1 00:00:00,758 --> 00:00:05,103 ♪♪ 2 00:00:05,206 --> 00:00:08,379 -It's been 7,680 days 3 00:00:08,482 --> 00:00:10,551 since my sister disappeared, 4 00:00:10,655 --> 00:00:14,379 and I've been waiting for answers on what happened to her. 5 00:00:14,482 --> 00:00:16,274 -This is one of those cases 6 00:00:16,379 --> 00:00:19,862 that has haunted me my entire career. 7 00:00:19,965 --> 00:00:21,448 I was there from day one. 8 00:00:21,551 --> 00:00:24,655 This could be a very significant break in this case. 9 00:00:27,724 --> 00:00:32,206 June 27, 2000, I was a reporter at WBZ-TV in Boston. 10 00:00:32,310 --> 00:00:35,896 We received word that there was a teenager missing 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,724 in Warren, Massachusetts. 12 00:00:37,827 --> 00:00:40,310 It was a lifeguard who was supposed to 13 00:00:40,413 --> 00:00:43,000 be working at this pond. 14 00:00:43,103 --> 00:00:46,620 -Do you remember coming here? -Yes. 15 00:00:46,724 --> 00:00:48,620 It started like every other missing-person case 16 00:00:48,724 --> 00:00:49,931 that I've ever worked. 17 00:00:50,034 --> 00:00:54,275 -And about what time did Molly arrive here? 18 00:00:54,379 --> 00:00:59,000 -We believe sometime after 9:50. 19 00:00:59,931 --> 00:01:01,896 Molly went to work that day. 20 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,931 It was her eighth day as a lifeguard at Comins Pond. 21 00:01:05,034 --> 00:01:06,827 She drove with her mom to work. 22 00:01:06,931 --> 00:01:10,965 She stopped at a XtraMart and purchased a bottle of water. 23 00:01:11,068 --> 00:01:14,827 She went to the police station, secured a police radio. 24 00:01:14,931 --> 00:01:16,965 Her mom and she then drove the short distance 25 00:01:17,068 --> 00:01:19,206 down to Comins Pond. 26 00:01:19,310 --> 00:01:21,482 -I was with Molly, and I dropped her off, 27 00:01:21,586 --> 00:01:23,000 and everything seemed fine. 28 00:01:23,103 --> 00:01:25,896 -And the rest is a mystery at this point. 29 00:01:27,689 --> 00:01:29,655 -And what was left behind? 30 00:01:29,758 --> 00:01:31,586 -Chair. Radio. 31 00:01:31,689 --> 00:01:32,931 Her flip-flops. A bottle of water. 32 00:01:33,033 --> 00:01:34,793 It was all right there. 33 00:01:34,896 --> 00:01:36,344 -They said that she was dr-- 34 00:01:36,448 --> 00:01:38,172 -Possibly -She possibly drowned. 35 00:01:38,275 --> 00:01:40,206 Knowing that she probably didn't. 36 00:01:40,310 --> 00:01:42,862 But I ran into the water. -He did. 37 00:01:42,965 --> 00:01:45,723 He was trying to get to the deep end. 38 00:01:45,827 --> 00:01:48,517 -You're just going on adrenaline. 39 00:01:48,620 --> 00:01:50,310 And it's your baby sister. 40 00:01:50,413 --> 00:01:51,827 [ Dog barking ] 41 00:01:51,931 --> 00:01:54,482 -You saw, you know, fire boats coming in. 42 00:01:54,586 --> 00:01:56,793 You saw dive teams coming in. 43 00:01:56,896 --> 00:02:00,655 ♪♪ 44 00:02:00,758 --> 00:02:05,586 The state police helicopter was hovering from up above. 45 00:02:05,689 --> 00:02:08,240 They had cadets from the state police... 46 00:02:08,344 --> 00:02:10,827 -Take your time! -...doing grid searches 47 00:02:10,931 --> 00:02:13,620 all throughout the town, in the woods. 48 00:02:13,724 --> 00:02:17,000 And they were stopping cars. 49 00:02:17,103 --> 00:02:18,344 -Was it an abduction? 50 00:02:18,448 --> 00:02:21,241 Did she drown? Did she walk away? 51 00:02:21,344 --> 00:02:22,965 -I was, like, frantic. 52 00:02:23,068 --> 00:02:24,827 My mom and I were frantic. 53 00:02:24,931 --> 00:02:27,344 And we were just staring into this pond 54 00:02:27,448 --> 00:02:29,379 like it'll resurrect her 55 00:02:29,482 --> 00:02:31,206 or it'll tell us what happened to her 56 00:02:31,310 --> 00:02:33,517 like it had the answers that we didn't have. 57 00:02:33,620 --> 00:02:36,379 -We had to sleep with not knowing where she was 58 00:02:36,482 --> 00:02:38,724 the first time in our life. 59 00:02:39,965 --> 00:02:43,067 -You were actually on this case from the very beginning. 60 00:02:43,172 --> 00:02:45,448 -Yes, my role was as the anthropologist, 61 00:02:45,551 --> 00:02:47,067 the archaeologist. 62 00:02:47,172 --> 00:02:49,241 They were coming to me and saying, "Dr. Mires. 63 00:02:49,344 --> 00:02:51,758 We're not finding her. Where could she be?" 64 00:02:51,862 --> 00:02:54,482 They were focusing down around Comins Pond, 65 00:02:54,586 --> 00:02:56,896 and I said, "You need to branch out." 66 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,793 ♪♪ 67 00:02:59,896 --> 00:03:02,827 -The months went by, the years went by, 68 00:03:02,931 --> 00:03:05,000 and then the decades went by. 69 00:03:05,103 --> 00:03:07,827 -So that's when I became a warrior. 70 00:03:07,931 --> 00:03:09,793 Ever since that day, I've been trying to find 71 00:03:09,896 --> 00:03:11,482 the person who took my sister. 72 00:03:11,586 --> 00:03:12,965 I'm asking you for help. 73 00:03:13,068 --> 00:03:14,931 I picked up that sword 74 00:03:15,034 --> 00:03:18,137 and I started marching on. 75 00:03:18,241 --> 00:03:19,827 To the man responsible 76 00:03:19,931 --> 00:03:22,482 for the abduction of my sister, Molly Bish, 77 00:03:22,586 --> 00:03:24,896 I want you to know I'm coming for you. 78 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,172 I will never give up. 79 00:03:26,275 --> 00:03:28,034 Maybe we won't know why, 80 00:03:28,137 --> 00:03:29,862 but we at least deserve to know who. 81 00:03:29,965 --> 00:03:31,517 I will use science. 82 00:03:31,620 --> 00:03:33,517 I will use technology. 83 00:03:33,620 --> 00:03:35,620 I will use my voice. 84 00:03:35,724 --> 00:03:38,344 I will not stop screaming from the mountaintops 85 00:03:38,448 --> 00:03:40,206 for justice for Molly. 86 00:03:40,310 --> 00:03:43,137 I'm coming for you. I'm coming. 87 00:03:44,517 --> 00:03:53,517 ♪♪ 88 00:03:53,620 --> 00:04:02,965 ♪♪ 89 00:04:03,068 --> 00:04:10,931 ♪♪ 90 00:04:11,034 --> 00:04:13,310 ♪♪ 91 00:04:17,586 --> 00:04:25,103 ♪♪ 92 00:04:25,206 --> 00:04:28,241 [ Overlapping dialogue ] 93 00:04:28,344 --> 00:04:29,862 -Have you heard of Molly Bish? 94 00:04:29,965 --> 00:04:31,482 She looks like this. 95 00:04:31,586 --> 00:04:33,448 She was abducted in 2000. 96 00:04:33,551 --> 00:04:35,620 She was only 16 years old. 97 00:04:35,724 --> 00:04:40,206 -In 2021, two decades after her sister went missing, 98 00:04:40,310 --> 00:04:43,793 Heather Bish did something she never thought she would do. 99 00:04:43,896 --> 00:04:47,482 -40-year-old me got into the TikTok game. 100 00:04:47,586 --> 00:04:49,862 It's allowed me to, like, share my story 101 00:04:49,965 --> 00:04:52,206 and share Molly's story and really just be honest. 102 00:04:52,310 --> 00:04:57,827 It's been 7,680 days since my sister disappeared, 103 00:04:57,931 --> 00:05:01,206 and I've been waiting for answers on what happened to her. 104 00:05:01,310 --> 00:05:05,137 -She hopes that by going public with her TikTok videos online, 105 00:05:05,241 --> 00:05:06,793 she will generate tips 106 00:05:06,896 --> 00:05:09,689 that will finally solve her sister's case 107 00:05:09,793 --> 00:05:14,034 and put an end to a painful 25-year-old mystery. 108 00:05:14,137 --> 00:05:18,724 -If you know something, please say something. 109 00:05:18,827 --> 00:05:21,206 The wait needs to be over. 110 00:05:21,310 --> 00:05:24,724 -The last time Heather Bish saw her little sister, Molly, 111 00:05:24,827 --> 00:05:28,206 was the morning of June 27, 2000, 112 00:05:28,310 --> 00:05:32,000 just before Molly left for her job as a lifeguard 113 00:05:32,103 --> 00:05:36,241 at Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts. 114 00:05:36,344 --> 00:05:40,413 Molly was playing with Heather's 11-month-old daughter, Mikaela. 115 00:05:40,517 --> 00:05:42,275 -She was having fun with Mikaela, 116 00:05:42,379 --> 00:05:44,000 and I remember my mom saying, "Come on. We gotta go. 117 00:05:44,103 --> 00:05:46,172 We gotta go. You're gonna be late." 118 00:05:46,275 --> 00:05:48,655 -But shortly after Molly was dropped off, 119 00:05:48,758 --> 00:05:52,551 beachgoers arrived, and she wasn't there. 120 00:05:52,655 --> 00:05:55,620 Police were eventually called to the scene. 121 00:05:55,724 --> 00:05:58,172 By the time they told Magi Bish, 122 00:05:58,275 --> 00:06:01,758 Molly had been missing for three hours. 123 00:06:01,862 --> 00:06:03,758 -And my mom was frantic on the phone. 124 00:06:03,862 --> 00:06:05,655 She said, "She's not there. She's not there. 125 00:06:05,758 --> 00:06:06,724 Her shoes are there." 126 00:06:06,827 --> 00:06:07,965 My heart dropped. 127 00:06:08,068 --> 00:06:09,551 I just knew something was wrong 128 00:06:09,655 --> 00:06:11,965 because I knew Molly wouldn't go anywhere without her shoes on. 129 00:06:12,068 --> 00:06:13,068 -Why? 130 00:06:13,172 --> 00:06:16,000 -Because she didn't like icky feet. 131 00:06:16,103 --> 00:06:18,655 -When you first heard that she was missing, 132 00:06:18,758 --> 00:06:20,896 did you think maybe she had... 133 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,103 -No. -...gone out with friends? 134 00:06:22,206 --> 00:06:23,241 -No. 135 00:06:23,344 --> 00:06:25,482 -John Jr. is Molly Bish's brother. 136 00:06:25,586 --> 00:06:26,793 -It's not what we do. 137 00:06:26,896 --> 00:06:28,448 It's not our personality, our character. 