The year before the gruesome Cape Cod murder, a female bank robber named Rory Gene Kesinger escaped from the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. Although Costa's main income when living in Provincetown in the late 1960s appears to have been drug dealing, according to The Provincetown Independent, Costa worked as a handyman at the Royal Coachman Motor Lodge in the late 1960s, as well as a carpenter doing odd jobs. In the 1980s, Unsolved Mysteries was a big television hit. Now, it's revered. Yes! They had footprints that were unidentified, they had palm prints that were unidentified, and they had unknown male DNA from three individuals under her fingernails!" For nearly 16 years, "48 Hours" has covered the aftermath of Christa Worthington's murder and Christopher McCowen's trial. More than 30 years later, the mystery remains as to how 11 women from New Bedford went missing between March 1988 and April 1989. Massachusetts' unsolved killings 1 of 8 Watch "Murder on Cape Cod: Who Shot Shirley Reine?" Wednesday, September 2, at 9 p.m. As reported by The New York Post, Costa was allegedly sexually assaulted by an older boy when he was just 12 years old. McCowen, from the moment he was sentenced, has refused to give up the fight. Please enter valid email address to continue. But he still claims he had nothing to do with Christa Worthington's death. According to Vonneguts Life article, the victims had been dismembered with what local police guessed at the time to be a brush hook or an ax. Teenage runaways were a common occurrence, so the claims were plausible. Spencer asks Jackett. And by the time of the murder, the Jacketts claim, it was more or less working. Here are some of the states remaining unsolved homicides. The bodies were then buried near a garden of sorts that Provincetown native Tony Costa maintained. In New Bedford, authorities continue to seek leads in the death of Joaquim Jack Perry, who was 21 years old when his beaten body was discovered in the woods behind the New Bedford Airport, The Standard Times reported. The citys ShotSpotter audio surveillance system detected six gunshots in the Forest Park neighborhood around 12:38 a.m. Jenkins was found with gunshot wounds to his head and thigh and died at the scene, police said. Quarantine. But the prosecution says that's rubbish. On December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas was shell-shocked by a vicious crime. The most notorious unsolved crime in every state - Insider Rodman recalls that in 1969 Costa suddenly disappeared and no one would tell her where he'd gone. Unsolved Crimes Taking French Leave: Jailbreak in Cape Cod By crimecapsule 1912 Harold Tracy claimed he was 'a public scapegoat' at a hearing for sentence reduction on the jailbreak charge. Later that night Jermaine headed to a sushi bar in Hyannis, and he called to Ashley asking her to join them. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The attorney says his client was putty in the hands of police. Little Ava, his daughter with Christa, was sent to live with a friend, Amira Chase, whom Christa had named as a guardian in her will. Based on newspaper reports from 1960 and 1961, it appears homicide charges were not filed against him. The Bristol District Attorneys Office said Perrys body was discovered on Oct. 19, 1975, by a teenager who was riding in the gravel pits near New Plainville Road, The Standard Times reported. Courtesy Cape Cod Times In 2014, Rams went on trial for the murder of Shirley. Susan Jackett says she didn't have a clue her husband had fathered Ava. Under a new initiative byMassachusetts State Police, they can be used to solve murders, too. The body was found without a head, arms, and legs, and wasaffixed to a two-wheel dolly. It seemed like the perfect retreat, and the perfect place to have a child. She was born in 1936 in rural Marion County, Tennessee to Johnny Terry and Eva Lois Keener. George wants to convince the jury there is reasonable doubt about everything in this case. Two of his victims stayed at the same boarding house where Costa lived. "Somebody killed Christa. But it was his final group of victims that made him famousand earned him the nickname "The Cape Cod Vampire.". Meanwhile, the state crime lab was hopelessly backed up. ", But Radlauer acknowledges Arnold may have had that idea. State police create playing cards to help with unsolved murders, 4 Cape The identity of Massachusetts' oldest unidentified homicide victim has been revealed publicly, almost 50 years after the infamous murder took place. Maine's oldest unsolved murder case is that of 13-year-old Mary Catherine Olenchuk. "A very devoted mother and she would always have Ava on her lap and they would always be playing and laughing," Linda remembers. Boston Globe . "From what I understand, he was more serious about that as a long term possibility than she was.". And McCowen's attorney, Bob George, thought it was sufficient grounds for a retrial. Incredibly, he'd been right under their noses from the start. More people are getting away with murder. Unsolved killings reach a It cant be that twisty and turny as far as I can see.. The so-called "Golden Age of Serial Murder" lasted from 1970 to 1999. On Nov. 15, 1978, loggers walking through the woods off Amherst Road in Granby found the decomposing body of a young woman hidden underneath a log. Teen's family awaits justice - Cape Cod Times Costa's life and crimes continue to fascinate. This fight is not for the few, it is for the many, Tangela Clark, Tamaras mother, told The Republican. "I feel fortunate and blessed that I was born and raised here.". According to authors Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan, Costa referred to this spot as his "secret garden" and used it to grow marijuana plants. Tamara Clark, 37, was visiting her family on June 26, 2020, when she was killed in a shooting in the Forest Park neighborhood in Springfield. Unable to prove otherwise, the police went no further in their investigation of Costa. His vehement denial coupled with a lack of forensic evidence, according to Rams' lawyer, resulted in his. In response to the news of Costas crimes, Edith told her father, If Tony is a murderer, then anybody could be a murderer.. The New York Daily News reported he had three wives and many sweethearts by 1960 and was known around Greenwich Village for his nightly soirees with beatniks, art