolet car driving along the icy Road
00:07:18
the vehicle swerved into a snow bank where it got stuck momentarily before speeding away
00:07:25
the police appealed for anyone who had seen the Chevy to come forward locals rallied around Charles and Irene
00:07:35
velarde their daughter's funeral was held at a local church on Friday February 12 two
00:07:42
days after her body was found officers attended to observe the large crowd on the lookout for any suspicious
00:07:49
Behavior one officer scanned the cars parked at the church and noticed a black 1952
00:07:57
Chevrolet the owner was a young man who was attending Sandra's funeral the man was questioned in the back seat
00:08:06
of his car before being arrested and taken in for interrogation he was later released without charge
00:08:16
all other owners of black Chevrolets in the area were looked into but cleared of
00:08:21
any involvement the Attorney General called Sandra valade's death a barbaric slaying that
00:08:29
could only be the product of some kind of human monster he promised that no stone would be left
00:08:35
unturned in finding Sandra's killer women and girls of Manchester were warned to stay indoors at night
00:08:43
School dancers and social events were canceled one of Sandra's friends who often
00:08:50
accompanied her from the bus stop home received a phone call the threatening voice on the other line
00:08:57
simply said you're next two weeks after Sandra valade went missing police were no closer to finding
00:09:11
her killer a fifteen hundred dollar reward was offered by members of the community but
00:09:17
it didn't lead to any breakthroughs the one-year anniversary of the murder came and went with no arrests
00:09:26
in February 1961 local authorities published an artist's sketch in the newspaper
00:09:33
this was collated from a couple who had come forward soon after Sandra's body was found to say they had seen a man and
00:09:40
a woman struggling in a car on the night Sandra disappeared the sketch depicted a young man in his
00:09:48
20s with a narrow face and a long hair the day the sketch was published Sandra's mother received a phone call
00:09:56
from an unknown male he told her so you got the picture in the paper huh you're next
00:10:08
five months later in July 20-year-old Ronnie Jenkins not his real name was receiving mental health treatment at the
00:10:16
New Hampshire State Hospital in Manchester Ronnie walked from the hospital grounds
00:10:22
to an unattended office nearby there he stole a 22 caliber rifle and walked nearly a mile to the state prison
00:10:32
aiming the gun at the guard Tower Ronnie fired several shots before dumping the rifle on the street
00:10:40
nobody was injured and Ronnie Jenkins was picked up by police and returned to hospital
00:10:46
when being questioned he made an unexpected confession he killed Sandra valade according to Ronnie he knew Sandra from
00:10:58
school on the night of Monday February 1 1960 he saw her walking home from the bus
00:11:04
stop and pulled over to offer her a lift when Sandra refused Ronnie became Furious
00:11:12
he forced Sandra into his car where she resisted his physical advances enraged Ronnie assaulted Sandra before
00:11:21
shooting her with a stolen gun and dumping her body in the snow investigators probe to Ronnie for more
00:11:30
details but he couldn't offer any they discounted him as a suspect concluding he was a quote
00:11:38
very disturbed individual who had likely made up this story to attract attention
00:11:43
[Music] the homicide investigation was back to square one four years later fourteen-year-old
00:11:59
Manchester teen Pamela Mason was eager to make some extra pocket money in early January 1964 she visited the
00:12:08
local laundromat with her friend Barbara the girls placed a flyer on the bulletin
00:12:14
board inside offering babysitting services to the local community the flyer worked
00:12:21
days later on the afternoon of Monday January 13. Barbara received a call a softly spoken man on the other line
00:12:31
asked if she was available to babysit that afternoon a blizzard was approaching so Barbara
00:12:39
turned the job down on account of the poor weather the man replied I don't blame you it's an awfully bad
00:12:48
night for babysitting Barbara told the man to try asking Pamela Mason instead Pamela's mother Joan answered his call
00:13:02
the man asked to Joan if her daughter was available to babysit for the night he didn't introduce himself but said he
00:13:10
lived up the road and promised to drive Pamela home by 9pm Joan didn't allow Pamela to babysit for
00:13:19
strangers but she agreed that Pamela could do their job as long as the man's wife picked her up
00:13:25
however Pamela had yet to return home from school so Joan told the man to call back a bit later
00:13:33
Joan then got ready for work as a waitress as she left she ran into Pamela and told
00:13:40
her not to leave for the job unless a woman showed up Pamela replied oh mummy don't worry
00:13:52
when Joan returned home from work at 3am Pamela wasn't there she often spent the night at a friend's
00:14:00
house so Joan wasn't overly concerned but when Pamela didn't show up for school the next day Joan became worried
00:14:09
she called the police to report her daughter missing telling them about the babysitting call
00:14:15
she also reported receiving suspicious phone calls in the lead-up to Pamela's disappearance
00:14:21
the details of these calls weren't publicly released a massive search commenced a neighbor had seen a car pull up at the
00:14:32
Mason's house around 5 45 pm Pamela got in but given the looming blizzard they didn't get a good look at
00:14:40
the driver or the vehicle neither Pamela's mother Joan nor her friend Barbara could provide much
00:14:48
information about the mysterious caller Joan described him as sounding between 20 and 30 years old
00:14:56
Barbara had asked for his name but he gave a weird sounding laugh in response police appealed to the public to help
00:15:07
identify the caller but two days passed with no sign of Pamela her mother pleaded for her safe return
00:15:15
saying whoever you are for God's sake don't harm my baby let her come home to me
00:15:23
I have no money but if you want money I'll get it somewhere God let her be alive
00:15:32
on Saturday January 18 five days after Pamela Mason went missing a postal worker was sorting mail when he came
00:15:40
across an unstamped empty envelope written on it were the words P Mason Pine Island amusement park
00:15:50
