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DEBORAH LYNN MCCONNELL

SUMMARY

Deborah Lynn McConnell is believed to have been the third victim of the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer and was the only known Rhode Island resident. 


The 25-year-old lived in Newport, RI. She was last seen by her father in May 1988, after she buried her mother at a local cemetery. Deborah was found by a cadaver canine conducting a search on December 1, 1988, off Route 140 northbound in Freetown, MA. The young mother was nude, with a bra twisted around her neck. 


It took investigators until March 1989 to identify Deborah’s remains — seven months after she was last seen —because of the degree of decomposition. 


Aside from her daughter, Deborah left behind her father, a brother, and two sisters. She is buried in Middletown Cemetery in Middletown, RI. 

Photo Gallery

Original image of Deborah Lynn McConnell. 

    CAN YOU HELP SOLVE DEBORAH'S CASE?

    If you have any information that can lead to the identification of the individual(s) responsible for Deborah's death, please reach out to Massachusetts State Police Lt. Ann Marie Robertson using the quick-click tip button below.

    CALL IN A TIP

    LEARN MORE ON UNCOVERED

    CLICK HERE

    SOURCES and special thanks

    Sources

    •   Find a Grave Memorial – RI Researcher Gal – Deborah Lynn McConnell – July 26, 2014
    • 1420 WBSM – Kate Robinson – Bristol County DA to Expand Missing Persons Search – Aug. 10, 2022
    • Bristol County District Attorney’s Office – Unsolved Cases – Accessed Oct. 18, 2022
    • The Newport Daily News – Matt Sheley – With new book, author recounts investigation of New Bedford Highway Serial Killer– Dec. 18, 2017 
    • The Standard-Times – Linda Roy – Is Route 140 cursed? What we know about the many deaths associated with the highway – July 17, 2021
    • WikiMili – New Bedford Highway Killer – Accessed Oct. 18, 2022
    • Southcoast Murders & Mysteries – Highway Murders 1988-1989 – Accessed Oct. 18, 2022
    • Wicked Crime: a Massachusetts True Crime Podcast – Episode Fifteen: The Unsolved New Bedford Highway Killings – Nov. 15, 2020

    Special Thanks

    Unsolved R.I. gives special thanks to Maureen Boyle, award-winning journalist, New England crime reporter, author and Stonehill College journalism program director, for her extensive work to help support the New Bedford Highway victims. Click the button below to learn more about Maureen's novel, "Shallow Graves: The Hunt for the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer," which inspired the Unsolved R.I. team's effort. 

    Join the Hunt Here

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