US EditionA discarded straw leads to murder charges in 1984 killing of New York teen
DNA from a discarded straw recovered in Suffolk County led to the 2025 indictment of Richard Bilodeau, overturning wrongful convictions of three men in the 1984 murder case.
- A former Walmart worker, Richard Bilodeau, was charged with the 1984 murder and rape of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco, according to Nassau County prosecutors.
- DNA testing by the FBI linked Bilodeau to the cold-case slaying of Fusco, whose body was found in December 1984.
- Three local men were wrongfully convicted in 1986, but DNA evidence later exonerated them, leading to a $43 million settlement for wrongful prosecution.
- Theresa Fusco's father expressed relief in court, stating, 'Now you go home and enjoy the rest of your life,' reflecting the family's long-awaited closure.
67 Articles
67 Articles
Smoothie straw leads to arrest in 1984 cold case murder of New York teen
LYNBROOK, N.Y. (WPIX) – A straw from a smoothie cup was the evidence that led police in New York to the man they suspect of killing a 16-year-old girl on Long Island in 1984, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday. Richard Bilodeau, a 63-year-old man from Center Moriches, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the death of Theresa Fusco, who went missing after clocking out of her shift at a roller ri…
DNA on a smoothie straw is ‘100% match’ for a man now indicted for teen’s 1984 cold case murder, prosecutors say
New York (CNN) — For more than 40 years, the person responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl on Long Island has eluded capture. DNA from a smoothie straw, prosecutors say, could now be the key…
DNA on a smoothie straw is ‘100% match’ for a man now indicted for teen’s 1984 cold case murder, prosecutors say
New York (CNN) — For more than 40 years, the person responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl on Long Island has eluded capture. DNA from a smoothie straw, prosecutors say, could now be the key…
DNA on a smoothie straw is ‘100% match’ for a man now indicted for teen’s 1984 cold case murder, prosecutors say
For more than 40 years, the person responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl on Long Island has eluded capture. DNA from a smoothie straw, prosecutors say, could now be the key piece of evidence they need to convict her killer.
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