August of 1922 Northbridge, Massachusetts John Doe

 In August of 1922, the body of a man was found in Linwood Pond in Northbridge, Massachusetts. It's possible he died from an accidental drowning. There is little information on this case.

John Doe was a man "beyond middle life".

SOURCES:
Find a Grave

Unidentified Photo: Possible Acton, Massachusetts Teacher

 

This photo of a woman was found in a scrapbook on Acton, Massachusetts School History put together by Florence Merriam. There was no Identification of the woman, but it is assumed that she had something to do with the school systems in Acton. It's possible that she was a teacher maybe even a college teacher. 

SOURCES:

Acton Historical Society

Murder of Domingo Rafael Valdes

In 1974, 44-year-old Domingo Valdes was a Puerto Rico native and resided at Old Middlesex Turnpike Extension in Billerica, Massachusetts. At 5:30 am On June 14th his body was found near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire on the New Hampshire side. He was found along the side of Old Gage Hill Road in Pelham.

He had been shot four times, He was shot twice in the chest, once in the leg, and once in the shoulder. He had been recently killed elsewhere dumped where he was found and then soon after discovered. One article stated it may have been a gangland murder. 

SOURCES:
New Hampshire Department of Justice
Uncovered

Concord Monitor June 17, 1974

The Portsmouth Herald June 17, 1974

The Boston Globe June 18, 1974

The Lowell Sun June 19, 1974

April 21, 1911 Northbridge, Massachusetts

On April 21, 1911, a man died in a car accident in Northbridge, Massachusetts. It is assumed he committed suicide. It stated that he was killed by cars meaning he was likely not driving. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

March 23, 1921 Northbridge, Massachusetts John Doe

On March 23, 1921, the body of a man was found in the Blackstone River in Northbridge, Massachusetts. It was assumed that he had drowned and had been dead for a long time.

John Doe was a white male. He was around 5'10" and had black hair.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Haunted Objects: Charley The Doll

Photo by Cauer an Atlas Obscura User

In 1968 a doll would be discovered in the attack of a Victorian home in Upstate New York. It was inside a forgotten trunk. It had laid among tattered newspapers from the early 1930s and a yellow piece of paper containing the Lord's Prayer. The doll however could not be dated. 

The doll would be given the name Charley and added to other antiques in the home. He would blend in well with the rest of the dolls in the collection. There was little attention given to him until he began moving from his place on the bench of dolls. 

The parents would blame their five children because if it wasn't the parents it had to be the children. The children never fessed up to moving the doll, however. The parents never witnessed anything, but the children began to act weird around the doll. 

The youngest daughter (4) had at one point claimed that Charley spoke to her when she got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. The parents believed it to be her wild imagination. Then the other four children refused to use the bathroom at night or go near the bench within 5 feet. One day the youngest was covered in scratches with the blame placed on Charley instead of their cat. 

The parents wanting to end the children's antics removed Charley from his place. They would lock him back up in the attic in the trunk he was originally found in. Everything would go back to normal and Charley wasn't being blamed for anything. He would lay there for years forgotten. 

Years later after the children were grown the house was sold. The trunk was found in the attic and sold in a garage sale. Charley was one of the last things to go and went to a woman wanting him for her own antique doll collection. She was warned of Charley's antics. 

Charley would switch hands several times with stories of moving from time to time. It was made sure his story of the family in 1968 was told to each owner. It's said that he is more active around children.

In Salem, Massachusetts a shop called the "Local Artisan". The shop beholds odd things suck as taxidermied animals, unusual art, and oddities. He can now be seen by the public. 

SOURCES:

Atlas Obscura

From Tiny Pennies

The Ghost in My Machine

Murder of Deborah Bates and Her Unborn Baby

February 23, 1993, 23-year-old Deborah Bates was 6 months pregnant. She left the apartment she shared with her brother to make a trip to a nearby store in Lowell, Massachusetts. Alone she made her way up Liberty Street in the cold and this was the last time anyone saw her alive. She would be reported missing in the next few days by her mother

At the time Deborah was battling with drug addiction and trying to better her life. Her first child was being taken care of by her mother at the time. Because Deborah was a drug addict there was a lack of action in her case. Her family felt that no one was looking for her.

But on March 11, 2004, an off-duty state trooper found a tarp next to the Lowell Connector in Chelmsford. Inside the tarp were layers of bedding and beneath that were the skeletal remains of the woman and a fetus that was between 7 months and full term. It was unknown how they died. The bodies would be identified as Deborah and her unborn child.

It was discovered that Debrorah and her unborn child (named Angel by the family) were not originally there. The bodies had been moved from one location and dumped there shortly before they were found. 

 SOURCE:

Cold Case New England

Uncovered

Boston April 11, 2013

Boston 25 News May 12, 2017

Disappearance of John Richard Barboza

On either January 21 or 22, 1986 19-year-old John Barboza was last seen in Lawrence, Massachusetts. There is little information in this case. 

John is a white man and was 19 years old at the time. He is 5'2" and 120 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He has a scar on his right hand and eye. He has a tattoo of Jodi & John on his right forearm, and a cross on his lower left elbow.