138 00:06:28,551 --> 00:06:30,931 We were raised better than that. 139 00:06:31,034 --> 00:06:34,482 -16-year-old Molly was Magi and John Bish's 140 00:06:34,586 --> 00:06:36,931 third and youngest child. 141 00:06:37,034 --> 00:06:41,034 "48 Hours" interviewed John back in 2003. 142 00:06:41,137 --> 00:06:44,068 -She was heavily involved in school, with sports, 143 00:06:44,172 --> 00:06:45,758 with her friends. 144 00:06:45,862 --> 00:06:48,965 -Molly was an honor-roll student, varsity athlete, 145 00:06:49,068 --> 00:06:53,241 and she had just completed her junior year of high school. 146 00:06:53,344 --> 00:06:57,068 -Molly was just very loud and fun. 147 00:06:57,172 --> 00:07:00,551 -Heather says despite their six-year age difference, 148 00:07:00,655 --> 00:07:02,862 they were extremely close. 149 00:07:02,965 --> 00:07:05,275 It was a bond she had had with Molly 150 00:07:05,379 --> 00:07:07,827 ever since the day she was born. 151 00:07:07,931 --> 00:07:11,379 -I do remember thinking that, "Oh, that baby is my baby, too. 152 00:07:11,482 --> 00:07:13,275 I'm gonna teach her everything I know. 153 00:07:13,379 --> 00:07:16,620 and, um, you know, we're gonna do this life together." 154 00:07:16,724 --> 00:07:21,034 -Molly also had a close relationship with her brother. 155 00:07:21,137 --> 00:07:23,344 -She very much wanted to be like my brother. 156 00:07:23,448 --> 00:07:24,931 -I took her underneath my wing. 157 00:07:25,034 --> 00:07:26,413 You know? I was a lifeguard before her. 158 00:07:26,517 --> 00:07:28,172 She wanted to be a lifeguard. 159 00:07:28,275 --> 00:07:29,965 We played soccer together, baseball together. 160 00:07:30,068 --> 00:07:31,482 -Molly was 5'7". 161 00:07:31,586 --> 00:07:34,827 You know, she was athletic and in shape and strong. 162 00:07:34,931 --> 00:07:38,482 -So when police suggested that Molly could have drowned, 163 00:07:38,586 --> 00:07:40,275 they didn't believe it. 164 00:07:40,379 --> 00:07:44,448 -When Molly went missing, I mean, it was inconceivable. 165 00:07:44,551 --> 00:07:47,655 And then what I was told was the first-aid kit was open. 166 00:07:47,758 --> 00:07:51,172 -Adding to the mystery, the police radio was there, 167 00:07:51,275 --> 00:07:55,758 but Molly had not used it for her required morning check-in. 168 00:07:55,862 --> 00:07:58,689 -Why? So what was -- What happened? 169 00:07:58,793 --> 00:08:00,620 [ Chatter ] 170 00:08:00,724 --> 00:08:04,344 ♪♪ 171 00:08:04,448 --> 00:08:05,862 -Later that afternoon, 172 00:08:05,965 --> 00:08:07,758 when it became clear to local police 173 00:08:07,862 --> 00:08:11,137 that Molly had not just walked off with friends... 174 00:08:11,241 --> 00:08:14,310 -The K-9 commences water search. 175 00:08:14,413 --> 00:08:17,206 -...state police took over the investigation 176 00:08:17,310 --> 00:08:20,310 and launched an extensive search. 177 00:08:20,413 --> 00:08:21,758 -We're looking for a 16-year-old. 178 00:08:21,862 --> 00:08:23,275 Name's Molly Anne Bish. 179 00:08:23,379 --> 00:08:25,758 She's the lifeguard up at the town beach. 180 00:08:25,862 --> 00:08:29,551 -Massachusetts State Police Lieutenant Colonel Dan Richard 181 00:08:29,655 --> 00:08:31,931 headed to Warren to help out. 182 00:08:32,034 --> 00:08:34,448 -I had a 3-year-old daughter. Her name was Molly. 183 00:08:34,551 --> 00:08:37,448 She had blond hair. She has blue eyes. 184 00:08:37,551 --> 00:08:40,309 This case has every day been with me 185 00:08:40,413 --> 00:08:41,793 from that day till today. 186 00:08:41,895 --> 00:08:43,688 -Also present at the scene 187 00:08:43,793 --> 00:08:47,137 was then Worcester District Attorney John Conte. 188 00:08:47,241 --> 00:08:50,758 -The state police are working around the clock on this. 189 00:08:50,862 --> 00:08:53,103 Okay? 190 00:08:53,206 --> 00:08:57,206 -Detectives zeroed in on everyone who was close to Molly, 191 00:08:57,310 --> 00:08:59,689 including family members, friends, 192 00:08:59,793 --> 00:09:03,000 and Molly's boyfriend, Steven Lukas. 193 00:09:03,103 --> 00:09:05,275 They had only been dating for three months 194 00:09:05,379 --> 00:09:08,517 and had just gone to the prom together. 195 00:09:08,620 --> 00:09:10,655 -What raised some suspicion 196 00:09:10,758 --> 00:09:14,344 was that Steven Lukas had a fat lip 197 00:09:14,448 --> 00:09:16,655 and he had some scratches on him. 198 00:09:16,758 --> 00:09:21,103 -Former WBZ investigative reporter Kathy Curran. 199 00:09:21,206 --> 00:09:24,896 -Could a young kid pull off this crime 200 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,931 in such a short amount of time? 201 00:09:28,034 --> 00:09:32,620 -The Bishes never believed that Steven was involved. 202 00:09:32,724 --> 00:09:35,275 Within 24 hours, authorities 203 00:09:35,379 --> 00:09:39,034 were looking at known sex offenders in the area. 204 00:09:39,137 --> 00:09:44,241 -We've looked at 35 to 45 sex offenders in the area. 205 00:09:44,344 --> 00:09:46,241 -That's been the scariest part about all this, 206 00:09:46,344 --> 00:09:48,931 is realizing how many bad people 207 00:09:49,034 --> 00:09:52,413 were within the fabric of our community. 208 00:09:52,517 --> 00:09:55,965 -Molly's dad worked tirelessly with police. 209 00:09:56,068 --> 00:09:57,793 -He was always going every weekend, 210 00:09:57,896 --> 00:09:59,655 trying to work with the police and trying to find 211 00:09:59,758 --> 00:10:01,965 different ways to to find Molly. 212 00:10:02,068 --> 00:10:04,310 -And despite the fact that DNA testing 213 00:10:04,413 --> 00:10:08,241 was still in its early stages back in 2000, 214 00:10:08,344 --> 00:10:10,931 Detective Richard says they did collect 215 00:10:11,034 --> 00:10:15,758 and document many items found in and around the pond area, 216 00:10:15,862 --> 00:10:18,862 including discarded cigarettes and trash. 217 00:10:18,965 --> 00:10:20,620 -When we did the initial search, 218 00:10:20,724 --> 00:10:24,068 anything that wasn't there by nature or by God 219 00:10:24,172 --> 00:10:28,034 was at least identified as potential evidence. 220 00:10:28,137 --> 00:10:29,724 [ Organ playing ] 221 00:10:29,827 --> 00:10:34,275 -As the days went by, the Bishes' despair grew. 222 00:10:34,379 --> 00:10:38,517 -It wasn't like Molly was hit by a car or got sick. 223 00:10:38,620 --> 00:10:40,620 She was just suddenly gone, 224 00:10:40,724 --> 00:10:42,620 and we didn't know where she was. 225 00:10:42,724 --> 00:10:44,586 -But it would be Magi Bish 226 00:10:44,689 --> 00:10:48,758 who would give detectives their biggest lead. 227 00:10:48,862 --> 00:10:51,206 -We pulled into the parking lot here. 228 00:10:51,310 --> 00:10:53,379 -The morning before Molly disappeared, 229 00:10:53,482 --> 00:10:57,689 as Magi went to drop Molly off at work at Comins Pond, 230 00:10:57,793 --> 00:11:01,689 she recalled seeing a man sitting alone in a white car 231 00:11:01,793 --> 00:11:04,000 that resembled this one. 232 00:11:04,103 --> 00:11:06,379 -And I see this guy, and he's just smoking a cigarette, 233 00:11:06,482 --> 00:11:08,827 and he just gives me, like, a little look. 234 00:11:08,931 --> 00:11:10,724 And I said, "Oh, I can't leave her here." 235 00:11:10,827 --> 00:11:12,655 You know, it's like the mama bear comes out. 236 00:11:12,758 --> 00:11:16,931 -Magi says she waited for 20 minutes until he finally left. 237 00:11:17,034 --> 00:11:19,620 When she brought it up with Molly that evening, 238 00:11:19,724 --> 00:11:22,379 Molly didn't seem concerned. 239 00:11:22,482 --> 00:11:24,275 -She says, "Oh, no, Ma. It's just fishermen. 240 00:11:24,379 --> 00:11:26,000 Don't be -- I'm not afraid." 241 00:11:26,103 --> 00:11:28,724 -The next day, when Molly disappeared, 242 00:11:28,827 --> 00:11:32,206 Magi told the police about what she had seen. 243 00:11:32,310 --> 00:11:33,620 -That became very significant 244 00:11:33,724 --> 00:11:35,862 because now we had a piece of information. 245 00:11:35,965 --> 00:11:39,793 -A sketch was composed based on Magi's description, 246 00:11:39,896 --> 00:11:41,896 and it was released to the public. 247 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:43,275 -This is the individual 248 00:11:43,379 --> 00:11:47,413 that we're looking for in that white car. 249 00:11:47,517 --> 00:11:50,862 -I had seen the hair. It was gray. It was very thick. 250 00:11:50,965 --> 00:11:53,068 It's just that smoking, you know? 251 00:11:53,172 --> 00:11:55,827 That doggone smoke. And that's what I remembered. 252 00:11:55,931 --> 00:11:59,689 -Almost immediately, hundreds of tips started flooding in. 253 00:11:59,793 --> 00:12:02,586 -If you were a 50-year-old white male with a mustache 254 00:12:02,689 --> 00:12:04,000 and salt and pepper hair, 255 00:12:04,103 --> 00:12:06,517 somebody may have wanted to give us a call. 256 00:12:06,620 --> 00:12:08,103 [ Chatter ] 257 00:12:08,206 --> 00:12:10,448 -Many months later, authorities released 258 00:12:10,551 --> 00:12:13,413 a second, different sketch. 259 00:12:13,517 --> 00:12:17,448 -I believe that this sketch is a remarkable sketch, 260 00:12:17,551 --> 00:12:19,586 and it's very distinctive, 261 00:12:19,689 --> 00:12:23,724 and I think it's gonna help us a great deal. 262 00:12:23,827 --> 00:12:26,517 -But still no Molly. 263 00:12:26,620 --> 00:12:30,310 -I think that's what makes this case so difficult. 