‘Person of Interest’ Named in 2000 Murder of Molly Bish

WARREN — A “person of interest” has been named in the murder of Molly Bish, a 16-year-old lifeguard who vanished from her post at a Massachusetts pond in 2000.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. announced Thursday that Francis “Frank” P. Sumner Sr., who died in 2016, is being investigated in the 2000 murder after investigators received new information.

Sumner, born in 1945, was active in the central Massachusetts area from 1960 through 2016.

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Molly Bish was a resident of Warren and her disappearance set off a massive search. Her remains were found about 5 miles away in 2003 in nearby Palmer.

Additional reporting by WBSM.com:

Sumner had previously been convicted of aggravated rape and kidnapping in the 1980s, according to Massachusetts Court of Appeals records.

On Oct. 20, 1981, Sumner held the 21-year-old victim captive in an apartment in Auburn for hours, court records show.

He was convicted in July 1982.