Potential to Solve the New Bedford Serial Killer Case [OPINION]

Science and the media are doing amazing things in the world of unsolved crimes. Previously uncharged maniacs are being brought to heel by our justice system.

The Greater New Bedford community has never gotten over the brutal murder spree of a serial killer who stormed the city's underworld for a period of time in the late 1980s. The story could have disappeared but for the work of a series of Bristol County District Attorneys, police officers, and the family and friends of the victims.

Maureen Boyle is in a class of her own in the pursuit of justice for the victims. Her book Shallow Graves is a well-told crime story with a mission. Read the book and you will understand.

John Walsh founded the television show America's Most Wanted to bring criminals to justice. He did this in part because his son Adam was kidnapped and murdered by a sick pervert. Walsh leveraged the power of the media to jog the memory of regular people who unknowingly had knowledge of crimes.

Boyle was a reporter for the New Bedford Standard-Times when the serial killer was prowling the streets for victims. Boyle wrote the first story about some missing women. Some, but not all of the missing women were involved in the local drug and sex trade.

Then the bodies starting showing up on the sides of the highways in southeastern Massachusetts. We know the victims. Someone knows who the killer is and others have information that can point the police towards the killer.

There is now technology that is helping to solve crimes as far back as the 1970s. One such case is going on in the California justice system today and there is another one playing out in Florida.

There is still hope the serial killer who haunted New Bedford will be brought to justice, thanks to the journalism of Maureen Boyle and maybe the courage of the person reading this column.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.