264 00:12:30,413 --> 00:12:35,241 You know? You have so many people who resemble that sketch. 265 00:12:35,344 --> 00:12:40,103 ♪♪ 266 00:12:40,206 --> 00:12:43,379 -You know, when time kept going and passing, 267 00:12:43,482 --> 00:12:45,206 you knew it wasn't good. 268 00:12:45,310 --> 00:12:47,517 You just know that somebody either has her, 269 00:12:47,620 --> 00:12:49,448 and that's horrendous. 270 00:12:49,551 --> 00:12:53,448 -And then almost three years after Molly disappeared... 271 00:12:53,551 --> 00:12:56,793 -Live from Warren, Kathy Curran, WBZ-4 News. 272 00:12:56,896 --> 00:12:59,103 -...police were notified that a bathing suit 273 00:12:59,206 --> 00:13:01,413 had been found in the woods 274 00:13:01,517 --> 00:13:04,862 just five miles from Comins Pond. 275 00:13:04,965 --> 00:13:07,931 -It's the first major break in this case in years 276 00:13:08,034 --> 00:13:11,137 and a very anxious time for Molly's parents. 277 00:13:19,758 --> 00:13:28,965 ♪♪ 278 00:13:29,068 --> 00:13:31,206 -Do you remember the very first time you came here? 279 00:13:31,310 --> 00:13:32,827 -Yes, I do. 280 00:13:32,931 --> 00:13:36,068 It was May of 2003. 281 00:13:36,172 --> 00:13:38,172 We came here for what we thought would be 282 00:13:38,275 --> 00:13:40,137 the recovery of Molly Bish. 283 00:13:40,241 --> 00:13:43,103 -Three years after Molly Bish disappeared, 284 00:13:43,206 --> 00:13:46,586 Dr. Ann Marie Mires, a forensic anthropologist 285 00:13:46,689 --> 00:13:49,655 for the Boston Medical Examiner's Office, 286 00:13:49,758 --> 00:13:54,241 was summoned by police to the area known as Whiskey Hill, 287 00:13:54,344 --> 00:13:57,965 located about 5 miles from Comins Pond. 288 00:13:58,068 --> 00:14:02,172 ♪♪ 289 00:14:02,275 --> 00:14:03,896 -This is how we came in at first. 290 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,793 So, right above us here are these rock ledges, 291 00:14:06,896 --> 00:14:08,413 and this is where the bathing suit was found. 292 00:14:10,310 --> 00:14:12,275 -A local hunter had stumbled upon 293 00:14:12,379 --> 00:14:15,551 pieces of a weather-beaten blue bathing suit 294 00:14:15,655 --> 00:14:18,275 much like the one that Molly Bish was wearing 295 00:14:18,379 --> 00:14:19,931 when she disappeared. 296 00:14:20,034 --> 00:14:22,482 -When I saw the bathing suit, I said, 297 00:14:22,586 --> 00:14:25,344 "This has probably been up here for roughly three years." 298 00:14:25,448 --> 00:14:26,793 -And how could you tell? 299 00:14:26,896 --> 00:14:30,172 -It was covered by deadfall, so leaves and debris, 300 00:14:30,275 --> 00:14:33,379 from three years of foliage dropping. 301 00:14:33,482 --> 00:14:36,793 But then it had also grown into the surface, 302 00:14:36,896 --> 00:14:40,103 and roots had come up through it. 303 00:14:40,206 --> 00:14:45,068 -I arrived with my photographer, and I was let in. 304 00:14:45,172 --> 00:14:46,517 -Acting on a tip, 305 00:14:46,620 --> 00:14:49,517 Kathy Curran and her crew got there in time 306 00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:52,137 to take pictures of the bathing suit. 307 00:14:52,241 --> 00:14:53,724 What's going through your head? 308 00:14:53,827 --> 00:14:56,310 -I was sick to my stomach. 309 00:14:58,068 --> 00:15:01,862 Just thinking about Magi and John... 310 00:15:03,896 --> 00:15:06,448 ...and knowing what it could mean. 311 00:15:07,551 --> 00:15:12,275 -As Kathy left Whiskey Hill, she called Magi. 312 00:15:12,379 --> 00:15:18,034 -And she said, you know, "Could you show us the video?" 313 00:15:18,137 --> 00:15:20,724 And I said, "Magi, you know, 314 00:15:20,827 --> 00:15:22,862 I really don't want to do that, 315 00:15:22,965 --> 00:15:26,379 but, you know, if that's what you want to do, 316 00:15:26,482 --> 00:15:29,103 I want to do whatever I can to help." 317 00:15:30,448 --> 00:15:31,965 -She just had the little van, 318 00:15:32,068 --> 00:15:34,931 and it had the six little TVs or whatever inside, 319 00:15:35,034 --> 00:15:37,310 and she showed it to us. 320 00:15:38,482 --> 00:15:40,448 -So distinctive. 321 00:15:40,551 --> 00:15:48,068 ♪♪ 322 00:15:48,172 --> 00:15:50,103 It looks like hers. 323 00:15:50,206 --> 00:15:57,344 ♪♪ 324 00:15:57,448 --> 00:16:00,896 ♪♪ 325 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,379 -And I knew. 326 00:16:02,482 --> 00:16:04,137 I knew that was Molly's bathing suit 327 00:16:04,241 --> 00:16:06,689 right then and there. 328 00:16:06,793 --> 00:16:09,206 -Let's go in the house. -Come on. 329 00:16:09,310 --> 00:16:11,931 -And I went up and I locked myself in the room. 330 00:16:12,034 --> 00:16:13,758 I cried so hard. There was nothing. 