SOURCES:
NamUs

Unidentified Photography: Group Photo, Apparently in the City

 

Acton Historical Society is looking to identify the people or place where this photo was taken. This photograph had no label or date and the place is unknown. The photographer George Hastings was at 147 Tremont St in Boston Massachusetts in the mid-1880s to late 1890s. It's believed that this photo was not taken in Acton, but it may involve someone from Acton. It's possible it was a stock photo.

SOURCES:
Acton Historical Society

Murder of Douglas Morgan

On October 20, 1985, the body of 36-year-old Douglas Morgan was found in the woods near Route 101 in Greenland, New Hampshire. He was last seen at the beginning of July. It was found that he had been beaten and stabbed to death.

Douglas was from Sharon, Massachusetts. At the time he along with four other men were being charged with conspiring to sell $2 million in stolen bonds and was supposed to be a witness in the federal trial happening in Boston.

SOURCES:

New Hampshire Department of Justice

Unidentified Photographs: Parade Float

 

Acton Historical Society in Acton, Massachusetts is looking to help identify people, scenes, and or dates for some photographs. It's unknown when and where the photo was taken, and would like some information about it. 

A sign on the building says "Lexington St." possibly making it in East Boston. It's unknown why the float was photographed maybe it has Acton connections.  It seems to have come with a collection of pictures that included names of Wetherbee, Flagg, Robbins, and Rouillard, probably East Acton.

SOURCES:

Acton Historical Society

Acton Historical Society (full list)

Unidentified Photo: Street Sweeper

 

Acton Historical Society in Acton, Massachusetts is looking to help identify people, scenes, and or dates for some photographs. This particular photo is believed to be pulling a street sweeper, but it is unknown when and where the photo was taken, and would like some information on it. 

SOURCES:

Acton Historical Society

Acton Historical Society (full list)

Murder of John Kulon White

Around 5:20 p.m. on June 16, 2013, 38 year-old John White was found shot near 12-14 Montcalm Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. There is little information in this case.

SOURCES:
Hampden District Attorney

WANTED: Pedro Santamaria

Pedro Santamaria is wanted for his alleged involvement in the robbery of a tractor-trailer carrying precious metals traveling from Miami, Florida, to Boston, Massachusetts on March 1, 2015.  The robbery occurred in Wilson County, North Carolina, and Pedro Santamaria allegedly was a gunman during the robbery. He had allegedly bound the victims and then dragged them into the woods during the robbery. 

On May 18, 2016, a federal arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. This was after Santamaria was charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Pedro Santamaria is a black male who was born in Cuba. He uses the birthdays of June 6, 1962, June 7, 1962, June 8, 1962, June 24, 1962, July 8, 1962, August 8, 1962, and June 8, 1962. He is 5'7" and 180 lbs. He has a scar on his left arm. He has connections to California, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. 

SOURCES:

FBI

April 19, 1854 Boston, Massachusetts Jane Doe

On April 19, 1854, a woman's body was found in the water near Battery Wharf in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts. She appeared to have drowned recently as hours before she was seen. She was walking the streets and seemed to have been acting insane. 

The woman is about 35-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Boston Evening Transcript April 20, 1854

Murder of Cleveland McCabe III

On March 15, 2003, 23 year old Cleveland McCabe III was found in the rear of 425 Dickinson St in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was found suffering from a gunshot wound. He would be transported to the hospital, but would soon pass away.

SOURCES:

Hampden District Attorney 

Hit and Run of Ian A. Dalgliesh

At 12:40 a.m. on March 7, 2021 34-year-old Ian Dalgliesh was found on the side of the road by a passing motorist at the intersection of Auburn and Summers St. in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He would pass at the scene. Someone had hit him with their vehicle and drove off. He had been struck between 11:30 p.m. to 12:40 a.m.

SOURCES:

CBS Boston March 25, 2021
Plymouth County District Attorney

WCVB March 30, 2021

Murder of Timothy Gonthier

 On September 21, 2004, 27-year-old Timothy Gonthier was shot and killed in the area of Sargeant and Chestnut St. in Holyoke, Massachusetts. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Hampden County District Attorney

Murder of Joaquim “Jack” Perry

On October 4, 1975, 21-year-old Joaquim “Jack” Perry left his home in New Bedford, Massachusetts home. There was no indication where he was going or why, but he had told his pregnant wife that he was returning later. However, Jack would not return home. His wife would report him missing. 

15 days later on October 19th, a teen rode a dirt bike path in the gravel pit off of New Plainville Rd behind the New Bedford Airport. This was when Jack's body would be found. He had been beaten to death with a baseball bat or club. He was the dragged through the woods to where his body was found. An autopsy found that he suffered from 3 skull fractures and a broken jaw. He was not robbed as he had $51.25 in his pocket and his wedding ring.

A witness would state that they saw him standing by a green sedan near the airport terminal. He was arguing with an unknown white male and a white female. There was another group of people nearby a white male, a white female, and a black male. It's unknown who he was arguing with or why he was at the airport.  

There were rumors on the street that he was involved with a big drug dealing operation. There's no evidence of this being true.

SOURCES:

South Coast Murder Mysteries

Bristol County District Attorney

Taunton Daily Gazette July 13, 2020

Investigation Discovery July 30, 2020

August 24, 1880 Worcester, Massachusetts Jane Doe

  On August 24, 1880, a baby girl was found dead in the jail yard on Vine St. in Worcester, Massachusetts. She was about a month old and had died from exposure. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave