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. In 2003, when the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department opened a new case aimed at finding Lisas biological family, she was approximately 22 years old. When people ask me who was the worst serial killer out there I point to him and the reason is this: he not only would kill a woman but he would take their children, molest their children, and not only that but use their children as a lure to get his next victim and I cant think of anything more horrible than that.. In 1985 the plastic wrapped bodies of a woman and girl were discovered in a metal drum in a forest in Allenstown, New Hampshire. [29], In June 2017, police released a video of a police interview of Evans in hopes of finding his true identity. Click here to donate $20. [11], San Bernardino detective Peter Headley got Lisa's case in 2013 and genealogy website databases had grown since the case had started. 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. The family was comprised of Sarah McWaters, an infant, her older sister Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, and their mother Marlyse Honeychurch. It can conquer hate. [6] The divorce was finalized in 1978. I got a little crazy with it, she said. But it was a real-life murder mystery that had the 33-year-old amateur sleuth hooked a case as gruesome as it was shocking. Investigators believe that the mother of the child was also killed by Rasmussen. Four Bodies Are Discovered In Bear Brook State Park 15 Years Apart On Nov. 10, 1985, a hunter trekking through Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire came across a large, industrial steel drum. [20], In January 2017, it was announced that Denise Beaudin, who had been missing since 1981, was connected to the murders. Authorities on Thursday revealed that they had identified three of the four victims in the chilling cold case known as the Bear Brook murders . David Salamon, Honeychurchs brother, remembered the lengths to which their family went to find Honeychurch and her daughters. [5] Throughout 1980, he was arrested in Manchester three times for writing a bad check, theft, and diverting electric current. [15] In attendance were members of Honeychurch's family and Rasmussen's daughter from his first marriage. The identities of Honeychurch and her two children were not known until they were confirmed by DNA profiling in 2019. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Beaudin's daughter was abducted by Rasmussen and taken to California, where he raised her under the pseudonym "Gordon Jensen". Marlyse Honeychurch was last seen around Thanksgiving 1978 with her two daughters, Marie and Sarah. [30] The daughter is keeping her name private. 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. In 1981, Denise Beaudin went missing shortly after Thanksgiving with her 6-month-old daughter and her boyfriend, Rasmussen, whom she had known as Robert T. Evans, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice. Authorities fear both Beaudin and the unidentified mother of the middle child are other possible victims of Rasmussen. The only evidence against him? Salamon said he and his family call the girl Angel.. While living in Manchester, New Hampshire, Rasmussen lived under the alias "Robert 'Bob' Evans" and worked at the Waumbec Mill. 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. About a year later, Heath, who lives in Connecticut, was listening to a New Hampshire Public Radio podcast about the Bear Brook murders when information about the victims reminded her again of the . He had settled in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, under the alias "Bob Evans" in the late 1970s. May their souls find peace in Gods loving care.. A sister and two nieces.. And the last story, the one that would tie them all together: the disappearance of a woman named Denise Beaudin from Manchester, New Hampshire. He then took on the alias Gordon Jenson and abandoned the child at an RV park in Scotts Valley, California, in 1986. Honeychurchs sisters, Roxanne Barrows and Michelle Chagaris, remember her as bubbly and quirky, and said she had a good sense of humor.. Clockwise from left: Denise Beaudin, Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, Sarah L. McWaters, Marie E. Vaughn, "the Middle Child," Eunsoon Jun. The bodies were eventually buried in a nearby cemetery with a tombstone that read: Here lies the mortal remains known only to God of a woman aged 23-33 and a girl child aged 8-10. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesRebekah Becky Heath, the researcher and libararian who obsessively worked to discover Rasmussens victims identities. Authorities have connected 5 murders to Rasmussen and they fear there are more. Denise Beaudin has never been located. Marie E. Vaughn was first, born in 1971, then Sarah L. McWaters was born in 1977, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice. According to investigators, the reason that it took so long for the second drum to be recovered is that it was located outside the proximity of the initial crime scene. At the time, Morgan and his friends didnt know there were remains inside the barrel. All of them are still alive. I don't think they're ever going to find her, Beaudins father, Armand Beaudin, said. A family tree begins to take shape. In 2017, using genetic genealogy techniques, investigators were finally able to name their man: Terry Rasmussen, an inmate who had died seven years earlier, in 2010, while serving a sentence for the murder of his then-girlfriend, Eunsoon Jun. [8], San Joaquin County, California Assistant Sheriff John Huber speculated that Rasmussen may have been responsible for killing Amanda Schumann Deza, In 1995, her body was discovered by scavengers inside of a refrigerator which had been dumped in a canal. A child is abandoned. The refrigerator had been dumped in a canal in San Joaquin County, California. [10] The reconstructions were created in black and white, as their skin tones and eye colors could not be determined.[24]. His own taped confession. The bodies were certainly killed around the same time as the first two, but with no way to identify them, and lacking any other insight, the investigation once again reached a dead end. ALLENSTOWN "Love conquers all things. After reading about the long journey to identify the Chameleon Killers victims, read about the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. [35] He married in 1969, had four children, and lived in Phoenix, Arizona, and Redwood City, California. Associate N.H. Attorney General Jeff Strelzin identifies the three of the victims in the Bear Brook murder case. Thanks for your support. Deza was identified by Othram on February 23, 2023. New methods of inquiry are used to crack other cold cases. [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]. A family tree begins to take shape. You know, people ask me why I do these interviews. The Bear Brook murders: Two barrels, four bodies found 15 years apart . Police have not been able to link Rasmussen to other cases, according toStrelzin. Despite hundreds of leads, the bodies were not identified. In 1985, there was a grim discovery made in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire: Two decomposing bodies found in a barrel. It's a blue 55-gallon steel drum. That's the only reason.. [5] Two months later, he was confirmed to be Rasmussen, through Y-DNA testing from a DNA sample contributed by one of his children from what is believed to be his first marriage. Show 8 More Episodes. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in jail. Ongoing genealogy efforts have revealed that Jane Doe's mother's relatives may have come from Pearl River County, Mississippi. Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch (b. One of his sons from this marriage provided the DNA sample that confirmed Rasmussen as Evans in June 2017. The abandonment of five-year-old Lisa in Scotts Valley, California. [26][27] In 2019, however, it is stated that the nonrelated child most likely originated from Arizona, Texas, California or Oregon, although additional locations cannot be excluded. The Bear Brook murders (aka the Allenstown Four) are four female American murder victims, discovered in 1985 and 2000, at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Heath submitted her tip to authorities in October 2018. It well could be somebody else. By 1981, Evans was romantically linked to a woman namedDenise Beaudin who also went missing with her daughter shortly thereafter. Updates in the case of the Bear Brook Murders. [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. 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. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here. [6], Rasmussen lived in a number of states including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Oregon, Hawaii and California. She said her mother and Rasmussen got married in 1968 in Hawaii. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth and who gets to tell it? 1977),[38] all of whom went missing from La Puente, California, around Thanksgiving 1978, while she was dating Rasmussen. The Bear Brook murders in Allenstown, New Hampshire. But 15years later, a similar barrel was discovered in the same area, this time containing the remainsof two girls. Lisa was born Dawn Beaudin in 1981, Armand Beaudin said. It's just kind of sitting out in the woods., The brother that found the barrel went over to it and tried to lift the top of the barrel and when he did that, we were hit with a smell that was absolutely putrid. Inside The Horrifying Mystery Of The Bear Brook Murders And The Evidence That Points To The Chameleon Killer. [15], Rasmussen lived a mile and a half away from 14-year-old Laureen Rahn when she disappeared from Manchester, New Hampshire, in April 1980. Their slain bodies were found on November 10th, 1985, in Bear Brook State Park. In the show's