331 00:16:13,862 --> 00:16:16,068 I was gut-wrenched. 332 00:16:16,172 --> 00:16:20,000 -It was one of the toughest days of my career. 333 00:16:20,103 --> 00:16:22,379 ♪♪ 334 00:16:22,482 --> 00:16:25,034 Because, you know, 335 00:16:25,137 --> 00:16:28,517 for three years, there was still hope. 336 00:16:30,137 --> 00:16:33,103 And she knew at that moment 337 00:16:33,206 --> 00:16:36,827 that something was drastically wrong 338 00:16:36,931 --> 00:16:39,655 and something horrible had happened. 339 00:16:40,862 --> 00:16:43,275 -Investigators sent the bathing suit 340 00:16:43,379 --> 00:16:46,275 to the Massachusetts State Police lab 341 00:16:46,379 --> 00:16:50,586 and a private lab in Virginia for DNA testing. 342 00:16:50,689 --> 00:16:52,793 -So now we've got to search the area 343 00:16:52,896 --> 00:16:54,896 and see if we can find evidence 344 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,896 that can help us determine what happened up there. 345 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:02,758 ♪♪ 346 00:17:02,862 --> 00:17:05,689 -As they waited for DNA results, 347 00:17:05,792 --> 00:17:07,931 under Dr. Mires' instruction... 348 00:17:08,034 --> 00:17:10,205 -You all know what we're looking for. 349 00:17:10,310 --> 00:17:12,862 -...a new search was launched. 350 00:17:12,964 --> 00:17:17,448 ♪♪ 351 00:17:17,550 --> 00:17:20,068 -And that's when I basically said, 352 00:17:20,172 --> 00:17:23,827 "We're going to grid this area." 353 00:17:23,931 --> 00:17:26,344 -Anyone who has compasses, we're working off 110. 354 00:17:26,448 --> 00:17:28,000 -110 magnetic. 355 00:17:28,103 --> 00:17:30,172 -We did grid searching arm-to-arm. 356 00:17:30,275 --> 00:17:32,000 They were within sight of each other. 357 00:17:32,103 --> 00:17:34,344 They raked. 358 00:17:34,448 --> 00:17:37,931 They combed the forest with rakes. 359 00:17:38,034 --> 00:17:40,482 -And had any of that area been searched before? 360 00:17:40,586 --> 00:17:41,724 -No. 361 00:17:41,827 --> 00:17:44,275 -When John Bish arrived to the scene, 362 00:17:44,379 --> 00:17:47,482 Dr. Mires assured him of one thing. 363 00:17:47,586 --> 00:17:49,310 -You know, I looked him straight in the face 364 00:17:49,413 --> 00:17:52,172 and I shook his hand and I said, "Mr. Bish, 365 00:17:52,275 --> 00:17:55,103 if your daughter's remains are here, 366 00:17:55,206 --> 00:17:57,862 we're gonna bring her home to you." 367 00:17:57,965 --> 00:17:59,551 -D.A. John Conte announced 368 00:17:59,655 --> 00:18:04,172 that the DNA results came back as inconclusive. 369 00:18:04,275 --> 00:18:07,517 The search continued and intensified. 370 00:18:07,620 --> 00:18:11,275 ♪♪ 371 00:18:11,379 --> 00:18:13,034 -And it was the biggest search 372 00:18:13,137 --> 00:18:15,793 that's ever been conducted in Massachusetts history. 373 00:18:15,896 --> 00:18:21,310 -And almost two weeks later, they made an horrific discovery. 374 00:18:21,413 --> 00:18:24,103 -This afternoon, 375 00:18:24,206 --> 00:18:28,965 we did discover a human bone. 376 00:18:29,068 --> 00:18:31,034 It's the upper arm bone. 377 00:18:31,137 --> 00:18:34,413 And Dr. Mires does describe it 378 00:18:34,517 --> 00:18:37,068 as the bone of a person 379 00:18:37,172 --> 00:18:41,724 between 14 and 20 years of age. 380 00:18:41,827 --> 00:18:44,655 -What did that feel like to finally find a bone? 381 00:18:44,758 --> 00:18:46,172 -Unbelievable. 382 00:18:46,275 --> 00:18:48,551 But immediately I thought of the family. 383 00:18:48,655 --> 00:18:52,448 -We've now established the area as a crime-scene area. 384 00:18:52,551 --> 00:18:55,000 -As days went by, investigators 385 00:18:55,103 --> 00:18:58,586 would come to find more human bones. 386 00:18:58,689 --> 00:19:01,620 -It was, like, every day, they came with small rib bones. 387 00:19:01,724 --> 00:19:03,379 It was, like, oh, agonizing. 388 00:19:03,482 --> 00:19:05,793 And, you know, they were trying to find Molly. 389 00:19:05,896 --> 00:19:09,241 And we went out every morning. We thanked the searchers. 390 00:19:09,344 --> 00:19:11,172 We were so grateful that people 391 00:19:11,275 --> 00:19:13,827 continued to look and help us find Moll. 392 00:19:13,931 --> 00:19:16,206 -By the end of the three-week search, 393 00:19:16,310 --> 00:19:20,137 investigators found as many as 27 bones 394 00:19:20,241 --> 00:19:22,034 and a human skull 395 00:19:22,137 --> 00:19:25,965 spread across 35 acres of forest. 396 00:19:26,068 --> 00:19:28,827 It was confirmed through DNA testing 397 00:19:28,931 --> 00:19:31,448 and dental identification 398 00:19:31,551 --> 00:19:34,275 that the bones were Molly's. 399 00:19:34,379 --> 00:19:37,034 Dr. Mires believes that Molly's killer 400 00:19:37,137 --> 00:19:39,689 most likely picked Whiskey Hill 401 00:19:39,793 --> 00:19:42,517 because of its hidden location. 