DA: Missing New Bedford Man With Dementia Was Found Deceased

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that the missing elderly man suffering from dementia in New Bedford was found deceased earlier this week.

Police Searched for Missing New Bedford Man

New Bedford Police originally published a post on Facebook late on Sunday, November 2, stating that they were searching for a missing man named Antonio who was suffering from dementia. A Silver Alert was issued.

Body Found Near Sawyer Street

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced today that the man had been found deceased.

According to the D.A.’s Office, police received a 911 call at about 8:44 p.m. on Monday, November 3 reporting that a deceased man had been located near 122 Sawyer Street in New Bedford, near Market Basket.

First responders arrived and found the man, identified as Antonio Valente, 83, of New Bedford, at the shoreline. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

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No Foul Play Suspected, Investigation Continues

The D.A.’s Office said that foul play is not suspected, but said that “the matter remains open pending the official cause and manner of death from the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.”

The Victims in the New Bedford Highway Murders

The New Bedford highway murders took place in 1988, with the bodies discovered into 1989. The killer is confirmed to have killed nine women and suspected of murdering at least two more. Although there were at least three different men considered as suspects by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, the murders remain unsolved and the families of the victims are still searching for closure. The cases are all featured on the unsolved cases page of the Bristol County District Attorney's Office website.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg