US EditionBody of North Shore teen killed in 1974 being exhumed, sources say
The Essex County DA ordered the exhumation after new information and DNA advances emerged in the 51-year-old unsolved murder of 15-year-old Henry Bedard Jr.
- On October 1, 2025, officials exhumed the body of Henry Bedard Jr., a 15-year-old boy killed in 1974, at Swampscott Cemetery on Essex Street.
- The exhumation followed a court order prompted by advances in technology and DNA science to potentially resolve the decades-old murder case.
- Bedard was last seen alive on December 16, 1974, after Christmas shopping, and his body was found the next day beaten with a baseball bat near Suffolk Avenue.
- District Attorney Paul Tucker explained that improvements in scientific methods, especially DNA analysis, have prompted them to seek the court’s permission to exhume the body.
- Authorities hope the exhumation and subsequent postmortem autopsy will provide new answers in the unsolved case that remains a community concern.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Body of boy, 15, exhumed at Swampscott cemetery in 1974 cold case
The body of a 15-year-old boy killed in 1974 was exhumed from a cemetery in Swampscott on Wednesday, according to reports from multiple outlets. The exhumation began in the morning on Wednesday, at Swampscott Cemetery on Essex Street, as was reported by NBC Boston.
Police: Body of victim in 1974 murder exhumed from Swampscott cemetery - Boston News, Weather, Sports
Swampscott police say the body of Henry Bedard was exhumed at Swampscott cemetery on Wednesday. On December 16, 1974, a 10-year-old boy stumbled upon Bedard’s body, which was buried under a pile of leaves with a baseball bat located a few feet from his body. The area where his body was found was near a hill overlooking the town’s DPW building, which was a popular hangout spot for kids, according to the post. Officials say they were unsure if Bed…
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