recognizing the surname from the media coverage the postal worker alerted police
00:15:57
officers visited the abandoned amusement park on the outskirts of Manchester they scoured the area walking among the
00:16:05
rides and empty stalls but there was no sign of the missing teen two days later a truck driver was
00:16:14
traveling along Manchester's Interstate Route 93 when he noticed the blue object
00:16:20
lying in the snow he continued onwards but the following day he passed by again and noticed the
00:16:28
object was still there this time he pulled over to investigate it was a school book belonging to Pamela
00:16:37
Mason in the snow nearby he found examination papers belonging to Pamela as well as
00:16:44
her handbag walking through the melting snow about 20 feet from the road the driver then
00:16:52
discovered Pamela's body she was fully clothed and lying face down an autopsy determined she'd been
00:17:02
savagely beaten before being shot twice in the back of the head with a 22 caliber rifle
00:17:08
she'd also been stabbed four times in the back and once in the chest her throat was cut severing her jugular
00:17:17
vein and windpipe there were no stub wounds on Pamela's clothing which indicated that she'd been
00:17:25
naked when she was attacked and then redressed by her killer her underwear was missing making it
00:17:32
likely that a sexual assault had taken place forensic investigators estimated that
00:17:39
Pamela Mason had been killed between 7 and 10 p.m on the night she went missing it was likely she'd been killed
00:17:48
elsewhere before her body was dumped in the snow on the side of the road the similarities between Pamela's murder
00:17:56
and that of Sandra valade four years earlier were too striking to ignore the two crimes were according to a
00:18:05
medical examiner nearly identical [Music] the Manchester chief of police told the
00:18:12
Associated Press I'm very suspicious it could be the same person involved despite the four-year
00:18:19
interlude locals were urged to be on the lookout for abandoned cars or buildings that
00:18:26
appear to have been recently Disturbed desperate to solve both cases a ten thousand dollar reward for information
00:18:34
was offered by the governor once again residents of Manchester were cloaked in Terror
00:18:44
the principal at Pamela's High School told the students I hope that this terrible tragedy will
00:18:51
be a warning to all of you to be doubly careful in your undertakings 53-year-old Reena Paquette lived on a
00:19:04
farm in Manchester with her husband Arthur into their six children like many other locals she'd been
00:19:12
despondent over the news about Pamela Mason's murder shortly after the teenager's body was
00:19:18
found Reena turned to Arthur and said I think I know who killed Pamela Arthur scoffed how could she know
00:19:31
Rena replied the Killer's mother told me Greener worked at the laundromat where Pamela Mason and her friend Barbara had
00:19:42
advertised to their babysitting services the flyer still remained pinned to the bulletin board
00:19:51
the owner of the laundromat had recently called Rayna to say that she suspected her son 27 year old Edward Coolidge was
00:19:59
responsible for the murders of both Pamela Mason and Sandra valade the two women weren't particularly close
00:20:09
but Rina believed Edward's mother confided in her because she didn't have the heart to turn her son into the
00:20:15
authorities Arthur questioned why Edward's mother would single her out specifically
00:20:23
Rina responded it's because he killed one of the girls in our Pig's diet the pigsty on the Phuket Farm had been
00:20:34
built about half a mile away from The Farmhouse so the residents didn't have to endure the smell
00:20:40
however in recent years the pigsty had been empty Arthur found the idea preposterous
00:20:49
he didn't want Rina to get involved but over the following days Edward coolidge's mother kept calling
00:20:58
she told Rina that Edward was unaccounted for on the night of Pamela's murder Edward visited his mother at the
00:21:06
laundromat often and she believed he had seen pamelized details and copied them down
00:21:12
unable to deal with the mounting pressure Reina Paquette called the local police to pass on what she knew
00:21:21
two detectives visited Rina at her Farm to interview her two days later on Monday February 3 1964
00:21:31
rina's 15 year old son Danny Packard awoke with a fright at 10 am Ina was meant to wake him up early for a
00:21:41
doctor's appointment but Danny had overslept he climbed out of bed and went looking
00:21:47
for his mother The Farmhouse was empty with Denny's father and siblings having left hours
00:21:54
earlier Danny ran outside in the freezing cold and over to the barn there was no sign of his mother anywhere
00:22:06
unsure what to do Danny called his police officer Uncle who lived nearby together they searched the house and
00:22:15
barn when they reached the end of the Barnyard Dany noticed something in the distance
00:22:23
smoke was coming from the back of the Paquette Farm about half a mile away Danny and his uncle trudged through the
00:22:32
thick snow until they reached the area that was on fire The Blaze was coming from the interior
00:22:40
of the pigsty two logs had been propped up against the door to prevent it being opened from the
00:22:47
inside dany's Uncle kicked the logs away and pulled open the door Danny followed ignoring his uncle's
00:22:56
instructions to stay back [Music] in the center of the pig's die Rina Paquette was lying on her back wearing a
00:23:05
thin dress and slippers her body had been set on fire the ground around rina's body was
00:23:18
blackened but the fire hadn't spread to the surrounding building a coroner concluded that Rina had doused
00:23:26
herself in a flammable liquid before lying down in a bed of straw and setting it on fire
00:23:32
[Music] the local newspaper reported that Rina Paquette took her life because she was
00:23:38
depressed over the murders of Pamela Mason and President John F Kennedy who had been assassinated three months
00:23:44
earlier the Attorney General acknowledged that Rena had made a recent tip-off about
00:23:51
Pamela Mason's killer but clarified quote there doesn't appear to be any connection between Mrs paquette's case
00:24:00
and the murder of Pamela Mason there is no basis for any of her suspicions which were made in a rambling
00:24:07
way in numerous telephone calls to the police I am satisfied the evidence that she
00:24:14
