The Bear Brook murders (also referred to as the Allenstown Four) are female American murder victims, two discovered in 1985 and two in 2000, at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire, United States. He later abandoned that child, whom he had pretended to father and called Lisa, in a trailer park. That's the only reason.. When I got up in the morning, I pulled my shades back, there was clouds and a beautiful blue sky, and there was seagulls circling in the sky, they were beautiful. This is the twisted story of the Bear Brook Murders. Why America is obsessed with the Alex Murdaugh murder trial bodies found. January 23, 2023 Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn't commit. A family tree begins to take shape. In 1985 the plastic wrapped bodies of a woman and girl were discovered in a metal drum in a forest in Allenstown, New Hampshire. February 27, 2023 We begin with the story police told about Sharon Johnson's murder. She said that she did, but they died from eating grass mushrooms when they were out camping, Deputy Headley said. Online, she found a post from someone who mentioned the name Sarah McWaters. Bodies In Bear Brook Barrel Murders Linked To 'Worst Serial Killer Out There' Police believe Terry Rasmussen, a man one expert deemed the worst serial killer, murdered the four women and children found stuffed into barrels in a New Hampshire state park decades ago. and I went, This can't be, Rose said of learning her friend was gone. All the same guy., Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY at 9 p.m. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Known by a lengthy list of aliases, Terry Peder Rasmussen has been dubbed "The Chameleon Killer" for assuming so many different identities as he infiltrated families and destroyed lives in New Hampshire and California. DNA evidence then connected the man officially identified as Terry Rasmussen to the bodies found in Bear Brook. World Book Day comes a day early ahead of teachers strikes on March 2 It can conquer hate. But only 19-year-old Jason Carroll was convicted. [39] By October 1978, Sarah's father was seeing another woman and Sarah was presumably in the care of her mother. Curiously, against the advice of his attorneys, Vanner pleaded guilty to the murder during his trial. His true identity, Terry Rasmussen, was not revealed by authorities until 2017. His own taped confession. She had curly or wavy brown hair and was between 5ft 2in (1.57m) and 5ft 7in (1.70m) in height. The first barrel was discovered in 1985, the second in 2000. When alternate versions are told by lawyers and podcasters as part of a mounting effort to free Jason Carroll from prison and clear his name. Born in 1943, Rasmussen was a native of Denver, Colorado. He then took on the alias Gordon Jenson and abandoned the child at an RV park in Scotts Valley, California, in 1986. Also in the refrigerator, was a unique brand of milk that was only delivered to a certain area that matched up with where Rasmussen had been at the time, Huber said. Allenstown Four: The Decades-Long Mystery of the Bear Brook Murders It was the first time, researchers claimed, that genetic genealogy had been successfully employed in a murder case. As of June2019[update], the third child remains unidentified, but authorities were able to confirm that Rasmussen was her biological father. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Jun was in her mid-40s when she introduced her family to her new boyfriend Larry Vanner, whom authorities later identified as Rasmussen, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice. New methods of inquiry are used to crack other cold cases. Vanner died in prison in December 2010 of natural causes. [15], The fourth victim's identity is not yet known, but investigators stated that through advanced DNA testing they could confirm the child was Rasmussen's. On June 8, 2000, the remains of Marie and Honeychurch, which were still unidentified at the time, were exhumed from the grave by authorities for DNA testing. It's a blue 55-gallon steel drum. [30] The daughter is keeping her name private. Do groundbreaking techniques come at the cost of genetic privacy? May their souls find peace in Gods loving care.. [16], Elizabeth Lamotte was 17 years old when she disappeared from the Youth Development Center in Manchester in 1984. They are: Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, the adult woman whose remains were discovered in 1985, and her two biological daughters, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn and Sarah Lynn McWaters. Terry Peder Rasmussen - Wikipedia Thanks for your support. My father's real full name is Terry Peder Rasmussen, and he was born Dec. 23 of 1943, Diane Kloepfer told 20/20.. Rose ultimately went to the Contra Costa County Sheriff, where Roxane Gruenheid was a homicide detective. Amazon pauses construction on 2nd headquarters in Virginia Bear Brook murders - Wikipedia Four bodies-one woman, and three little girls-found in two barrels years apart. The only evidence against him? The guys jumped on my four-wheeler and we booted out of there and that was the last time that we saw the barrel.. He was polite and soft spoken and very smart, and with his twinkly blue eyes he could get somebody to maybe trust him, Gruenheid told 20/20. All we were really trying to do was to determine where Eunsoon was and if she was okay. She married Sarah's father in September 1974, and the two were separated by the time she was known to be dating Rasmussen. Watch The Chameleon Killer - Season 1 | Prime Video - amazon.com Advanced forensic testing showed the 2-to-4-year-old girl (since identified as Rasmussen's daughter) probably spent most of her childhood in either the upper Northeast or upper Midwest, perhaps Wisconsin. [36] The senior Rasmussen, known as the Chameleon killer, is believed to have used "at least five different aliases in a decades-long run of crimes across the country, including at least five homicides, and likely more. It was reported that he was known to travel with women and children. On November 10, 1985, a barrel was found by hunters on private property close to Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. [20] The organization later released an updated version of the child's facial reconstruction. Inside were the bodies of an adult female and young girl, wrapped in plastic. [34] Two months later, Robert Evans was confirmed as Terry Peder Rasmussen, through Y-DNA testing from a DNA sample contributed by one of his sons from what is believed to be his first marriage. The refrigerator had been dumped in a canal in San Joaquin County, California. Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Authorities were able to link him then, using his fingerprints, to the earlier child abandonment case. [4], In November 1985, the bodies of Honeychurch and Vaughn were found in a barrel in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. [9] Beaudin was not reported missing at the time as her family believed she left town due to financial reasons. [2] All four of the victims were either partially or completely skeletonized; they were believed to have died between 1977 and 1981. Serial killer Terry Rasmussen's victims, known and unknown Murders", "N.H. missing woman case linked to bodies found in steel drums in state park", "AG: NH cold cases linked to California murder", National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, "Video of police interview with 'Bob Evans' released; authorities hope for clues about killer", "Authorities reveal actual identity of killer known as 'Bob Evans', "True ID of 'Chameleon' Killer Revealed Terry Peder Rasmussen", "New Hampshire's Most Infamous Cold Case Leads to Unrelated 1985 Tenn. Golden State Killer's invisible victims: Men whose lives were . [6] The two were married in an unofficial ceremony in 2001. He faces 30 years to life for each murder conviction and up to five years for the weapons charges. [12][6], Rasmussen died, aged 67, while imprisoned at High Desert State Prison[5] on December 28, 2010. Bear Brook murders update: Unidentified girl might have relatives in [9][17], The adult, later identified as Honeychurch, was determined to be Caucasian with possible Native American ancestry. I remember seeing an ax leaned up there.. I wished he'd lived longer, so he would have suffered longer in prison, myself.. Big, like 4 or 5 feet around and probably 2 or 3 feet high, she said. The refrigerator had been dumped in a canal in San Joaquin County, California. He had settled in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, under the alias "Bob Evans" in the late 1970s. The identities of Honeychurch and her two children were not known until they were confirmed by DNA profiling in 2019. Vanner fended off her loved ones questions with an array of excuses. Now, the only question that remains is, who was the middle child, Terry Rasmussens daughter and fourth victim? Although this moment is bittersweet, they had their names back on this day. [29], In June 2017, police released a video of a police interview of Evans in hopes of finding his true identity. Bear Brook murders: An amateur sleuth helped authorities confirm the Homicide", "Four Unidentified Allenstown Homicide Victims", "Allenstown, NH murder victims identified after nearly 40 years", "New rendering released for unidentified girl found in barrel in Allenstown", Original digital reconstruction of middle child, "3 bodies hidden in barrels remained unidentified for decades. Honeychurch was 24 at the time, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She had been placed in the refrigerator with a pillow, sleeping bag and what appeared to be several blankets, he said. [6] The divorce was finalized in 1978. We do regrettably fear that his daughter's mother is probably another victim somewhere, Carol Schweitzer, of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said. The murder of Eunsoon Jun in Richmond, California. Josh is charged under the federal death resulting law a new and growing strategy for prosecutors and faces a sentence of two decades or longer. On an online message board, she connected with a woman who was looking for her missing family members: a woman and her two daughters whose ages and locations matched that of Honeychurch, Sarah and Marie. You know, people ask me why I do these interviews. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in jail. Denise Beaudin has never been located. Bear Brook killings: An old photo raises more questions That's why I do these to get her identified and so that there's closure for the families involved here. Bear Brook on Stitcher Bear Brook Murders: Authorities Identify Victims Decades After Slayings It well could be Terry. In the show's second season, host Jason Moon returns with a new, even more complex story: In 1989, New Hampshire police charged three men in the murder of a pregnant woman named Sharon Johnson. [4] They were found to have died of blunt force trauma to their heads. Replies were filled with other people who also believed they were related to Sarah one member of a family of three who had gone missing sometime in the late 1970s. In 1995, scavengers found a refrigerator containing what former San Joaquin County Assistant Sheriff John Huber believes may be another one of Rasmussens victims. Four months later, Ron Montplaisir, who was an Allenstown, New Hampshire police officer at the time, got a call from dispatch to meet a hunter at the edge of the woods. Bear Brook - Listen to All Episodes | True Crime | TuneIn DNA proved this child was fathered by Terry Peder Rasmussen. [6], Rasmussen lived in a number of states including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Oregon, Hawaii and California. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. One of the victims had been his daughter. This isn't the big news we're hoping to break - stay subscribed for another full episode of Bear Brook that we hope to bring you soon. The unidentified yo. He finds Rasmussen to be a particularly repulsive serial killer in fact, the worst, in his opinion. The second child found in the second barrel has not yet been identified although DNA evidence has confirmed thatRasmussen wasthe parent of this unknown victim and that she was not biologically related to Honeychurch or her daughters. During the news conference, investigators detail the Bear Brook State Park murders; the killing of Eunsoon Jun in California; Lisa's abandonment; and Lisa's link to the still-missing Denise Beaudin, her mother. There were little fingerprint cards, with these little tiny little hands, and had their little footprints on the back of them and little tiny fingerprints, Gruenheid said. My father's been outta my life since I was, like, 6 or 7, she said. It had previously been thought impossible to recover autosomal DNA from hair strands that were no longer attached to the root, but a forensic lab in California had been working on a new method to reassemble the broken autosomal DNA found in rootless hair. The woman, the oldest child and the youngest child . By 1981, Evans was romantically linked to a woman namedDenise Beaudin who also went missing with her daughter shortly thereafter. David Salamon, Honeychurchs brother, remembered the lengths to which their family went to find Honeychurch and her daughters. [3] He married in 1969, had four children and lived with his family in Phoenix and Redwood City, California. Terry Rasmussen poses for arrest photo from 1973. This is the first in an unknown number of short updates to the story of the Bear Brook murders that we'll be producing to let listeners know about any breaking news in the case. The identity of the fourth victim still remains a mystery. Jensen told Gomulka at CrimeCon that Rasmussen put Jun's body in a 75-pound pile of kitty litter before he was able to dispose of her. Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn't commit. Subsequent investigations led to Honeychurch and her daughters being identified as three of the four victims found in Allenstown; the identity of the fourth victim, his daughter, remains unknown. Terry Peder Rasmussens 2002 mugshot after his arrest for the murder of his girlfriend Eunsoon Jun. [6] These techniques have since been used in other high-profile cases, including the Golden State Killer case, leading to the arrest of suspect Joseph James DeAngelo in April 2018. This is the first in an unknown number of short updates to the story of the Bear Brook murders that we'll be producing to let listeners know about any breaking news in the case. "The Bear Brook case was the . Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesRebekah Becky Heath, the researcher and libararian who obsessively worked to discover Rasmussens victims identities. From the creators of the hit podcast Bear Brook comes A True Crime Story. 2021 TV-14 Deep in the woods of New Hampshire, police find barrels with the remains of mutilated victims. [28] Beaudin disappeared from Manchester, New Hampshire, along with her young daughter and then-boyfriend Robert "Bob" Evans. Police later determined the female adult and child, unidentified at the time, had died of blunt force trauma to their heads. This isn't the big news we're hoping to break - stay subscribed for another full episode of Bear Brook that we hope to bring you soon. She was previously known as San Joaquin Jane Doe and the Lady in the Fridge.