402 00:19:42,620 --> 00:19:45,103 Do you believe the killer might have been a hunter, 403 00:19:45,206 --> 00:19:47,241 being that familiar with the area? 404 00:19:47,344 --> 00:19:49,000 -It's possible. It's possible. 405 00:19:49,103 --> 00:19:51,965 -She also believes that after Molly was killed, 406 00:19:52,068 --> 00:19:55,103 a mountain lion may have scattered her remains 407 00:19:55,206 --> 00:19:58,344 among the 35 acres of forest. 408 00:19:58,448 --> 00:20:03,103 -I often felt that the person knew the area 409 00:20:03,206 --> 00:20:08,103 and knew that there was a large animal up there. 410 00:20:08,206 --> 00:20:14,103 ♪♪ 411 00:20:14,206 --> 00:20:17,241 -We want to tell you that Molly's come home. 412 00:20:20,517 --> 00:20:23,896 We are extremely saddened. 413 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,620 The depth of our sadness no family should have to endure. 414 00:20:29,275 --> 00:20:32,241 -With the discovery of her sister's remains, 415 00:20:32,344 --> 00:20:36,620 Heather had a hard time accepting the tragic news. 416 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,689 -I wanted to run away. Honestly. 417 00:20:39,793 --> 00:20:43,862 I just wanted to run outside of this nightmare 418 00:20:43,965 --> 00:20:47,551 and this life and maybe my -- even my own body. 419 00:20:47,655 --> 00:20:53,172 But I remember feeling like I wanted to run away immensely. 420 00:20:53,275 --> 00:20:58,379 -The search for Molly Bish was now over... 421 00:20:58,482 --> 00:21:02,655 but the search for her killer was never more urgent. 422 00:21:02,758 --> 00:21:06,827 ♪♪ 423 00:21:10,758 --> 00:21:14,034 ♪♪ 424 00:21:14,137 --> 00:21:16,896 [ Bells tolling ] 425 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,241 [ Bagpipes playing ] 426 00:21:19,344 --> 00:21:27,275 ♪♪ 427 00:21:27,379 --> 00:21:29,827 -Two months after Molly Bish's bones 428 00:21:29,931 --> 00:21:33,310 were discovered in August of 2003, 429 00:21:33,413 --> 00:21:36,551 on what would have been her 20th birthday, 430 00:21:36,655 --> 00:21:39,310 Molly was laid to rest. 431 00:21:39,413 --> 00:21:41,551 ♪♪ 432 00:21:41,655 --> 00:21:43,586 -We commend you now 433 00:21:43,689 --> 00:21:47,000 to the loving care of the Lord of us all. 434 00:21:48,275 --> 00:21:51,241 -We were so blessed we got to have it in a church. 435 00:21:51,344 --> 00:21:55,137 ♪♪ 436 00:21:55,241 --> 00:21:57,517 [ Bells tolling ] 437 00:21:59,931 --> 00:22:02,103 -But after three years, 438 00:22:02,206 --> 00:22:04,620 the Bishes still had no answers 439 00:22:04,724 --> 00:22:07,344 as to who could have murdered Molly... 440 00:22:07,448 --> 00:22:08,931 and the man in the white car 441 00:22:09,034 --> 00:22:12,448 who Magi had seen the day before Molly disappeared 442 00:22:12,551 --> 00:22:15,275 had never been identified. 443 00:22:15,379 --> 00:22:18,896 -"Frustrating" is a reoccurring word in this case. 444 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,758 -Magi wasn't the only one who reported 445 00:22:21,862 --> 00:22:24,655 seeing a suspicious white car in the vicinity, 446 00:22:24,758 --> 00:22:26,482 say investigators. 447 00:22:26,586 --> 00:22:28,758 On the day that Molly went missing, 448 00:22:28,862 --> 00:22:31,655 a white car was spotted at a car wash 449 00:22:31,758 --> 00:22:34,137 right down the street from the pond 450 00:22:34,241 --> 00:22:38,379 and again in the cemetery behind the pond. 451 00:22:38,482 --> 00:22:40,310 So where is Comins Pond right from here? 452 00:22:40,413 --> 00:22:42,931 -It's that direction straight down, 453 00:22:43,034 --> 00:22:46,068 and you can see there's a path opening there. 454 00:22:46,172 --> 00:22:47,137 -Yes. 455 00:22:47,241 --> 00:22:49,862 So somebody saw a white car. 456 00:22:49,965 --> 00:22:52,068 Where? Right down on that road down there? 457 00:22:52,172 --> 00:22:53,448 -Down on that road. Yes. 458 00:22:53,551 --> 00:22:55,241 -So, is the thought 459 00:22:55,344 --> 00:22:57,862 that if somebody brought the car down there, 460 00:22:57,965 --> 00:23:00,137 they could maybe grab her, 461 00:23:00,241 --> 00:23:02,724 pull her back up, get in the car before... 462 00:23:02,827 --> 00:23:03,965 -That's a theory. 463 00:23:04,068 --> 00:23:05,379 [ Children shouting ] 464 00:23:05,482 --> 00:23:08,793 -In fact, in the early days of the investigation, 465 00:23:08,896 --> 00:23:13,206 search dogs did follow Molly's scent from the pond 466 00:23:13,310 --> 00:23:16,068 leading up to the cemetery. 