suicided is conclusive rayna's family were outraged they refused to believe that Rina was
00:24:25
depressed or would have taken her own life Not only was she a devout Catholic who
00:24:30
considered suicide a sin there were simply too many unanswered questions if Arena had doused herself in flammable
00:24:38
liquid why wasn't a container of liquid found at the scene if she'd voluntarily walked the half
00:24:45
mile from The Farmhouse to the Pigs die why was she only wearing a light dress and a slippers in the heavy snow
00:24:53
furthermore why had two logs been propped up against the outside of the door it would have been impossible for arena
00:25:02
to do this from inside the pig's diet it also seemed highly suspicious that Rina had voiced her concerns about the
00:25:10
Pigs die being a crime scene only to be found to dead there herself days later the piquette family believed that Rina
00:25:20
was already deceased when she was set alight she was found to lying flat on her back
00:25:26
in a position that indicated she wasn't suffering as the Flames burned her body rina's husband Arthur told reporters
00:25:36
I still believe that she was murdered and that her death was definitely connected with the Pamela Mason case
00:25:45
even some of the officers who worked on the case doubted that Rina had killed herself
00:25:51
one later told the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper that they were ordered to forget their suspicions adding
00:25:59
they even threatened to those who questioned the autopsy saying they would be in very deep trouble if they pressed
00:26:06
it further Reina was laid to rest at a simple ceremony attended by her close friends
00:26:14
and family when the pickettes returned to The Farmhouse they noticed another cloud of
00:26:20
smoke rising from the back of their property someone had set the pig's diet on fire
00:26:26
again [Music] casefile will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
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deliver quality content unbeknown to Arena Paquette her colleague's son Edward Coolidge was
00:30:15
already a person of interest in the Pamela Mason case before she phoned in her concerns
00:30:21
on the night the teenager went missing two men had noticed the 1951 Pontiac Sedan parked around 100 yards from where
00:30:29
Pamela's body was eventually found they approached the vehicle's driver's side window to see if the occupants
00:30:36
needed any help a man was sitting in the driver's seat he appeared nervous and refused to look
00:30:45
at them instead staring straight ahead and saying he didn't need assistance when Pamela Mason's body was discovered
00:30:54
the men reported this incident to the police in case it held significance owners of Pontiac sedans were looked
00:31:03
into leading police to 27 year old Bakery delivery driver Edward Coolidge who was married with an infant daughter
00:31:13
on the night of Pamela's disappearance coolidge's neighbor visited to play cards with his wife
00:31:20
Coolidge was absent from 5 to 11 pm when he returned home his trousers were wet to the knees
00:31:29
Coolidge offered no explanation only saying I feel lousy he then went to have a bath
00:31:39
the following day Coolidge told a co-worker he'd been out having an affair and needed an alibi
00:31:46
when Pamela's body was found Coolidge told the co-worker I really need that alibi now
00:31:56
Edward Coolidge was questioned on Tuesday January 28 1964 just days before investigators visited the Phuket Farm to
00:32:05
speak with Arena when asked about his whereabouts on the night that Pamela Mason went missing
00:32:12
Coolidge first claimed that he'd been out shopping he then changed his Alibi and said he'd
00:32:19
been having an extramarital affair he then changed his story again saying he was out playing cards
00:32:28
police asked Coolidge to hand over any Firearms he owned he presented the officers with three but
00:32:35
a search of his home turned up one more a 22 caliber rifle Edward Coolidge reluctantly participated
00:32:45
in a lie detector test but the results were inconclusive without enough evidence to charge him he
00:32:53
was free to leave the station the following day Reena Paquette was found dead in the pig's diet
00:33:04
investigators refused to entertain their theory that Coolidge could have killed Reina
00:33:10
this was despite the fact that the day before Rina died Coolidge had allegedly cornered her at the laundromat
00:33:17
aware that she told the police of her suspicions the two had a heated argument and Reina left in distress
00:33:25
she also received threatening phone calls in the days before her death although the contents of these calls are
00:33:33
not publicly known [Music] still suspicious of Edward coolidge's potential involvement in Pamela Mason's
00:33:43
murder police conducted a search of his car inside they found a pair of blood-stained underwear confirmed to
00:33:52
belong to Pamela two weeks after Rina paquette's death a granted jury indicted Edward Coolidge
00:34:00
for the abduction and first-degree murder of Pamela Mason given the similarities between the two
00:34:07
cases Coolidge was also indicted to Stair trial for the murder of Sandra valade a ballistics expert confirmed that
00:34:16
bullets used in the attacks against the both Pamela and Cassandra were a 100 match to the 22 caliber rifle taken from
00:34:25
coolidge's home [Music] the trial for Pamela Mason's case began in May 1964. Edward Coolidge took the stand to
00:34:37
Proclaim his innocence when asked why he had changed his Alibi so many times he replied
00:34:45
because I was scared and that's the truth I was so nervous that I did not know what I was saying
00:34:54
it took just over four hours for the all-male jury to find Edward Coolidge guilty
00:35:01
he went visibly pale and began trembling as the verdict was delivered despite being eligible for the death
00:35:09
penalty the judge sentenced Coolidge to life imprisonment outside a crowd of 1 000 Manchester
00:35:19
locals had gathered as Coolidge was led from the courtroom angry citizens called him an animal
00:35:26
screaming that he quote should have been hung a reporter asked if he had anything to
00:35:34
say Coolidge looked at him a cigarette hanging from his mouth and muttered talk to my lawyers
00:35:44
as detailed in the book our little secret by Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoy the Attorney General didn't bring
00:35:52