second season, host Jason Moon returns with a new, even more complex story: In 1989, New Hampshire police . Ron Montplaisir, Jr., a former Allenstown, New Hampshire, police officer spoke to 20/20 about the hunter who found the first barrel in 1985. But there was no doubt the killings had been the handiwork of the same person. The bones of a foot . He would say, Well she's busy taking care of her mother or She was going to get some therapeutic help, Rose said Vanner told her. His true identity, Terry Rasmussen, was not revealed by authorities until 2017. Well it is Wednesday! Where is she? Hodges remembered. Lamotte had been found in Tennessee in 1985, killed about four months after her disappearance. Two brothers were hunting in Bear Brook State Park on the 10th of November 1985. [10] Jun disappeared in June 2002 and her body was found buried in cat litter in their home after having died from blunt force trauma to the head. She said that she did but "they died eating grass mushrooms when they were out camping". [13], Police released a video of a police interview of Evans in June 2017 in hopes of finding his true identity. Their slain bodies were found on November 10th, 1985, in Bear Brook State Park. [6] The two were married in an unofficial ceremony in 2001. New Hampshire State Attorney's Office, Sarah Lynn McWaters, Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch and Marie Elizabeth Vaughn. [20] The organization later released an updated version of the child's facial reconstruction. NEW YORK (AP) Amazon is pausing construction of its second headquarters in Virginia following the biggest round of layoffs in . Honeychurch was 24 at the time, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The focus from this day forward should be to find the family of that little girl, he said. Which says, yeah, there's more victims out there, definitely.. This new discovery didnt offer any immediate clues as to who the killer had been, though. [28] Beaudin disappeared from Manchester, New Hampshire, along with her young daughter and then-boyfriend Robert "Bob" Evans. The Allenstown Four. Her age at the time of death was estimated to be 23 to 33. It was the first time, researchers claimed, that genetic genealogy had been successfully employed in a murder case. Police believe Honeychurch fled to New Hampshire with Rasmussen, who at that point had begun using the name "Bob Evans." 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. 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. [3] Moon began covering the cold case in 2015, and later started the podcast. The refrigerator had been dumped in a canal in San Joaquin County, California. "[37], On June 6, 2019, New Hampshire investigators held a press conference regarding the case and revealed the identities of three of the victims. 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. The murder of Eunsoon Jun in Richmond, California. 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. ET on ABC. November 15, 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. Due to his use of many aliases, most notably "Bob Evans", Rasmussen is known as "The Chameleon Killer". [4] They were found to have died of blunt force trauma to their heads. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Curiously, against the advice of his attorneys, Vanner pleaded guilty to the murder during his trial. Then a Conn. librarian listened to a podcast", "Funeral for mother and daughter brings closure to longtime mystery", National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bear_Brook_murders&oldid=1130144089, This page was last edited on 28 December 2022, at 20:07. By Eric Shorey & Gina Tron 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. How could it be bright and sunny when Eunsoon's dead?. 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. 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. Honeychurch was last seen in La Puente, California, on Thanksgiving day that year. At least ten possible identities were ruled out. Through the years my mother always said, You know, something's not right. Esther Elliott, eight, (left) dressed as . [8] A second barrel was found about 100 yards from the first one in 2000 containing the body of McWaters and an unidentified child aged between two and four years old. And they left never called. Inside The Horrifying Mystery Of The Bear Brook Murders. Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? 