[8][19]. "[14] He has been dubbed "The Chameleon Killer" due to his use of various aliases and his crime spree which stretched across the country. After his stint in the 1990s, Rasmussen stayed off authorities radar for a little over a decade. [41] Sarah was laid to rest in Connecticut, closer to her father's family. And he brings a fresh examination of the evidence to a state that has never exonerated anyone for murder. I stood there for just a few seconds There was no odor. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images. At least ten possible identities were ruled out. One of the brothers just pushed the barrel over. How a Librarian Helped Solve a Decades-Old Murder Mystery She left the group home after receiving a furlough, so she was not reported missing until police were seeking more information on Rasmussen in 2017. In the show's second season, host Jason Moon returns with a new, even more complex story: In 1989, New Hampshire police . The bones of a foot . The scavengers actually walked out in the middle [of the canal], because it was just mud cut the rope and opened it up here and that's when they saw what they thought was a human being inside, Huber told 20/20.. Rebekah Becky Heath, the researcher and libararian who obsessively worked to discover Rasmussens victims identities. Although the Allenstown barrels were discovered during his lifetime, Rasmussen was not named as the culprit until 2017, when DNA profiling connected him to the crime. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Like Rasmussen's confirmed victims, she had died of blunt force trauma to the head. Three Bear Brook Murder Victims Identified; Citizen Sleuth, Genetic The mother of the middle child, the unidentified girl in the second barrel found at Bear Brook in 2000, who was determined to be Rasmussens biological daughter, has also never been found nor identified. Curiously, the first drum was way back in 1985 and the second wasnt discovered until 2000. Diane Kloepfer is one of four biological children Terry Rasmussen fathered in his marriage. "The Chameleon Killer" The Bear Brook Murders (TV Episode 2021 - IMDb Testing his DNA, they also determined that the man had not, in fact, been Lisas father and an investigation began to find out who Lisa really was. Known by a lengthy list of aliases, Terry Peder Rasmussen has been dubbed The Chameleon Killer for assuming so many different identities as he infiltrated families and destroyed lives in New Hampshire and California. They have so far been unable to identify who the mother of the child is and whether or not she may still be alive. For more on the case and to see a timeline of Sharon's last day, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. She had brown hair and was about 3ft 8in (1.12m) tall. The podcast had reignited interest in the case, and captured the attention of a 34-year-old librarian from Connecticut named Becky Heath. Police and FBI agents conducted a search in Manchester after receiving an anonymous tip regarding Daneault in November 2017, after Rasmussen was announced as the Bear Brook killer. He didn't even look healthy. True crime media like books, podcasts and TV shows continue to be a multimillion-dollar industry . ET on ABC. [33] They also said that "Robert Evans" was a pseudonym and that the man's legal identity was unknown. It would take 17 years until the killer could be named and another two until his victims would be identified. according to a timeline released by the attorney general's office. The veteran detective on the case develops a theory involving her husband and a teenager. Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch (b. One of the hunters looked inside the open barrel and saw a skull. Investigators said they finally got a break in 2017, when a new forensic technique known as genetic genealogy pinpointed Rasmussen as the likely culprit. Rasmussen is believed to be responsible for several other murders, including that of Denise Beaudin, his known girlfriend,[5] who disappeared in 1981. Since 2017, he has been named as a suspect in several other crimes. Their slain bodies were found on November 10th, 1985, in Bear Brook State Park. Known at times as Curtis Kimball, others as Larry Vanner, and frequently as Bob Evans, the killers true name was revealed as Terry Rasmussen in 2017 seven years after his death. Ultimately, the body was identified as Jun, who police determined had died of blunt force trauma to the head. There is one girl who we don't know who she is. She had an overbite, which was probably noticeable. In 1981, Denise Beaudin went missing shortly after Thanksgiving with her 6-month-old daughter and her boyfriend, Rasmussen, who she knew as Robert T. Evans, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice. The New Hampshire Attorney General's office revealed that three of the victims in what became widely known as the "Bear Brook Murders" are Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch and her two daughters,. [8][39] It is believed that all four victims were murdered before 1981, as Rasmussen was known to have left New Hampshire