forward the indictment for Sandra valade's murder when asked why he explained we already got Coolidge for one
00:36:03
no need to get him for two while Edward Coolidge served his life sentence the Paquette family struggled
00:36:14
to come to terms with rina's death and the feeling of Injustice they were convinced that Coolidge had
00:36:21
killed Rina for implicating him in Pamela Mason's murder and that authorities had downplayed it to avoid
00:36:28
further public Hysteria Danny piquette who had found his mother's Burning Body continued to be
00:36:35
haunted by the case he tried to move on with his life eventually enlisting in the military and
00:36:42
marrying a woman named Denise Danny officially adopted Denise's one-year-old daughter Melanie and the
00:36:51
couple went on to have two more children but by 1980 their marriage had fallen apart
00:36:59
Denise prevented Danny from seeing his children which sent him into a fury a physical altercation ensued prompting
00:37:07
Denise to apply for a restraining order and file for divorce Denny violated the restraining order and
00:37:16
threatened to kill Denise at a subsequent hearing he attempted to attack a bailiff
00:37:24
as a result he was sent to hospital to receive mental health treatment there he was questioned extensively
00:37:33
about his mother rina's death and underwent hypnosis to revisit the morning that Rina died
00:37:40
Dany suddenly recalled a previously unknown detail on the morning of Monday February 3 1964
00:37:49
he'd woken to the sound of his mother arguing with someone Dany went to investigate
00:37:58
Reina was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a man in a white uniform the
00:38:03
same kind that Edward Coolidge wore on his Bakery delivery route scared Dany ran back to his room
00:38:13
although there was no evidence to support this repressed memory it strengthened the Phuket family's belief
00:38:19
that Coolidge had killed Raina Dany planned to write to Coolidge in prison and later confront him in person
00:38:28
in the hope he would finally admit his involvement [Music] when Danny was discharged from hospital
00:38:36
in 1981 his ex-wife Denise feared for the safety of herself and her children they fled to Alaska without telling Dany
00:38:46
where they were going and he lost contact with his children altogether things didn't get any easier for Dany
00:38:54
shortly after his release from hospital he was riding a motorbike with his new girlfriend on the back when a car pulled
00:39:01
out in front of them Danny was lucky to walk away with minor injuries but his girlfriend died in the
00:39:09
crash foreign 1985 things had taken a positive turn for Danny Paquette the 36 year old welder by trade was
00:39:22
living in Hooksett a small town less than 10 miles north of Manchester the house was on an 11-acre property
00:39:30
surrounded by Woodland which allowed Dany to run his own welding business and restore cars and motorcycles in his
00:39:37
spare time scrap metal spare tires and other car parts lit at the yard along with large
00:39:44
welded sculptures Danny was a talented artist and passing motorists often pulled over to take
00:39:52
photos of his work he had plans to one day sell his art and donate the money to the Boston
00:39:59
Children's Hospital on the morning of Saturday November 9 1985 Danny walked down to the large shed
00:40:08
on his property to Begin work for the day he was joined by a friend who was conducting some car repairs
00:40:17
and Danny also employed a local 17 year old named Court to help him with odd jobs
00:40:24
at 11AM Court showed up and began helping Danny to weld a metal plate on a bulldozer which was located outside of
00:40:32
the shed Dany then sent Court into the shed to mix some paint while he continued to
00:40:38
work on the bulldozer shortly after court was heading back outside when a large cracking sound
00:40:47
appears to the air Danny Paquette was lying flat on his back in front of the bulldozer his
00:40:55
welding torch still on in his hands panicked Court raced back inside the shed and summoned Danny's friend
00:41:05
thinking that Dany had been electrocuted Court ran to call 9-1-1 Danny's friend then commenced CPR
00:41:16
as he pushed on Danny's chest he noticed the blood beginning to seep out under his hands
00:41:22
he opened Danny's shirt that's when he realized Dany hadn't been electrocuted he'd been shot
00:41:36
an autopsy determined Dany had been killed by a single gunshot wound fired from a distance of at least 200 yards
00:41:45
the bullet had entered through the center of Denny's chest and exited from his left shoulder indicating the shooter
00:41:51
had fired from a lower point to where Dany had been standing either they had a fantastic game and
00:41:58
could hit a very small Target from a great distance or it had been a freak accident
00:42:05
Denny had been killed on the first day of the hunting season the area around his house was a popular
00:42:12
hunting spot there was also a quarry located one mile from Danny's home where Hunters were
00:42:18
known to fire test rounds into a gravel pit this led detectives to consider that
00:42:24
Dany might have been shot accidentally they urged anyone who had been hunting in the area to come forward
00:42:33
a neighbor reported seeing cars parked at a nearby hiking trail on the day Dany was shot and unidentified Footprints
00:42:40
were found leading into the woods 80 yards from Danny's shad but it couldn't be ascertained whether
00:42:47
these held significance to the investigation detectives scoured Danny's property
00:42:55
with such a vast area to cover they were unable to locate the bullet that killed
00:43:00
him without it they had very little to go on coincidentally a local man had been
00:43:09
traveling overhead in a hot air balloon at the exact time Danny was killed and had been filming the journey
00:43:17
he provided police with a videotape giving them a complete bird's eye view of Danny's property
00:43:24
detectives watched the tape with interest no people were visible in the footage and Tall Trees obscured some of the view
00:43:33
as promising as it had seemed the footage offered no leads three days after Danny paquette's death
00:43:43
a telephone maintenance worker received a call out to check the phone lines on the street where Dany lived
00:43:50
some other residents had complained that their lines had been out of service over
00:43:54
the past few days the maintenance worker tested the telephone poles all were working except one which was
00:44:04
