Massachusetts authorities made a discovery on Tuesday that spiraled into a potential investigation of a serial killer after finding a deceased woman close to a bike path in Springfield.
Upon receiving a report of an unresponsive individual, Springfield police arrived at Hall of Fame Avenue where they encountered a deceased unidentified female.
Ryan Walsh, a spokesperson for the Springfield Police Department, mentioned that the homicide unit is set to initiate an investigation labeled as an “unattended death investigation,” which is to be based on information from the forthcoming autopsy report as per Boston 25.
Meanwhile, police have discovered human remains in eight locations over the past two months, including sites in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The findings—most;y women—have fueled social media speculation about a possible serial killer operating in the region.
Connecticut State Police, however, told Fox News Digital that “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,” in connection with the Connecticut deaths.
Some remains were intact and identified, while others were too degraded and the identities have not yet been confirmed. Although investigators located the remains within a two-month window, they have not determined whether the victims died during the same time frame.
Speculation about a possible serial killer began spreading back in late March, as the bodies began appearing across the region.
On March 6, someone found a human skull in the woods off Route 3 in Plymouth, along the Massachusetts coast, according to Boston 25 News. Authorities have not yet identified the person’s age or gender.
On the same day, police found the remains of a New York woman identified as Paige Fannon, 35, in Norwalk, Conn., police said.
On March 19, police found human remains stuffed in a suitcase near Colonel Ledyard Cemetery in Groton. Investigators said the remains belonged to a woman between 40 and 60 and had likely been placed near the cemetery in mid-February.
Authorities are investigating, but urged the public not to draw early conclusions.
“I would tell people, ‘Don’t rush to judgment,’” Groton Police Chief Louis Fusaro told WTNH.
Two days later, concern grew when police discovered the body of another Connecticut woman, 59-year-old Denise Leary, in New Haven. On March 26, police found the body of Michele Romano, 56, in Foster, Rhode Island. She had been missing from Warwick since August.
Human remains were found in Killingly, Connecticut, on April 9, and another set of remains were found in Framingham, Massachusetts, on April 10.
Although no connections to a serial killer have been linked to the deaths, The “New England Serial Killer: Facebook group gained more than 15,000 new members this month, bringing its total to 65,300, according to MassLive.com.
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
[Feature Photos: Paige Fannon, GoFundMe/Michele Romano, Rhode Island State Police/Denise Leary, New Haven PD]