after this time. In 1985, there was a grim discovery made in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire: Two decomposing bodies found in a barrel. [9][14] Daneault had been living on the same street as Rasmussen. Investigators have concluded the woman and two of the children lived in the area where their bodies were found. A year later, Juns body was found dismembered and buried in her basement. DNA is wrestled from rootless hair. Together we have been able to uncover the identity of the Allenstown killer, a murderer who tried to erase his victims and hide in the process, tried to hide who he was and what he did, but ultimately he wasnt successful, Strelzin said, according to The Washington Post. The Bear Brook Murders. Armand Beaudins daughter Denise Beaudin is Lisas mother. In November 2015, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released a third set of reconstructions of the four victims at a news conference at the New Hampshire State Attorney General's office. The only evidence against him? Bear Brook Podcast on Amazon Music Well it is Wednesday! During this hunt, one of the brothers noticed an oil barrel while walking down a trail. MANCHESTER, N.H. The search for the name of the remaining unidentified murder victim found in a barrel in Allenstown is leading authorities to Mississippi. [6], In 2019, the three biologically related females were identified as a mother, Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, and her two daughters (of different biological fathers) Marie Elizabeth Vaughn and Sarah Lynn McWaters, last seen in November 1978. The remains of a young girl, aged 2 to 4, was found in the second barrel with Sarahs remains in 2000. But what if that story was based on a lie? [12][16] The cause of death for these children was also blunt force trauma. Police officials announced on May 6 that three bodies two discovered in 1985 and a third discovered in 2000 were identified asMarlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, 24, and her two daughters, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, 6, and Sarah Lynn McWaters, 1. THE CHAMELEON KILLER 'Bear Brook Murders' - Starcasm Rasmussen is the suspected perpetrator of the Bear Brook murders. [3][9][10][11][12][13] Autopsies determined both had died of blunt trauma. From the creators of the hit podcast Bear Brook comes A True Crime Story. Came to a dead end, Salamon said. The bodies of his girlfriend, California woman Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, her two daughters, and his own daughter were discovered in two barrels in Allenstown, New Hampshire, in 1985 and 2000. Just disappeared.. Three of the victims would be identified, however, two years later, thanks to the obsessive amateur sleuthing of Rebekah Heath and Barbara Rae-Venter. Two investigators work parallel leads, and authorities call a press conference. A sister and two nieces.. 1954) was the mother of Marie Elizabeth Vaughn (b. [21], The youngest girl, later identified as McWaters, was estimated to be 1 to 3 years old,[9][19] had long blond or light brown hair, was between 2ft 1in (0.64m) and 2ft 6in (0.76m) tall, and also had a gap between her front teeth.[22][23]. "[37], On June 6, 2019, New Hampshire investigators held a press conference regarding the case and revealed the identities of three of the victims. Investigators believe that the mother of the child was also killed by Rasmussen. Decades later, investigators discovered that Denise Beaudin was the mother of the child known as Lisa, a little girl Rasmussen claimed in the 1980s was his daughter, which DNA tests later confirmed wasnt true. Bear Brook We're here today to bury my sister and my nieces, Salamon said at Honeychurch and Maries funeral. Police believe her answer indicates they may have been killed by Rasmussen, too. The victims were officially named in June 2019. They had been living with a man named Bob Evans. Maricopa County Sheriffs Department, Arizona. It was determined that they had been killed sometime between 1977 and 1985. A chameleon is revealed. Assistant Attorney General Jeffery Strelzin explained the discovery at a press conference on June 6. They werent identified until 2019; at that time, authorities believed Marie was 8 to 10 years old at the time of her death. Heath submitted her tip to authorities in October 2018. At the time, Morgan and his friends didnt know there were remains inside the barrel. I closed the blinds back up. We have a few unidentified remains that we are trying to identify in different parts of the country that we think have all of his earmarks, Jensen told Gomulka. Instead, they focus on complete strangers. [11], San Bernardino detective Peter Headley got Lisa's case in 2013 and genealogy website databases had grown since the case had started. And they left never called. The four victims were estimated to have died between 1977 and 1981. The remains of Marie and her mother, Honeychurch, were found in the first of two barrels that were discovered at Bear Brook State Park in November 1985. When Lisa was taken into protective custody in 1986, police asked her if she had any siblings.