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. Jesse Morgan, who grew up in a small trailer park surrounded by Bear Brook, was 11 when he and his friends stumbled upon the barrel. [8], Honeychurch and Vaughn's funeral was held in November 2019 in Allenstown, during which they were given a new headstone bearing their names. New Hampshire authorities have referred to her as the middle child because of how her suspected age compares to the other two children found in the barrels, but DNA tests confirmed she is not related to Sarah and Marie, nor their mother. Evans was listed as married to a woman named Elizabeth, according to documents from 1980. In November 2002, he was arrested for Juns murder and in 2003, he was sentenced to prison for 15 years to life after he pled guilty to the crime. His wife left him between 1973 and 1974 and his family last saw him around Christmas 1974. I stood there for just a few seconds There was no odor. [38], Marlyse had previously married Marie's father in June 1971 and divorced by 1974. But what if that story was based on a lie? [1] [2] The podcast is hosted by Jason Moon and was released through New Hampshire Public Radio. In June 2013, new versions of the victims' facial reconstructions were created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. It would take 17 years until the killer could be named and another two until his victims would be identified. Then, 15 years later on May 9, 2000, a second 55-gallon drum was discovered in the same area. Her hair was wavy and light brown; she had no dental fillings. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Two investigators work parallel leads, and authorities call a press conference. They were buried together at a local Allenstown cemetery with a donated gravestone that read: Here lies the mortal remains known only to God of a woman aged 23-33 and a girl child aged 8-10. [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. February 27, 2023 We begin with the story police told about Sharon Johnson's murder. 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.. For any tips concerning Terry Rasmussen and any unknown victims, please contact please contact Deputy Peter Headley with San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department at pheadley@sbcsd.org or the New Hampshire State Police Cold Case Unit (603)223-3648, ColdCaseUnit@dos.nh.gov, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. [6] He was paroled in 1990 and subsequently absconded. Click here to donate $20. [31], The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children subsequently announced that an unidentified man, known by the alias "Robert Evans," was found through DNA to be the father of the middle child (who was not related to the three other victims). A paternity test comparing Rasmussens blood from prison and a sample police had from 5-year-old Lisa showed Rasmussen was not her father. [43], Last edited on 28 December 2022, at 20:07, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, "True identity of serial killer who dumped bodies in barrels in NH has been determined", "How a Jane Doe child case uncovered a serial killer, identified victims and changed the use of DNA forensics", "Woman, 2 children found in barrels in state park identified, officials say", "Timeline of Terry Peder RASMUSSEN and Marlyse Elizabeth HONEYCHURCH", "Cold-case murders of 4 females brought back to life by new images, DNA tests", "Investigators release new facial images of unidentified bodies in Allenstown cold case", "Investigators say decades-old homicide puzzle 'solvable', "Woman, girl unclaimed; Police search for names to go with two bodies; Aging mystery refuses to unravel", "Serial killer Terry Rasmussen's victims, known and unknown", "Names of murdered lost over decades: Police hope to identify bodies left in barrels", "Police turn to technology in latest attempt to solve grisly murders", "Authorities hope new 3D images will help ID victims in New Hampshire cold case", "New images released in Allenstown cold case", "New Hampshire cold case could have ties to Wisconsin", "Woman's '81 disappearance linked to steel drum bodies, DA says", "Drifter Bob Evans Eyed as Serial Killer, Tied to N.H. One of the brothers just pushed the barrel over. Now, the only question that remains is, who was the middle child, Terry Rasmussens daughter and fourth victim? Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.. [6] Aided by genetic genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter in 2015, Beaudin's daughter discovered her mother's identity and that the man she once thought had been her father was her kidnapper. If you have any information about these missing cases or others, please call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit its website at www.missingkids.org. Jenson arranged for Lisa to be taken to Southern California for two weeks with another family, Katherine and Richard Decker. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. [12][16] The cause of death for these children was also blunt force trauma. That's why I do these to get her identified and so that there's closure for the families involved here. Bear Brook is an American true crime podcast covering the Bear Brook murders. In October 2018, the New Hampshire Public Radio released a podcast called Bear Brook, which explored the bizarre, unique case. During this hunt, one of the brothers noticed an oil barrel while walking down a trail. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! [7], By 1978, Rasmussen was dating Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch. After his release, he assumed the name "Larry Vanner" and began living with chemist Eunsoon Jun in 2001. Investigators have concluded the woman and two of the children lived in the area where their bodies were found. 1971) and Sarah Lynn McWaters (b. Rasmussen is believed to be responsible for several other murders, including that of Denise Beaudin, his known girlfriend,[5] who disappeared in 1981. Similar posts also aided in the identifications of the victims. 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. He had an unofficial backyard marriage ceremony to Eunsoon Jun in Richmond that same year, though no marriage certificates were ever filed. [15], When Lisa was interviewed by detectives in 1986, they asked her if she had any siblings. 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. It was determined that they had been killed sometime between 1977 and 1985. It wasnt Rasmussens first time in prison, however hed just been using a different name. All the same guy., Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY at 9 p.m. After months of trial and error, Rae-Venter was able to use this method to identify the victims. These are the stories of the women and children he is suspected of killing, one he confessed to murdering and those whose lives he changed forever: Honeychurch, who was born in Connecticut in 1954, was married twice and had a daughter with each husband. A conversation with one of Terry Rasmussen's surviving children. Marie Vaughn was last seen with her mother and sister at a Thanksgiving gathering in 1978. They had been living with a man named Bob Evans. After Jenson disappeared, the Deckers were unable to complete the adoption and Lisa was taken into protective custody. Before that, hed been jailed in 1988 for driving a stolen vehicle under the name Gerry Mockerman, and even earlier in 1985 for drunk driving and child endangerment. It was there that she introduced her family to her boyfriend, Terry Rasmussen, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice. Golden State Killer's invisible victims: Men whose lives were . The Family in Barrels. [8], On November 10, 1985, a hunter found a metal 55-gallon drum near the site of a burned-down store at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. She married Sarah's father in September 1974, and the two were separated by the time she was known to be dating Rasmussen. Rasmussen, who had used several other aliases throughout his life,was named as a suspect in 2017. After an argument with her family, she left with Rasmussen and her two daughters, six-year-old Marie Elizabeth Vaughn and one-year-old Sarah Lynn McWaters. She also may have suffered from anemia. A fourth victim in the . A surprising admission leads to a new break in the case. Never contacted nobody. 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. [40], Sarah's younger half brother, who had never met her, created a post in 1999 on the Ancestry.com website in efforts to locate her. And for years, no one could put a name to them, instead referring to the Bear Brook murders.. [4] The identities of the middle child, who Rasmussen fathered, and her mother remain unknown. 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. Wikimedia CommonsFrom left: Marlyse Honeychurch, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, a still unidentified victim, and Sarah McWaters. The poster claimed to be McWaters half-sister. 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. Police built the case against him around his own taped confession. Beaudin and Dawn, an infant at the time, had gone missing from their home in Manchester, New Hampshire just after Thanksgiving in 1983. He was just a really, really bad man, one of the worst, Jensen said. [7] Based on the date they disappeared, available documents and Rasmussen's activities, the victims most likely died between 1978 and 1981. THE CHAMELEON KILLER 'Bear Brook Murders' Starcasm Staff September 5, 2021 The Chameleon Killer, True Crime For 30 years the killer of bodies found in barrels near Bear Brook State Park,. She went with Terry. At the same time, Barbara Rae-Venter, a genetic genealogist, independently used the victims DNA to identify them in a cutting-edge technique that required using autosomal DNA, which is found inside the cell nucleus. [32], Authorities said in 2018 that the Bear Brook woman was not Beaudin. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. [4][14] The two were buried in an Allenstown cemetery with a tombstone that read: "Here lies the mortal remains known only to God of a woman aged 23-33 and a girl child aged 8-10. Rebekah Becky Heath, the researcher and libararian who obsessively worked to discover Rasmussens victims identities. [6] They last saw Rasmussen around December 1975 or 1976, when he showed up with an unidentified woman. [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.