lovers, celebrities and celebrity hunters, all bound by Muldavins magnetism and offbeat philosophy.. she remembers. Murder mystery, Sondheim and a tongue-in-cheek musical: Cape Cod "Kind of like being in a dark tunnel and wondering if you'll ever see the light again.". The Grafton girl disappeared from a Sturbridge cottage she and her family were vacationing at on Aug. 5, 1993. There were many other girls killed, and nobody knows about [that]. Moulty goes on to say that Costas predatory ways were common knowledge around that area at the time, making his arrest unsurprising to those who had their eyes open. Karina Holmer laughed with friends outside a nightclub in Downtown Boston, marking the last time the 20-year-old Swedish au pair would be seen alive. You can't help but wonder how a man so obviously disturbed was able to operate so freely in a tight-knit community and get away with his crimes for so long. Guy Rockwell Muldavin, born in 1923, was believed to have married Ruth Marie Terry in 1974. For about a year, off and on, they had an affair and for the beautiful writer, who desperately wanted a child - and the local fisherman who already had six, one thing did lead to another. A true crime series on a Cape Cod serial killer is in development with He was found April 9, 2011. And I said what could be worse than that?" That prompted the trial judge to take the unusual step of calling all 12 jurors back to court to be questioned. She had been left face-down on a beach blanket, and there was no sign of a struggle, so she may have been attacked while napping or by someone she knew. Nine of those womans bodies would later be found by police. "That he went to this location for the purpose of having sex with this person, that was denied to him, and in a rage, he raped and killed her," explains District Attorney Michael O'Keefe. Kesinger fit the general profile of the victim, and authorities thought she could be Provincetown's Jane Doe. According to Murderpedia, as a result of the sensationalist media coverage the garden became an instant tourist attraction. Clark died the following day from wounds she suffered in the shooting. Authorities identified the victim as Ruth. When the story of the Cape Cod Vampire murders exploded in 1969, it dominated everyone's attentionincluding famed novelist Kurt Vonnegut. Four of the unsolved homicide cases featured in the deck are murders that happened on the Cape: one in Sandwich, one in Cotuit, and two in Mashpee. However, the haunting memory of his brutal crimes lingers in the small Cape Cod town where he left behind a vicious legacy. Radlauer says her relationship with Arnold, at times contentious, apparently was over. The one that went unsolved the longest was the murder of Centerville builder and . "Surprisingly, you know, I knew the guy who found the body. Victims on the cards were chosen by district attorneysacross Massachusetts. The results were disappointing to police, because the DNA from Christa didn't match Tim Arnold or Tony Jackett, or any other suspect the police had. In our Crime . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Cape Cod Canal will be closed to all marine traffic, Sagamore Bridge Mixing the counterculture of the 1960s, drug culture, and a handsome, charismatic young man, it's a story that lends itself to myth-making. Jackett says Christa's pregnancy came as a total surprise. "Now, I'm just still in a lot of disbelief about what's happened. Which makes Antone Charles Costa, usually known as Tony, ahead of his time: He killed at least two and probably eight women between 1966 and 1969. Unlike a serial killer like the Son of Sam, Costa didn't kill from a distance with a gun. As a result he earned several colorful nicknames, like "Chop Chop" or "The Cape Cod Casanova." Spencer asks. With all the elements of a classic mystery, sensational reports of the murder on Cape Cod topped the news around the country, leaving Christa's nervous neighbors with no reason to suspect that it would take police literally years to solve this crime, not that they didn't have plenty of suspects. The male Clark had stopped to speak with was also struck by gunfire in the shooting, but survived his injuries, officials said. Harold Tracy: Jailbreak in Cape Cod - Crime Capsule YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. California man questioned in double murder linked to 'Lady of the Dunes A few months later, a woman named Susan Perry, who was seen in Costa's company many times, also vanished. The victims had been subjected to incredible brutality. We all have to get involved to solve this gun violence in this city and in this state.. There are so many unsolved cases in the city of Springfield. Certainly Frazier and McCowen were together that night. One local cop was quoted as saying "The press is bad, but the tourists are even worse.". Days went by and the clock ticked on without a verdict. State Police also created a video with pictures of each of the cards that they posted to itssocial media so that members of the public could also have a look at the unsolved cases. "Trooper Mawn slammed his hand down on the table and said, 'This is a murder investigation. Police bungled that investigation, he charges, from the moment they arrived at the crime scene. That is where McCowan's attorney, Bob George, insists prosecutors have it all wrong. The feds warn that Jack Teixeira, accused of leaking classified documents on the war in Ukraine, could expose more secrets if he . During the winter of 2002, the quiet Cape Cod community of Truro was rocked, when a former New York City fashion writer was found murdered inside her home. The case against Christa's alleged killer, O'Keefe concedes, depends on two vital pieces of evidence. A female extra from . "Tim Arnold was one of the few men under the age of, you know, 70 or whatever, in Truro year round," says Christa's friend Steve Radlauer. Here is the crazy true story of the Cape Cod Vampire, Tony Costa. Christopher McCowen reacts as the jury's verdict is read in court finding him guilty of the 2002 rape and murder of fashion writer Christa Worthington in Barnstable, Mass., on Nov. 16, 2006. "All I can say is I'm an innocent man" he tells the court at his sentencing. Limited CompassionSociety's obsession with true crime isn't new, but when the content diminishes the very people whose stories are told while lionizing the perpetrators in the .