positioned directly at the front of Danny's home the maintenance worker climbed to the
00:44:10
top of the pole to get a closer look contained in the plastic covering of the wires was a red and white 270 caliber
00:44:19
bullet a ballistics expert determined it was the bullet that killed Danny Paquette
00:44:27
the red and white coloring was caused by Blood and Bone fragments over the following days detectives
00:44:35
interviewed hunters in the area many of whom turned over their guns for testing none were a match to the bullet
00:44:44
some doubted whether a hunter would choose the area around Denny's house it was surrounded by mud sand and gravel
00:44:52
and wasn't known to attract a much game a conservation officer said I'd be very surprised to find anybody
00:45:01
there hunting if I were going hunting in that general area that's probably the last place I'd
00:45:07
go [Music] it became more likely that dany's death had been the result of a homicide
00:45:16
but 12 days passed with very few leads leaving investigators scratching their heads
00:45:23
Danny's brother Victor Paquette remained optimistic telling the Concord Monitor somehow someday we will have an answer
00:45:32
as to what went down on the day he was killed a year after Danny piquette's death
00:45:40
detectives were no closer to solving his case they followed all sorts of leads but to
00:45:46
no result Victor refused to give up hope he told reporters I've been out there to Danny's property
00:45:56
I've been up and down on my hands and knees I was looking for anything that didn't grow there shell casings a piece
00:46:03
of paper a cigarette butt anything Victor had a growing suspicion that his brother's death was related to the
00:46:14
pigsty fire that killed their mother Reena nearly 20 years earlier in October 1990 he appeared on the
00:46:22
popular television program Unsolved Mysteries to raise his concerns that both Rina and Danny Paquette had been
00:46:29
murdered a ballistics expert at grade saying it was impossible that Dany had been killed
00:46:36
by a stray Bullard while Victor continued to search for answers convicted killer Edward Coolidge
00:46:49
sat in a jail cell his time in prison had been eventful seven years into his life sentence he
00:46:57
appealed his case on the grounds that the search of his vehicle that uncovered Pamela Mason's bloody underwear had been
00:47:03
unconstitutional the search warrant had been signed off by the attorney general who later became
00:47:10
the lead prosecutor at coolidge's murder trial the Constitution maintained that whoever
00:47:17
signed off on the warrant needed to be a neutral and detached Magistrate in June 1971 the Supreme Court agreed
00:47:27
that the search had violated the Fourth Amendment in a landmark decision Edward Coolidge
00:47:34
was awarded a ray trial however several key Witnesses in the Pamela Mason case had since passed away
00:47:43
the state offered Coolidge a deal instead pled guilty to second-degree murder and
00:47:50
they downgrade his life sentence to 25 to 40 years jail including time already served
00:47:58
degrade although Edward Coolidge was still behind bars at the time Danny Paquette
00:48:06
was shot Victor Paquette was convinced he was somehow responsible perhaps Coolidge had taken a hit out on
00:48:14
Danny to keep him quiet about what he saw on the morning his mother was killed after serving 27 years in jail Edward
00:48:24
Coolidge walked free from prison in March 1991 at the age of 53. dianga from the community was so extreme
00:48:34
that Coolidge was released on the condition that he never returned to New Hampshire
00:48:40
Pamela Mason's father told the Boston Globe wherever Coolidge goes I'll find him
00:48:47
then I'll saturate the community so they know what kind of guy he is they say time heals all wounds
00:48:56
that's baloney I am going to make his life as miserable as he has made mine the unsolved mystery segment didn't
00:49:07
generate any worthwhile leads in either of the piquette cases but authorities did agree that rina's body could be
00:49:14
exhumed to allow for another autopsy to be conducted [Music] 27 years had passed since rina's death
00:49:22
and they hoped this would put her family's concerns to rest once and for all it was a Bittersweet moment for Victor
00:49:30
Paquette who told the Associated Press for every member of this family this was an unwanted thing we didn't want to have
00:49:39
to go to this extreme on Wednesday November 13 1991 the Phuket family watched as Rena's coffin was
00:49:50
exhumed from Saint Joseph cemetery convinced further testing would one day be necessary her husband Arthur had
00:49:58
insisted that Rina be placed in a black body bag inside a sealed casket and then
00:50:04
into a vault because of this her remains were still in Fairly good condition however Arthur had since passed away
00:50:14
without receiving any answers about his wife's mysterious death the State medical examiner conducted an
00:50:23
autopsy and compared it to the original findings he agreed that raina's death had been
00:50:29
caused by fire however he believed that Rina was unconscious when her body was satellite
00:50:38
the original autopsy report also contained a detail that rina's family had been unaware of
00:50:46
at the time of her death traces of semen were found on her body rina's husband Arthur was never
00:50:53
questioned to confirm whether the two had been intimate around the time of her death
00:50:59
was it possible that Rina had also been raped the medical examiner found the case
00:51:06
deeply troubling he told the New Hampshire union leader I cannot sustain suicide as a manner of
00:51:14
death I do not see any way this can be called a suicide he changed Arena's official cause of
00:51:23
death to indeterminate the year after Rena Pickett's body was exhumed the Paquette family appeared on
00:51:33
a New Hampshire talk show hosted by local media personality Kathy Burnham they were joined by Richard Baron a
00:51:41
family friend who had paid for Arena's exhumation they reiterated their belief that the
00:51:48
deaths of Rina and Dany were connected and pleaded for anyone with information to come forward
00:51:56
a week later Richard Baron received two Anonymous letters from two different authors
00:52:03
as detailed in our little secret one read in part something has been eating away at me but
00:52:12
I have been afraid to step forward seeing the pain the family is suffering persuaded me to do so
00:52:20
the family is wrong to conclude that Danny paquette's death is connected to his mother's death
