Possible evidence found in Molly Bish case

Investigation at campground continues

WEST BROOKFIELD – “We know that we found something,” said private investigator Sarah Stein. Compelling evidence has been found at a retired camp-ground in town using ground-penetrating radar in the most recent investigation of Molly Bish’s case on Thursday, June 14, she said. After 17 years, Stein believes the investigation is at a “critical juncture.”

For most of the day last Thursday, the team was searching on the property where confirmed anomalies were found under the surface of the earth through the use of ground-penetrating radar. Stein said the search team is not done yet and intends to return to the property. She also clarified that the current owners of the property are not the same as the people who owned it when the camp-ground was open.

“We did not fully realize the magnitude of the property,” said Stein. “There are plenty more areas that we need to search, but we did find some compelling information at the campground that will lead us back there in the next several subsequent days to hopefully get us evidence in the murder of Molly Bish.”

Molly Bish was abducted from her job as a lifeguard at Comins Pond in Warren on June 27, 2000, and 26 of her bones and a scrap of clothing were found in the woods on Whiskey Hill in Palmer three years later by a hunter.

With the help of Peter Massey, a forensics professor at the University of New Haven, and nine student volunteers, ground-penetrating technology was donated to search for a buried white car at the old campground. One of the areas where the search began, and where press met with Massey, was by a cell tower that was constructed around 2000 to 2001. Massey said, “What we look for with ground-penetrating radar are anomalies that are underground. Whether it be a rock, a tree, a conduit, piping or a vehicle. We found areas that we mapped out that were consistent pattern-wise with an area that would lead us to further investigation. We obviously won’t know until we excavate, pat-terns are somewhat consistent with what we’re looking for.”

While Massey and Stein could not confirm what they found, Massey stated an anomaly with a similar shape was identified, like the rectangular shape consistent with the shape of a car. This recent evidence of the alleged buried car, came about after two tip campaigns for Molly’s case were held. Stein and Heather Bish, Molly’s sister, held two campaigns. The first was in 2014, titled the “Just one piece” campaign because the police needed “just one piece” of evidence to solve the case. The second campaign was the “Just one car” campaign, because of the “suspicious” man smoking a cigarette in a white sedan at Comins Pond that Molly’s mother, Magi Bish, saw the day prior to Molly’s abduction in June of 2000. Heather said after the tips were categorized and “there were multiple corroborating tips on this place and this individual.”

According to Stein, four separate individuals gave tips regarding a new person of interest who was unknown to the State Police, who have continued to investigate the case since 2000. Stein said interviews with the individuals revealed the man stayed at the campground and the day or two following Molly’s abduction, he arrived at the campground disheveled and bloody. The white sedan was also mentioned, which was in bad shape when it was seen at the campground as well. She said he is an “extremely compelling person of interest.”

Heather said although burying a car is unusual, it is within the realm of possibility.

“There was a case in Monson about a buried truck that was involved in a hit and run,” said Heather Bish. “And another one, I think, about a buried 18-wheeler, so it is possible.” The Monson case involved a hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian on Dec. 31, 2015, and led to the conviction of Christopher Lemek Jr. this past February when he was found guilty of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident or death. Police found the truck Lemek was driving when he struck Gary LeBlanc buried in his Lemek’s backyard. Stein also added that the owners of the campground in the early 2000s had access to heavy machinery, which could have been used to bury a vehicle.

Stein also said that the male person of interest is “a dead-ringer” for the artist’s sketch of the man in the white sedan as described by Magi Bish. He is still alive, living in the state of Massachusetts and is currently a suspect until Stein can rule him out.

“The evidence we have is compelling, I have a report that is 30 pages long, single-spaced, of evidence on this person,” said Stein.

Magi Bish was on scene for a short time before the search began and said she hopes they find something.

“All we really want is justice for Molly. Someone did this to Molly,” she said. “I don’t know what his life was like.” She said, adding she had empathy for her daughter’s killer. “We don’t know why people do these evil things or what they do when we try to figure it out.”

“It’s been a long, long journey and I’m tired, and my poor husband, we’ve had a couple of difficult years,” she continued. “And I am thankful for people like this [patting Stein] who don’t give up on us. You people are just amazing. I’m telling you my heart is so full, I can’t tell you the love and the support that we’ve continued to have all these years is just amazing.”

After walking down to one of the search areas, Magi Bish met with Massey and the members of the search crew. She thanked them for their efforts and the time they were donating to help solve the case. She said while brushing away tears, “God, please let there be something. This would be wonderful for all of us if we could finally take this to the end and just have peace. That’s what I want.”

At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Stein said while they can’t confirm what anomalies they saw, however, they did find “very compelling areas of interest and items on the surface of the ground that would lead us to believe that something is buried.”She added that the next step is to return to the property, do extensive mapping because of the size of the property, but “we do believe there is relevant evidence at that sight.”Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early’s office and the State Police crime lab services will handle any necessary excavations.

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