Ten years ago, on Sunday, August 30, 2015, Denise Robert embarked on her routine Sunday night walk. She was shot and killed in that northside neighborhood, in Manchester, NH, the city she grew up in. She was found after neighbors reporrted seeing a person laying in the street.

At 62, Denise was active and fit, her walks were a cherished ritual. She radiated a vibrant energy. Denise had always been a beacon of enthusiasm, for art, life, and adventure. She embraced every opportunity. Her passion for exploration was something she shared with her large family; As the oldest of 12, they found common ground in their love for the outdoors. She fostered a sense of adventure with her siblings and together they explored the mountains and trails of New Hampshire.

Her death that night in 2015 remains a mystery - to law enforcement, and to everyone who knew her. Denise's murder remains unsolved. New Hampshire Cold Case Unit says it's open and active, that they still receive tips, yet still no suspects, no people of interest exist.

Denise was a professional, having worked in sales and advertising for local newspapers for decades, she was not a person with enemies. Denise was simply out for a walk that night to reset for the week ahead. There haven't been any public updates on her case since 2017 when a search took place at a Londonderry property that was related to a man that could have been in the area at the time of her death.

I speak to her brother John about her case, updates from the newly expanded cold case unit, family advocacy, and NH Coalition of Familes of the Missing and Murdered.

Manchester, NH - The Queen City - New Hampshire's largest city, ranks among America's best places to live, and also has been plagued with drugs, crime, and homelessness.

More at crimeofthetruestkind.com | Follow the show links | Contact Anngelle at crimeofthetruestkind-at-gmail-com

LIve show dates:

Thursday,9/11 at Off Cabot, Beverly, Mass

Thursday 10/23 at The Burren, Somverville, Mass

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 37 years since women were disappearing off the streets of New Bedford, there have been a litany of people of interest in the murders. And for 37 years, those highways around New Bedford have kept a haunting silence. They hold many secrets from those months between 1988 and 1989, when eleven women disappeared off the streets of the city. While nine were recovered along Route 140, 195, 88 and nearby roads, two women remain missing. All were vulnerable, struggling with addiction, some involved in sex work, and all part of a society that people choose to ignore and overlook.

Bodies were found near entrance ramps and wooded areas off I-195 in Dartmouth, a gravel pit off Reed Road, others were found in Westport, Dartmouth, and Freetown, all within the greater New Bedford area. Roadways that are grim corridors of violence, and though the stories are separated by many years, still share parallels with the Gilgo Beach case, where in 2023, a 59-year-old architect from Massapequa Park on Long Island, was arrested. Between July 2023 and December 2024, Rex Heuermann was indicted in relation to the murders of Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, and Valerie Mack, all women who were vulnerable to violence.

In episode 90, part two of my conversation with Maureen Boyle, we discuss the suspects and people of interest in the cases, the still-unidentified killer who preyed on women in vulnerable states and suffering with addiction. We talk about the people at the heart of this case, Maureen shares insights from her years covering the case and the emotional toll on the community. Nine murdered women, two still missing. Debra Medeiros, 30, Fall River, the first of nine women to be discovered. Nancy Paiva, 36, mother of two girls, ages 13 and 17. Debra Greenlaw Demello, 35, was a mother of two small kids when she disappeared from a work release program while incarcerated. Dawn Mendes, 25, found November 29, 1988 along the north side of reed road i-195 westbound ramp in Dartmouth.Deborah Lynn McConnell, 25,  of Newport, RI, found Dec 1, 1988, off route 140 in Freetown, seven months after her family reported her missing, Rochelle Dopierala, 28, was from Falmouth when she disappeared during late April 1988. Her body was found on December 10, 1988, in an old gravel pit along reed road in Dartmouth on I-195. Robin Lynn Rhodes, 29,  found March 28, 1989 off of route 140. Mary Rose Santos, 26, a mother, was found March 31, 1989, approximately 25 feet off of route 88 in Westport. Sandra Botelho, 24, found April 24, 1989, along I-195 in Marion. Christina Monteiro, 19, thought to be a highway killer victim, was last seen in July 1988 in New Bedford. She was never heard from again. Marilyn Cardoza Roberts, 34, last heard from in April 1988. She was in the New Bedford area at the time; her father was a retired New Bedford police officer. She was reported missing by her father, a retired New Bedford police officer, in June 1988. She was seen in New Bedford that same month, but they reported her missing a second time in December 1988 after they heard about a possible serial murderer in the area.

More at crimeofthetrruestkind.com

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode includes mentions of sexual assault. Listen with care.

New England Serial Killer Series | On the South Coast of Massachusetts sits New Bedford, a city shaped by the sea. Called the “whaling capital of the world,” New Bedford rose to prominence in the 19th century as a global hub for whale oil, fueling lamps and industry across continents. It inspired the Melville classic, Moby Dick. Its deep harbor and access to railways helped it eclipse Nantucket by the 1840s, transforming the city into one of the wealthiest in America. But beneath the grandeur of its maritime legacy lay a working-class community shaped by immigration, labor, and resilience—a backdrop that would later frame some of the region’s darkest chapters.

In 1983, New Bedford was thrust into the national spotlight when 21-year-old Cheryl Araujo was gang-raped inside Big Dan’s Tavern. The attack, witnessed by onlookers who failed to intervene, ignited outrage and debate over victim-blaming, media ethics, and systemic misogyny. The televised trial and community backlash—especially within the city’s Portuguese-American population—exposed deep cultural rifts and left her ostracized until her tragic death in a car accident three years later. Her story inspired the film The Accused and remains a painful reminder of how justice and empathy can falter.

Just four years later, New Bedford faced another reckoning. Between 1988 and 1989, eleven women—many struggling with addiction and poverty—vanished or were found murdered along highways surrounding the city. The New Bedford Highway Murders, still unsolved, revealed a chilling pattern of vulnerability and neglect. Many suspects, no arrests. A serial killer goes free.

Journalist Maureen Boyle, who covered the case from its earliest days, chronicled the victims’ lives and the community’s grief in her book Shallow Graves: The Hunt For The New Bedford Highway Serial Killer. The killer has not been caught, but the women and their stories have not been forgotten.

Trial By Media - Big Dan's Rape Case - Netflix link

Shallow Graves: The Hunt For the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer, By Maureen Boyle

More at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sharing this replay of part of of my converastion with Steve Demoura on the 25th anniversary of her disappearance.

Is Debra Melo in Taunton? So many of you are interested in Debra's story. Debra Melo is missing. TODAY marks 25 years that she disappeared. This is an important story to tell. She did not just leave. There was no reason to walk away from her family, her daughter, her son. This is part two of Debra’s story, with Steve Demoura, Debra's brother-in-law and dedicated advocate to get justice for Debra and her family.

In this episode I talk about domestic violence against women and coercive control and other Massachusetts cases where the wife, and sometimes the entire family are killed.

Listen with care.

Drawing parallels with other Massachusetts cases, we look at the stark realities of intimate partner crimes with the stories of deadly domestic violence cases, Teena and Arianna Kamaln (Dover, Mass), Linda and Sebastian Robinson (Andover, Mass), Breanne Pennington (Gardner, Mass) Ana Walshe (Cohasset, Mass), Carol DiMaiti Stuart (her story was covered most recently on HBO Max's Murder In Boston).

National Domestic Violence Hotline

The Hotline.org

Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

Do you have any kind of information about Debra Melo's disappearance, about when she went missing, if you overheard someone, if you saw something, if you know something but have been afraid to say it, you can email me at [email protected] | Crime of the Truest Kind Line: 617-903-8411 to leave a message

Contact the Massachusetts State Police at (781) 830-4800.

Thank you for listening. 

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Originally released in December 2024, I take a closer look at the unsettling case of 30-year-old Debra Melo, who vanished on June 20, 2000, under deeply suspicious circumstances. Debra had been trying to leave a controlling relationship with her husband, Luis Melo. According to him, they argued on the way home from her doctor’s appointment in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and she asked to be let out of the car on busy Route 18. He claimed he returned to find her gone—but Debra’s pocketbook, wallet, ID, and phone were left behind, something that made no sense to the people who knew her best.

The episode features an interview with Steve Demoura, Debra’s brother-in-law and a tireless advocate for her case. Together, they explore the emotional toll on the family, the eerie timing of her disappearance—just a week before Molly Bish went missing—and the haunting legacy of Taunton’s Silver City Galleria Mall, a place tied to both memories and mystery.It’s the first in a two-part series, and it’s as much about justice and advocacy as it is about the crime itself.

On Friday, June 20, 2025, we will gather at Memorial Park in Debra's hometown of Taunton, Mass, in remembrance of Debra, to share memories and a message of hope.

Follow Where is Debra Melo on Facebook

Boston 25 News coverage of the 25th anniversary of Debra's disappearance by Bob Ward, June 2025

The Boston Globe's Cold Case Files by Emily Sweeney about Debra's case 25 years on

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of two unsovled cases, Debra Melo and Molly Bish, who disappeared 7 days apart in 2000; a gathering for Debra is this Fri 6/20 in Taunton, MA, Molly's family gathers on 6/28 in Warren.

New England Serial Killer History Series | What makes a serial killer? Why are we interested in knowing? We cannot predict whether someone will become a psychopath, but when someone is discovered to be a psychopathic killer, you can often trace it back to their childhood. The case of the Boston Stranger predates the so-called golden age of the serial killer and still confounds us today.

In the early 1960s, a rash of murders terrified the city of Boston. Women were being found brutally killed across the city, and the region. There was no clear pattern though, some shared the same hallmarks.

The Boston Strangler case gripped the city of Boston between 1962 and 1964, when 13 women aged 19 to 85 were murdered in their homes. Most were sexually assaulted and strangled, often with their own clothing, and the killer left no signs of forced entry—suggesting the victims may have willingly let him in. The crimes were initially believed to be the work of a single person, and the two intripid female reporters began to connect the cases, dubbing this unknown assailant “The Boston Strangler.” Public fear surged, and women were arming themselves for protection.

In 1965, Albert DeSalvo, a man already in custody for unrelated attacks on women, confessed to the murders. Why he confessed, whether for notoriety or something else, like immunity from prosecution in those crimes, his guilt was in dispute for decades. It has been a long held belief by investigators and case experts that not all of the 13 victims were killed by the same person. Because of the varying ages and circumstances of each victim, the patterns in each case didn't quite add up. Even some of the surviving assault victims did not believe Desalvo did not believe he was their attacker, Though never formally charged with the killings, his confession and knowledge of crime scene details led many to believe he was the one responsible. However, doubts lingered for decades due to inconsistencies in his statements and lack of physical evidence.

A player in another high profile case has a connection to the Strangler case. The Boston Police Sergeant and Surveillance Expert who followed nephew, Tim Desalvo, to his worksite and retrieved an item for DNA would help break the case of Mary's murder, Boston Police Sergeant Brian Albert, of the Alberts who formerly resided at 34 Fairview Rd in Canton, Massachusetts.

It was due to this where, in 2013, that nephew's DNA was insturmental in definitively linking DeSalvo to the final victim, a 19-year-old woman new to the city from Cape Cod. While many had ruled out Mary Sullivan as an actual Strangler victim, DNA evidence came back with a match, providing the strongest forensic tie to the case. Still, some experts believe multiple killers may have been involved, leaving the truth of the Boston Strangler murders a mystery. Mary Sullivan’s case is the only case of the Boston Strangler investigation with a forensic conclusion. The 12 other murder cases remain unsolved 63 years later.

True Crime Podcast Festival is July 18-20, 2025

Tickets at truecrimepodcastfestival.com (use code ANNGELLE for 20% off passes)

Online at crimeofthetruestkind.com

Follow @crimeofthetruestkind

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jolly Jane Toppin, a nurse in late 19th century Lowell, Massachusetts, became one of New England's most prolific serial killers, confessing to 31 murders and claiming responsibility for 100 deaths. Her story reveals how she used her position as a trusted caregiver to poison patients and family members while deriving sexual pleasure from watching them die.

The haunting legacy of "Jolly Jane" Toppin still echoes through Massachusetts more than a century after her crimes. Born Honora Kelley to struggling Irish immigrants in 1857, Jane's transformation from abandoned child to one of America's most prolific female serial killers reveals a disturbing journey through the dark corners of New England history. Stripped of her identity at a young age, Jane became an indentured servant to the Toppan family who erased her Irish heritage, renamed her, and created a fictional past for her. This early experience of identity manipulation foreshadowed the deceptions that would later define her murderous career.

As she trained to become a nurse, Jane developed not only medical skills but a disturbing fascination with death and suffering that would claim dozens of lives. What makes Jane's story particularly chilling is her methodical approach to murder. Working as a private nurse for wealthy New England families, she poisoned her victims with morphine and atropine, sometimes prolonging their suffering for her own pleasure. She confessed to killing 31 people but claimed the true number might be closer to 100. From her foster sister Elizabeth to the entire Davis family, Jane eliminated anyone who stood in her way or owed her money. The case of Jolly Jane represents a perfect storm of historical circumstances: the vulnerability of patients in early medical care, the limited forensic capabilities of the time, and the trust placed in caregivers. Her victims' deaths were typically attributed to natural causes until suspicions finally arose after the Davis family murders in 1901. Following her arrest and trial, Jane spent the remaining 37 years of her life in Taunton State Hospital, ironically developing a fear that her own food was being poisoned. This episode explores not just the crimes of a serial killer, but the societal conditions that allowed her to operate undetected for so long. Uncover the disturbing psychology behind one of New England's most notorious murderers and examine how her legacy continues to influence our understanding of female serial killers today.

Join us Friday, June 20th at Memorial Field in Taunton, Massachusetts for a gathering to remember Debra Melo on the 25th anniversary of her disappearance.

Follow @crimeofthetruestkind

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Patreon: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Veteran crime reporter Bob Ward of Boston 25 News joins me for a candid conversation about the recent online hysteria surrounding a New England serial killer after 12 people have been recovered around Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

Drawing from his nearly three decades as host of "New England's Unsolved," Bob shares the profound impact of covering cases like Theresa Corley's 1978 murder—a young woman he personally knew before her death. This intimate connection frames a deeper discussion about the responsibility journalists carry when amplifying victims' stories.

The conversation turns to the troubling social media frenzy claiming a serial killer is responsible for recent bodies discovered throughout New England. While acknowledging the region's history with serial predators, we agree that there is cause for concern about how unfounded speculation harms legitimate investigations and re-traumatizes families. 

"It's very tempting to think that one bad guy or two bad guys are responsible for all this evil, "but I just don't think life works that way."  -Bob Ward

We spotlight numerous cases deserving attention—Melanie Melanson, Debra Melo, Bruce Crowley, Reina Morales Rojas—whose families continue waiting for answers while internet sleuths chase shadows.

• The justice system often fails victims' families by providing few updates while requiring them to repeatedly relive trauma at parole hearings

• Online speculation about a "New England serial killer" diverts resources from legitimate investigations

• Internet misinformation is causing real harm, from false confessions to wrongful accusations

• True crime advocacy should focus on supporting families and respecting victims rather than sensationalizing cases

Join us at Middlesex County Superior Court on Monday, May 12th at 10am for the arraignment in Charlene Rosemond's murder case, whose family has waited 16 years for justice.

