The discovery of a body found off a bike path in Springfield, Massachusetts, is sparking further concerns of danger hiding in the dark corners of the New England region of the United States.
On Tuesday, April 22, officers responded to an unresponsive person who lay near a bike path at the 1500 block of Hall of Fame Avenue, according to Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh’s statement.
When authorities arrived, they pronounced the female victim deceased.
“The SPD Homicide Unit under the direction of Captain Trent Duda is conducting an unattended de*th investigation in conjunction with the @HampdenDA M*rder Unit, pending an autopsy by the Medical Examiner,” Walsh said.
Concerns of a serial k*ller on the loose in New England arose after eight bodies were found in close proximity to one another
Image credits: Springfield Police Dept
This is now the eighth gruesome discovery in a series of bodies found, which have been mostly women, in the areas of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island — more specifically, in New Haven, Norwalk, Groton, Killingly, Foster, and Framingham. All were discovered between the months of March and April.
Rumors have surfaced that there may be someone dangerous on the loose, initially circulating via a Facebook group titled “New England Serial K*ller,” though it has been changed to follow community guidelines. The discovery of these human remains in three neighboring states, according to many on social media, indicates that this theory is more than possible.
Data has also shown that Google searches surrounding this topic spiked on April 7.
But nothing has been confirmed, and Walsh has told Fox News Digital that these rumors remain a mere speculation.
Image credits: Western Mass News
Image credits: Jade Batsche / GoFundMe
“There is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time,” he assured.
Peter Valentin, chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, also told the outlet that the person found unresponsive did not line up entirely with the previous victims as they did not possess any “post-mortem artifacts,” which meant officers still needed to check for signs of life.
“If someone is in full rigor mortis, there is no need to try to find a pulse because the presence of rigor mortis means they are unequivocally de*d. So this is a very recent de*th, unlike the others that are being attributed to the [New England serial k*ller],” he said.
Most of the victims have been identified as women
Image credits: New Haven PD
Moreover, it has not been confirmed that the woman lost her life due to homicide, although Valentin suspects the cautious language surrounding the discovery is to prevent further concerns surrounding the recent discoveries made.
The victims that were scattered across the region, as per the New York Post, were all in varying states of decomposition. Some bodies were intact, while others were so degraded that authorities had trouble identifying them. All were found within a couple of hours from each other and on the Atlantic coast.
Image credits: Justice for Michele Romano
At least four of these victims have been identified as women.
Not all details have been disclosed, but some information has been shared with the public.
Paige Fannon, a 35-year-old, was found deceased by Norwalk police’s scuba and fire rescue team on March 6, as reported by local outlets The Hour and the Daily Voice.
Authorities first found clothing and personal items left on the bank of the Norwalk River before stumbling upon her body. She had been seen on Long Island on March 5, a day after she was reported missing in New York.
Officials say there is no solid evidence tying all the bodies to one another
Image credits: Justice for Michele Romano
Image credits: Ashley Mitchell / ScMesab
Another body was recovered in a suitcase by a cemetery in Groton, Connecticut, according to WTNH. The identity of the victim remains unknown, although police say it was a female between the ages of 40 and 60.
In Plymouth, Massachusetts, human remains were found in a wooded area, first believed to be that of an animal. No gender or age has been confirmed.
On March 25, authorities confirmed the body of 59-year-old Denise Leary was “in an advanced state of decay” when discovered.
Image credits: Ashley Mitchell / ScMesab
The next day, 56-year-old Michele Romano’s body was found in Foster, Rhode Island. The victim had been missing for eight months.
Lastly, the remains of an unnamed person were discovered in Killingly, as Connecticut State Police told PEOPLE in an email. The investigation is still in its early stages.
Social media users extended prayers and offered advice on how to stay safe
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