00:52:39
case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors
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you support case File to continue to deliver quality content the second letter revealed
00:55:38
I am dumbfounded as to how the case is still unsolved it is a bad example to the many young people who know the facts
00:55:45
about this murder it is common knowledge in Hopkinton that a young man named Eric Windhurst shot
00:55:52
Danny Paquette with his father's 270 rifle Eric Windhurst has misled the police very successfully
00:56:02
it is said that he keeps his friends quiet on his dealings through charm through intimidation and through threats
00:56:12
the New Hampshire State Police went about verifying the accuracy of the letters at the time Danny Paquette was killed
00:56:20
Eric Windhurst had been a 17 year old high school student in Hopkinton North Hampshire
00:56:27
it was a small town with a population of around 4 000 people and are located approximately 15 miles north of dany's
00:56:35
home Eric was a popular and friendly teen with piercing blue eyes and dark wavy hair
00:56:43
he came from a wealthy family who owned property throughout Hopkinton in the years since graduating high
00:56:52
school Eric Windhurst had enlisted in the U.S Marine Corps but he was medically discharged due to being
00:56:59
severely allergic to ant bites he moved to Colorado in 1989 where he was arrested for second-degree burglary
00:57:08
after stealing some cases of beer from a restaurant he received six months probation and a
00:57:15
fine other than that his record was unblemished investigators tracked Eric Windhurst
00:57:25
down to question him about Danny paquette's shooting but under advice from his lawyers he invoked his right to
00:57:31
remain silent police interviewed Eric's father who handed over his Ruger rifle it was compared against the bullet taken
00:57:42
from the telephone pole outside Danny piquette's home but it wasn't a match there was still one lead worth pursuing
00:57:54
both letters implicating Eric Windhurst in the murder of Danny piquette gave the
00:57:59
reason for the shooting after Danny's ex-wife Denise relocated to Alaska with their three children they
00:58:10
never saw Danny again they didn't even attend his funeral but unbeknown to Dany in the year before
00:58:19
his death his 15 year old stepdaughter Melanie had been living just 15 miles away
00:58:27
Melanie's maternal aunt and uncle lived in Hopkinton and today had invited Melanie to stay with them for summer
00:58:33
vacation [Music] the couple were financially well off with distinguished careers
00:58:41
this was in stark contrast to Melanie's life in Alaska where her mother Denise worked hard just to make ends meet
00:58:50
Melanie loved her vacation to Hopkinton so much that when she returned to Alaska
00:58:54
she asked Denise if she could move there Hopkinton High School had a good academic reputation and it would provide
00:59:02
her the opportunity to make new friends Denise agreed and in late August of 1985
00:59:10
three months before Danny paquette's death Melanie moved in permanently with her aunt and uncle
00:59:19
Melanie hadn't seen Danny for four years and she wanted nothing to do with him the move was Kept Secret but Melanie and
00:59:28
Denise worried what Dany would do if he found out regardless Melanie adjusted fairly well
00:59:36
to life in Hopkinton she made friends easily and was proud to become the only girl to play on the high
00:59:42
school soccer team Melanie particularly hit it off with a fellow soccer player 17 year old Eric
00:59:50
Windhurst hay and Melanie started spending lots of time together and it wasn't long before
00:59:57
Melanie developed romantic feelings for her new friend Eric really cared about Melanie but told
01:00:05
his friends that he thought of her more as a little sister a sister he needed to protect at all
01:00:12
costs Melanie Paquette had since lost contact with Eric Windhurst she had gotten
01:00:23
married and moved to California [Music] when investigators tracked her down in 1992 she said she was too busy looking
01:00:32
after her young children to answer any questions instead an officer sent her a series of
01:00:40
questions regarding Danny's death Melanie returned her answers a week later in response to the question of whether
01:00:50
Eric Windhurst had any reason to shoot Dany Melanie wrote in my opinion he did not have any reason
01:00:58
to shoot Danny without any physical evidence to corroborate the rumors the police
01:01:06
couldn't press charges [Music] over a year later in October 1993 a New Hampshire journalist the named Michael
01:01:15
Manzo was writing an article about a murder trial the case was only solved because a
01:01:21
witness had given police the name of the Killer the story had a profound effect on
01:01:28
Michael once he finished writing the article he called the police and told them that
01:01:34
Melanie piquette was his college girlfriend in September 1988 she confided in him
01:01:41
that she and Eric Windhurst had killed Danny Paquette [Music] Michael offered to call Melanie on a
01:01:50
tapped line to see if he could get her to confess it had been a long time since the two
01:01:56
had spoken after exchanging pleasantries Michael broached the subject of dany's death
01:02:05
Melanie denied ever having the conversation telling Michael that she was in a dark place when they were
01:02:11
dating and often made up stories for attention unable to get any information out of her
01:02:19
the case went cold once again 11 years went by before the New Hampshire State Police were awarded
01:02:29
additional funding that allowed them to reopen the case in July 2004 two officers knocked on
01:02:37
Melanie's door [Music] by this point she had relocated to Idaho had five children and was a devout
01:02:45
Mormon it had been almost 20 years since Danny piquette was killed Melanie agreed to accompany the officers
01:02:55
to the station to answer some questions when I asked her to take a polygraph Melanie's face went pale
01:03:03
she nonetheless agreed as the technician hooked her up to the machine she became visibly anxious
01:03:12
she asked if she could have a moment to say a prayer the technician agreed and left the room
01:03:22
when he returned Melanie was crying she said she was finally ready to tell the truth
01:03:35
as a new student at Hopkinton High School Melanie was relieved for Eric windhurst's friendship
01:03:42
