This episode deals with violence against women and describes injuries caused by domestic abuse. Please listen with care.

The unsolved disappearance of Amy Sher is a disturbing story of violence, isolation, coercive control, and how one person can terrorize an entire family. Amy’s haunting case reveals the devastating realities of domestic violence—the emotional abuse, despair, and powerlessness she endured.

Amy Beth Sher, a 38‑year‑old mother, was last seen at work on Monday, October 14, 2002, at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts. Her life had been marked by struggle since meeting Robert J. Desmond, Jr., an office temp at her job. Their relationship moved quickly, and those closest to her were stunned by how reckless Amy seemed in this new connection. Over time, they witnessed the frightening transformation of a once‑vibrant woman fading under the weight of coercive control and isolation.

While the official record states Amy was last seen at Alewife MBTA Station around noon on Friday, October 18, 2002, there are no eyewitnesses to confirm this. The detail is widely repeated, but its origin remains unclear—likely stemming from her husband’s shifting accounts. What we do know is that Amy’s last confirmed location was Lahey Clinic in Burlington, and the last place she had to have been was her home in Billerica, where she lived with her husband and son.

The chilling disappearance of Amy Sher underscores the profound impact of domestic violence. In this episode, we confront the realities of abuse and the helplessness experienced by everyone around her—family, coworkers, and friends—who could not save her from torment, no matter how they tried to offer a lifeline. By sharing Amy’s story, we shed light on the insidious nature of coercive control, the urgent need for advocacy and education, and the importance of collective action to break cycles of violence. This deep dive into a missing person case serves as a vital resource for understanding the delicate, destructive dynamics of domestic abuse.

There is so much more to this than the question, “Why did you stay?”

TheHotline.org — National Domestic Violence Hotline

Directory of local providers of DV support

JaneDoe.org

DCF Wonderfund Gift Wish List For Holiday Giving

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Episode page: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com/amysher

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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Listen to episode 95, the full show audio. This is bonus content of the Q+A from the show. While many question were on mic, some were not.

Crimes of Camberville: From The Alleys to the Ivies, A History of Crime, Murder, and Mystery - Recorded live at The Burren in Somerville on October 23, we explore a history of crimes rooted in Somerville and Cambridge, cities defined by the intersection of the working class and university elites.

From the side streets to the lecture halls, we talk about the cases that once made headlines, or remain unknown and unresolved. All should be told, and their names spoken.

In this live episode, we walk through developments in the 2009 murder of Charline Rosemond, two cases that rocked Somerville in 1995 - Janet Downing, murdered by a neighbor and family friend, and the still-unsolved case of 17-year-old Deanna Cremin, who was almost home before she was attacked and killed, found the next morning by neighborhood kids. The tragic case of the Dunster House Murder of Trang Phuong Ho on Harvard's campus by her roommate, Sinedu Tadesse, whose mental state had been deteriorating before everyone's eyes, yet no one seemed to notice; and a history of crimes that took place throughout Cambridge dating back to the 1960s:

Beverly Samans (1963), Linda Marshall (1968), Jane Britton (1969), Ada Bean (1969), Carol Peterson (1975), Julie Campbell (1978), and women who simply vanished off the streets of Cambridge and Somerville - Amy B. Sher (2002), Reina Carolina Rojas Morales (2022), and Mitchel Valaudyne Iviquel (2000)

Show slides and source links will post at crimeofthetruestkind.com/crimeofcambervillelive

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

Live Show! Crimes of Camberville: From The Alleys to the Ivies, A History of Crime, Murder, and Mystery - Recorded live at The Burren in Somerville on October 23, we explore a history of crimes rooted in Somerville and Cambridge, cities defined by the intersection of the working class and university elites. From the side streets to the lecture halls, we talk about the cases that once made headlines, or remain unknown and unresolved. All should be told, and their names spoken.

In this live episode, we walk through

• developments in the 2009 murder of Charline Rosemond
• two cases that rocked Somerville in 1995 - Janet Downing, murdered by a neighbor and family friend, and
• the still-unsolved case of 17-year-old Deanna Cremin, who was almost home before she was attacked and killed, found the next morning by neighborhood kids
• the tragic case of the Dunster House Murder of Trang Phuong Ho on Harvard's campus by her roommate, Sinedu Tadesse, whose mental state had been deteriorating

before everyone's eyes, yet no one seemed to notice;

and a history of crimes that took place throughout Cambridge dating back to the 1960s:

Beverly Samans (1963), Linda Marshall (1968), Jane Britton (1969), Ada Bean (1969), Carol Peterson (1975), Julie Campbell (1978), and women who simply vanished off the streets of Cambridge and Somerville - Amy B. Sher (2002), Reina Carolina Rojas Morales (2022), and Mitchel Valaudyne Iviquel (2000)

Show slides and links posted at crimeofthetruestkind.com/crimesofcambervillelive

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

Live show! Thurs, Oct 23 at The Burren, Davis Square, Somerville, Mass

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. We should be talking about domestic violence, and how to prevent it, all the time, to help others recognize what it is and how insidious that it can be. It is not just bruises and black eyes. Jennifer Martel’s case is like so many other women who were tied to a bad relationship through a shared child. Few people seemed to know what Jennifer was really going through at home. There were many reasons why leaving was so difficult. 

The Murder of Jennifer Martel, Waltham, Massachusetts

It is like so many other women’s stories who were trying to see a way out. It is like so many other stories where the victim is lost in the headlines of the case. What it is not like is how she was murdered by a very dangerous man who had been dangerous for a long time. He was someone she was and had been with for years. The man who was the son of a beloved voice of Red Sox Nation, Jerry Remy, the "RemDog." Fenway Park is like church around here. There is a lot of hero worship. Jennifer Martel was 27 when she was murdered. She had a plan for the next phase of her life, a next phase that did not include Jared Remy. 

Just two days before Jennifer was killed, Remy was arrested for slamming her head into a bathroom mirror. She called to report him — the audio from the 911 call says it all — and Remy was arrested and charged with assault and battery. Jennifer was granted an emergency restraining order that night, and she would be able to extend it the following day, Wednesday, August 14, at Remy’s arraignment in Waltham District Court. However, Jennifer did not appear in court and the restraining order expired. Something that would prove to be a grave error on the prosecutors' part is that no one had the foresight to look at his background. No one checked priors. If they had, they would have seen a long history of violence against women. Instead, they sought no bail, and he was released on personal recognizance on an open assault and battery case.

It is important to understand why Jennifer didn't attend that arraignment the day before she was stabbed to death in the presence of her 4-year-old and her next door neighbors. History is well documented as to why many women don’t appear in abuse cases like this – for fear of retribution, more abuse, how they can support themselves and their children, the pleas of the partner, and, in Jennifer’s case, from the Remys. Patty Martel said Jennifer heard from Remy’s mother, Phoebe, who begged her not to file a complaint because it would ruin Remy’s life. His life. Mrs. Remy, according to the Martels, said they would protect her. Maybe Mrs. Remy believed what she was saying, but her son's history of violence was crystal clear.

National Domestic Violence Hotline | thehotline.org | Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

Crime of the Truest Kind | Follow @crimeofthetruestkind

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

In Episode 93, veteran crime reporter Bob Ward of Boston 25 News discussed the renewed investigation into the 1974 unsolved murder of Henry Bedard Jr., a 15-year-old from Swampscott, Massachusetts. Bob broke the story of Henry’s October 1, 2025 exhumation at Swampscott Cemetery, a major development led by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Together, we revisit the details of Henry’s disappearance after Christmas shopping in Vinnin Square, the discovery of his body behind the present-day DPW building, and the mysterious baseball bat found nearby. This episode explores the power of forensic science, the persistence of cold case investigators, and the enduring grief and hope of a community still seeking justice.

If you have information about the murder of Henry Bedard Jr., contact the Essex County District Attorney’s Office - 978-745-6610 or Swampscott Police - 781-595-1111.

Subscribe to Crime of the Truest Kind for more episodes that honor victims, amplify unheard voices, and pursue truth through ethical true crime storytelling.

CrimeoftheTruestKind.com for more info

Remembering Henry Bedard, Jr.

Live show, Thurs, Oct 23 at the Burren in Somerville, Mass

Crimes of Camberville: From the Alleys to the Ivies, A history of Crime, Murder and Mystery

Get Tickets

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

North Shore Unsolved. Where True Crime Meets Hometown History.

Recorded at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass on September 11, 2025, it is a powerful fusion of storytelling, advocacy, and local legacy.

Anngelle Wood answers audience questions about local crime cases.

Part two of two. Please listen to episode 92 before this bonus episode.

More at crimeofthetruestkind.com.

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

Where True Crime Meets Hometown History - this phrase describes this live Crime of the Truest Kind podcast event. Recorded at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass on September 11, 2025, it is a powerful fusion of storytelling, advocacy, and local legacy. In the spotlight are unsolved cases like: The Elliot Chambers Boarding House Fire, Beverly (1984), The mystery of the Essex County John Doe, Newburyport (1992), the disappearance of Mary “Abbie” Flynn, Gloucester (2020), Unsolved murder of Michael O'Gorman, Gloucester (1974), missing boy Leigh Savoie, Revere (1974), the discovery of Theresa Coen, Rockport (2018), and more cases spanning decades of mystery and heartbreak, delivered through gripping narratives. The show has been described as “an unforgettable evening fusing storytelling with empathy, history, and the search for justice”.

In loving memory of Otis. I love you all the time.

More at crimeofthetruestkind.com.

Next show, Thurs, Oct 23 at The Burren, Somerville, Mass for

Crimes of Camberville: From the Allies to the Ivies -- Get tickets!

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

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

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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

13th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Wonderfund - collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families

Fri, Dec 19, The Burren, Somerville, Mass, live music from Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and Lovina Falls.

Spread holiday cheer this time of year. Get tickets!

Online: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com

Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood

#Massachusetts #massachusettstruecrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing

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