Suspect apprehended in connection with cold case rape and murder of 16-year-old girl in Long Island.
A Long Island man has been charged in connection with the 1984 rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, a case that has been marked by wrongful convictions for three other individuals. Richard Bilodeau, 63, was arrested and formally charged on Wednesday with two counts of second-degree murder in the tragic case of Theresa Fusco, which had remained unsolved for over four decades.
Media reports indicate that DNA evidence recovered from Fusco’s body was matched to Bilodeau last year, prompting the investigation to move forward. Following an indictment from a grand jury on Tuesday, Bilodeau was arraigned in Nassau County.
The case dates back to November 10, 1984, when Fusco was walking home from her job at a local roller rink in Lynbrook. She disappeared that evening, and her body was discovered in the woods weeks later, prompting a flurry of investigative efforts.
Three men—John Kogut, John Restivo, and Dennis Halstead—had previously been tried and convicted in this case during the late 1980s. Their convictions were based primarily on confessions obtained during police interrogations, which they later alleged were coerced. However, in 2003, new DNA testing exonerated these men, revealing that the DNA found on Fusco’s body did not match any of them. This evidence led to the vacating of their convictions, and they have since received substantial financial settlements for their wrongful imprisonment.
In addressing the highly problematic convictions, Judge William Donnino noted that the physical evidence did not connect the defendants to the crime, emphasizing the discrepancies between their statements and the available evidence. This case has since served as a poignant example of the potential pitfalls within the criminal justice system.
In 2024, authorities, including Nassau County investigators and the FBI, turned their focus to Bilodeau as a suspect. They were able to obtain his DNA from a discarded straw, which subsequently matched the DNA evidence linked to Fusco. Following his arrest, Bilodeau, who was employed as a night shift worker at a Suffolk County Walmart, was ordered to be held without bail.
This recent development marks a significant turn in a case that has remained cold for decades, illustrating the persistent challenges in resolving historic crimes. As investigators continue to develop their case against Bilodeau, it raises complex questions about justice, wrongful convictions, and the power of modern forensic science.