as the two became closer Melanie confided in Eric about a secret she'd been keeping since she was nine years
01:03:48
old her stepfather Danny piquette had sexually abused her repeatedly until her family fled to Alaska when Melanie was
01:03:58
11. Melanie told Eric that after Danny raped her he would hold a gun to her head and
01:04:05
pull the trigger she never knew if the gun was loaded or not Danny used this to keep Melanie quiet
01:04:14
threatening to kill her if she spoke out he also forced her to hang from her chin
01:04:20
up bar and threatened to burn her with his walders torch if she let go sometimes he forced Melanie to watch
01:04:28
while he killed small animals Eric Windhurst was outraged and devastated for his friend
01:04:38
Melanie's suffering also hit close to home as Eric's father had sexually assaulted his stepsisters when Eric was
01:04:45
just a child too young to act on the abuse at the time Eric channeled all of his anger
01:04:53
onto Danny Packard in early November 1985 Eric was sitting with a friend in the school gymnasium
01:05:01
when he called Melanie over in a hushed voice he said we've been talking about the situation
01:05:10
with your stepfather do you want him dead Melanie replied yeah I want him dead days later on the morning of Saturday
01:05:24
November 9 Eric Windhurst phoned Melanie with an announcement he was going to Danny paquette's home to
01:05:32
kill him Melanie pleaded to go with him Eric didn't know what Danny looked like so here great
01:05:43
he drove over to Melanie's house in his Volkswagen Rabbit Melanie told her aunt and uncle the pair
01:05:50
were going to a high school hockey game they then drove the 15 miles to Danny's house
01:05:58
along the way they stopped at a gas station as detailed in the book our little secret the attendant who topped up the
01:06:08
gas noticed a rifle in the back of Eric's Car he remarked to Eric that it was a good
01:06:14
day for hunting once they arrived on Danny Street Eric parked his car further down in an area
01:06:23
hidden by bushes and covered his license plates with mud he and Melanie then walked through the
01:06:30
neighboring Woods until they arrived at Danny paquette's property they sat on a stone wall concealed by
01:06:37
Woodland Melanie could see Dany working in his yard and she pointed him out to Eric
01:06:45
Eric popped a stick of chewing gum into his mouth and the pair sat in silence as Eric chewed he turned to Melanie and
01:06:56
said when my gum runs out of flavor I'm going to do it Eric left Melanie and walked to the tree
01:07:06
line on Danny's property the shell of an old car sat a few feet away Eric crawled up to the car and rested
01:07:16
his rifle on the hood he could see Dany working on the bulldozer approximately 300 yards in the
01:07:24
distance Eric took aim he was an expert Marksman he fired and watched as Dany fell to the
01:07:35
ground the pair ran back to Eric's Car and drove past Danny's house trying not to
01:07:42
draw attention to themselves they went to a nearby Burger King restaurant to kill time
01:07:50
if anyone later asked their plan was to say they were at the hockey game a friend of Eric's had promised to
01:07:58
verify their alibi over the next few days Melanie expected the police to come looking for her but
01:08:09
days turned into weeks and nothing happened seven weeks after Danny was killed detectives finally interviewed Melanie
01:08:18
and Eric they both stuck to their false Alibi which Eric's framed corroborated meanwhile rumors spread throughout
01:08:29
Eric's group of friends that he had killed Danny piquette as an act of vigilantism for abusing Melanie
01:08:37
some wrestled with the idea of turning Eric in but ultimately no one went to the police with many believing that
01:08:45
Danny piquette's murder was justified after finally revealing the truth to the police Melanie agreed to call Eric
01:08:55
Windhurst in a bid to corroborate her story although they hadn't spoken in many years he seemed pleased to hear from her
01:09:06
as detailed in our little secret Melanie told Eric that investigators were on their way to Idaho to speak with her
01:09:14
she didn't know whether to cooperate with them or not Eric advised Melanie to get a lawyer and
01:09:22
said he didn't want to speak about it over the phone he offered to get on a plane and speak
01:09:28
to Melanie in person Melanie said I'm really sick of this Eric replied yeah well I am too
01:09:41
I've tried just to live my life every day and delivered as well as I possibly can
01:09:47
not a day goes by I don't think about all this not a day goes by I don't think about
01:09:52
you and how you're doing Melanie said she was going to tell the investigators that Eric had killed Danny
01:10:03
when he reacted calmly she asked why he wasn't freaking out Eric explained I've been scared about this my whole
01:10:13
life maybe I've lived with this so long I'm at peace with whatever happens it's out of my hands
01:10:23
Melanie called Eric a few more times despite her attempts to elicit a confession Eric Windhurst wasn't talking
01:10:32
investigators would have to use another tactic they traveled across the country to
01:10:38
speak with those who knew Eric in high school once his former friends learned that
01:10:44
Melanie had confessed the walls of Silence came crumbling down the fact that Eric had killed Danny
01:10:57
piquette was an Open Secret in fact Eric would tell new friends and lovers about what he'd done
01:11:06
he allegedly told a girlfriend that after shooting Danny he chopped the gun into pieces and Scattered them along a
01:11:13
drive to Colorado others who knew admitted they hadn't come forward out of fear that Eric would
01:11:21
retaliate violently years after Dany was killed Eric confided in his friend Thea about his
01:11:29
role in the murder Theo wrote about Eric's confession in her Personal Diary unsure whether to
01:11:36
believe it I thought I knew him so well how could he live with himself she wrote
01:11:43
before conceding I want to take the only way out and just forget about it assume it's just a rumor
01:11:53
but what if it's true [Music] Eric Windhurst was arrested in December 2005. two days later a grand jury formally
01:12:04
charged him with first-degree murder he pleaded not guilty but changed his mind when offered a plea bargain
01:12:13
by pleading guilty to the Lesser charge of second-degree murder he avoided going
01:12:18
to trial Eric Windhurst was sentenced to serve 15 to 36 years at the New Hampshire State
01:12:26
Prison at the hearing Eric turned to the Paquette family and said I have no words to express how sorry I
01:12:37
am for what I've done I just hope someday that you can forgive me a victim impact statement read on behalf
01:12:48
of Danny's sister said worried in my power I would have everyone that was part of this 21-year
01:12:55
secret some would say cover-up be standing beside Mr Eric Windhurst to share in his guilt and sentencing
01:13:06
the question remained what to do with Melanie in December 2006 she faced a hearing to
01:13:14
determine an appropriate punishment throughout the investigation Melanie had maintained that she didn't believe Eric
01:13:21
was serious about his plan to kill Danny despite being at the scene of the crime
01:13:28
and withholding the truth for almost two decades Melanie faced the no charges relating to the murder of Danny Packard
01:13:36
instead for lying on the written questionnaire that was sent out in 1992 she was charged with felony hindering
01:13:44
apprehension Denny's family were outraged a majority of them refused to believe that Dany was
01:13:53
an abuser Melanie had admitted to making up other stories in her teenage years including
01:14:00
telling people that she had cancer some of the packets believed her claims of sexual assault were another false
01:14:08
fabrication a victim impact statement read by one of Danny's nieces said we're here because you convinced a human
01:14:18
being to murder another human being you used 21 years of our suffering to build a life
01:14:25
you orchestrated this murder without you there wouldn't have been a murder [Music]
01:14:34
Melanie pleaded guilty to the charge her attorney requested that any sentence be suspended due to the emotional and
01:14:42
physical abuse Melanie had suffered at the hands of her adoptive father the presiding judge doubted Melanie's
01:14:50
claims that she didn't know Eric was going to go through with the shooting he said
01:14:58
I guess I have real difficulty in accepting the idea that at some point the lights didn't go on
01:15:05
he sentenced Melanie to three to six years in prison adding my heart goes out to your family
01:15:14
it is clear you have done some tremendous things with your life since this tragedy
01:15:19
[Music] in October 2020 Eric Windhurst was up for parole after serving 15 years Victor piquette appeared in his online
01:15:32
parole Hearing in which he held up a photo of Dany for Eric to see look familiar he said
01:15:41
is this the man you saw in your rifle sites let me help you with this loving brother
01:15:48
respected and well-liked businessmen and most of all a loving and caring father to the anguish of the Paquette family
01:15:58
Eric Windhurst was granted parole he eventually resettled in his hometown of Hopkinton New Hampshire where he was
01:16:06
generally welcomed by the public many thought he had served enough time While others continued to believe the
01:16:14
crime was justified Eric's father died in July 2016. no charges were ever brought against him
01:16:24
for the alleged sexual abuse of his stepdaughters as the statute of limitations had run out before the
01:16:30
allegations were brought to light when writing his book our little secret author Kevin Flynn visited Eric
01:16:39
Windhurst in prison Eric showed great remorse over his actions telling Flynn every adult every person in Melanie's
01:16:51
life failed her from the moment she was born until the day I met her did I do the right thing
01:16:58
of course not for me I was rescuing a friend stepping up to the plate when no one else would
01:17:06
and I can't tell you enough it was the biggest mistake of my life Eric windhurst's involvement in Danny
01:17:16
paquette's death proved once and for all there was no connection between dany's death and that of his mother Reena
01:17:24
at the time Rina died the prime suspect Edward Coolidge was under such intense police observation that some believe
01:17:32
there was no way he could have killed her to this day the truth about Rina paquette's death remains a mystery
01:17:44
[Music] [Music] on a chilly night in 1991 a group of teenagers gathered in their usual
01:18:17
hangout a Barren stretch of desert next to a busy highway near Bakersfield California a dismal spot littered with
01:18:25
trash and shell casings by Nightfall it turned into a sort of Lover's Lane where
01:18:29
high school kids drank and smoked when two boys left their group and headed into the darkness They Came Upon
01:18:37
a horrific scene the body of a young woman murdered just hours before she had no enemies besides girls at
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school teenage stuff not any kind of trouble that somebody would murder her this 1991 murder made news headlines for
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years as it shocked and divided a quiet working class community of course I knew
01:18:58
about Maria's case everyone in Bakersfield knows about Maria's case people were just they were glued to
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their TV sets and read the paper every day there was a lot of the speculation in Alaska
01:19:09
that maybe he was not the all-around athlete that people thought he might be when he lied about being her boyfriend I
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feel like he had something to do with it justice took its course in a twisted and
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controversial case that captivated many but what if the real killer were yet to be discovered because he warned me that
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he told me that I got the detective that he was here when he wasn't really here if you ask the sheriff's department and
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if you ask the prosecutor's office they would say yeah we solved it it's just unfortunate how things ended up
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in this series we will hear brand new Clues interview people that have never spoken publicly before and discover
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family secrets that shed light on who may have killed Maria Rodriguez and why I kind of want all of our families
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hidden secrets and all of the dark past I want it to come out to light I'm Octavia McHenry for case File presents
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and this is in the shadows the story of Maria Rodriguez