Other cases included: Andy Puglisi, Beth Brodie, Jeffrey Curley, Janet Downing, Colleen Ritzer, Shaun Ouillette, Miguel Oliveras, New Bedford Highway murders, Boston Strangler, Henry Bedard, Jr, Deanna Cremin, Bruce Crowley, Brittany Tee, Maura Murray, Shannan Gilbert, Lonene Rogers "Lonnie's Law"

Up next, the history of serial killers in New England.

More at crimeofthetruestkind.com

Support the show

Follow Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky | TikTok | Threads | YouTube
For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Give the dogs a bone tip jar: buymeacoffee.com/truestkind
Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Auntie Em, Dropkick Murphys, Mr. Ballen, and HoJos have in common? We roll into Quincy for a look and a story. 

A Missing Mom Mystery. Sandra Crispo vanished from her Hanson, Massachusetts home on August 7, 2019. She left her beloved dog, Clarance, behind without food or water and her home unlocked with lights and air conditioning running. She was living her best life in her new home and spending quality hours with her young grandsons. 

Six years later, her case remains unsolved despite evidence suggesting foul play, including blood found throughout her house and witness reports of an argument the night she disappeared.

• Sandra had recently moved to Hanson from Quincy, downsizing to a small house after her father passed away 
• Her father left behind a substantial estate including reported gold bars, creating significant family tension
• Sandra was last seen on surveillance at Cumberland Farms buying cigarettes after her son-in-law helped her drop her car at a mechanic
• Neighbors reported hearing an argument involving two men at Sandra's home the night she disappeared
• Blood from Sandra and an unidentified male family associate was found in the home six weeks after her disappearance
• Sandra was 54 years old when she vanished and had found new purpose in being a grandmother to her daughter's children
• Despite grand jury testimony and ongoing investigation, no arrests have been made in the case

Information is needed in Sandra Crispo's disappearance, contact Hanson Police Department at 781-293-4625 or Massachusetts State Police Detectives at 508-894-2600.

More at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Support the show

Follow Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky | TikTok | Threads | YouTube
For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Give the dogs a bone tip jar: buymeacoffee.com/truestkind
Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justice is coming for Charline at last! News broke this week in her 16-year-old murder case. The first real hope for justice for Charline and her family. 

On Thursday, April 10, Middlesex County District Attorney Marion Ryan announced the arrest of Heinsky Anacreon, age 38, of Malden, Mass, who was indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury on charges of murder, willfully misleading a police officer and willfully misleading an attorney, charging him with first-degree murder in this cold case that has haunted Charline's family since the day she disappeared on April 7, 2009. The investigation revealed a heartbreaking betrayal - Charline was lured by so-called friends with the promise of a sweet deal on a car, only to be robbed and killed. Most disturbing perhaps is the evidence that after the murder, her killers celebrated with a bottle of Moet champagne and toasted their windfall. 

For those who've followed Crime of the Truest Kind, this case has been near to my heart. After sharing her case in a live show in 2024, and interviewing Charline's sister Rose (listen to episodes 71 and 72) last fall and advocating for this case at every opportunity, seeing this development brings joy. Nothing can bring Charline back or erase her family's 16 years of hoping and waiting for her killers to be caught. As we look toward a trial, I will continue following every development. Advocacy is key. 

After 16 years, there's finally been an arrest in the murder case of Charline Rosemond, a 23-year-old woman from Everett who was shot to death for $4,000 cash in 2009. Middlesex County District Attorney Marion Ryan has announced charges against Heinsky Anacreon, revealing that Charline was set up by someone she considered a close friend, Roberto Jude, who died before facing justice.

• Charline disappeared April 7, 2009, she was found on April 13. 
• DNA evidence on the car's door handle linked Roberto Jude to the scene
• Anacreon allegedly admitted to disposing of the murder weapon in a river
• Charline's family will be meeting on April 13th at 3pm in Union Square, Somerville – the 16th anniversary of when she was found

More at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Facebook.com/justiceforcharlinerosemond

Support the show

Follow Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky | TikTok | Threads | YouTube
For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Give the dogs a bone tip jar: buymeacoffee.com/truestkind
Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.