Police in Massachusetts are investigating the death of a woman found unresponsive near a bike path in Springfield on Tuesday. The death is fueling rumors of a serial killer, although authorities remain unconvinced.
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According to the New York Post, the Springfield Police Department responded to reports of an "unresponsive person near a bike path at the 1500 block of Hall of Fame Avenue."
Police found a woman when they arrived at the scene, and she was pronounced dead shortly after. Ryan Walsh, a spokesperson for the police department, reportedly said, "The SPD Homicide Unit under the direction of Captain Trent Duda is conducting an unattended death investigation in conjunction with the HampdenDA Murder Unit, pending an autopsy by the Medical Examiner."
According to Fox News, the woman's body is the eighth to be discovered since March in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Most of the deaths are of women and have sparked rumors of a potential New England Serial Killer. Walsh reportedly told the outlet, "Internet rumors are just that." Connecticut state police also told Fox News, "There is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time."
A Large Facebook Group Is Looking For Evidence Of A Serial Killer
Per Times Now News, a private group on Facebook named 'New England Serial Killer' until recently now has over 65,000 members. The group is combing for links between the deaths, which may indicate a serial killer.
In an interview with Fox News, Peter Valentin, a forensic expert at the University of New Haven, called the case "curious."
"The fact that seven sets of remains have been found over the span of two months. That in itself is rather curious. It's certainly a lot to find in a little." He clarifies, "It's a large amount of human remains to find in a short space of time." Valentin notes that some information is not publicly available. He also says that the condition that police have found some of the bodies indicates they have been there for a while.
Valentine also gives his opinion on the internet groups. "Could these groups be a source of useful information? I think that's a possibility. Are these groups also potentially a source of wild theories that have very little grounding in the information that exists? I'm sure that's true as well."