467 00:23:16,172 --> 00:23:18,310 -You don't just stumble upon Comins Pond. 468 00:23:18,413 --> 00:23:21,413 That's why the person who killed Molly Bish 469 00:23:21,517 --> 00:23:23,931 had to have watched her 470 00:23:24,034 --> 00:23:27,758 and they had to have had a plan. 471 00:23:27,862 --> 00:23:31,482 -But there were still so many unanswered questions, 472 00:23:31,586 --> 00:23:35,034 like, why was the first-aid kit left open? 473 00:23:35,137 --> 00:23:37,965 Kathy Curran believes that Molly's abductor 474 00:23:38,068 --> 00:23:40,689 may have pretended to be injured. 475 00:23:40,793 --> 00:23:44,827 -And then someone either forced her 476 00:23:44,931 --> 00:23:48,310 or threatened her to get her up that hill. 477 00:23:48,413 --> 00:23:53,413 Because she's athletic. She's not going to go easily. 478 00:23:54,620 --> 00:23:56,931 -Then in May of 2004, 479 00:23:57,034 --> 00:23:59,965 four years after Molly disappeared, 480 00:24:00,068 --> 00:24:05,034 D.A. John Conte called for a grand jury to be convened. 481 00:24:05,137 --> 00:24:07,448 -Whenever you hear a grand jury in a criminal case, 482 00:24:07,551 --> 00:24:11,000 you think, oh, they have evidence against someone, 483 00:24:11,103 --> 00:24:15,206 so the hope was that the case was moving forward. 484 00:24:15,310 --> 00:24:19,517 -Heather, along with her family, were called to testify. 485 00:24:19,620 --> 00:24:22,551 They say that many of the D.A.'s questions 486 00:24:22,655 --> 00:24:27,344 seem to be focused on Molly's friends. 487 00:24:27,448 --> 00:24:30,103 -I remember we were all kind of, like, mad 488 00:24:30,206 --> 00:24:34,241 because we didn't feel like they were really significant. 489 00:24:34,344 --> 00:24:37,482 -But detectives had learned that some of Molly's friends 490 00:24:37,586 --> 00:24:41,137 had gathered at her boyfriend, Steven Lukas', house 491 00:24:41,241 --> 00:24:44,310 the morning of Molly's disappearance. 492 00:24:44,413 --> 00:24:46,275 -We have a timeline. 493 00:24:46,379 --> 00:24:49,793 -And they were telling police conflicting stories 494 00:24:49,896 --> 00:24:51,551 about what happened in the hours 495 00:24:51,655 --> 00:24:56,379 before and after Molly went missing. 496 00:24:56,482 --> 00:24:59,172 The grand-jury transcripts are sealed, 497 00:24:59,275 --> 00:25:01,034 so it is not known 498 00:25:01,137 --> 00:25:04,655 whom the investigators actually questioned, 499 00:25:04,758 --> 00:25:07,551 but they would later clear Steven Lukas 500 00:25:07,655 --> 00:25:10,689 as a person of interest. 501 00:25:10,793 --> 00:25:13,000 After two long years, 502 00:25:13,103 --> 00:25:15,655 in December of 2006, 503 00:25:15,758 --> 00:25:22,310 the grand jury was dismissed without an indictment. 504 00:25:22,413 --> 00:25:25,482 -It was disappointing. It was incredibly disappointing. 505 00:25:26,448 --> 00:25:29,551 -Just weeks after the grand jury was dismissed, 506 00:25:29,655 --> 00:25:31,448 John Conte retired... 507 00:25:31,551 --> 00:25:36,517 and Joe Early Jr. took over as Worcester District Attorney. 508 00:25:36,620 --> 00:25:41,206 He says the grand jury was used as an investigative tool 509 00:25:41,310 --> 00:25:44,517 to preserve witnesses' testimony. 510 00:25:44,620 --> 00:25:46,620 -You get them right in, you get them under oath, 511 00:25:46,724 --> 00:25:49,689 and there's a criminal penalty if they lie in the grand jury. 512 00:25:49,793 --> 00:25:53,413 And they can't say later, "I didn't say that," 513 00:25:53,517 --> 00:25:54,896 because it's right there. 514 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,000 And that is something that helps us get cases 515 00:25:57,103 --> 00:25:59,724 beyond a reasonable doubt and prove guilt. 516 00:25:59,827 --> 00:26:02,068 -But Heather says not having answers 517 00:26:02,172 --> 00:26:07,068 as to who murdered her sister was taking its toll. 518 00:26:07,172 --> 00:26:10,103 -I was giving up hope in a lot of areas. 519 00:26:10,206 --> 00:26:12,413 -And things only got worse. 520 00:26:12,517 --> 00:26:16,103 In 2007, her father, John Bish, 521 00:26:16,206 --> 00:26:20,379 who worked so closely with police, had a stroke. 522 00:26:20,482 --> 00:26:23,620 Heather would now face the daunting task 523 00:26:23,724 --> 00:26:27,103 to take over where her father had left off, 524 00:26:27,206 --> 00:26:30,241 and it would not be easy. 525 00:26:30,344 --> 00:26:32,137 -The police have always stayed very careful 526 00:26:32,241 --> 00:26:34,793 about what they'd let us know. 527 00:26:34,896 --> 00:26:36,241 -The police kept saying, 528 00:26:36,344 --> 00:26:38,103 "We're just one piece of information away." 529 00:26:38,206 --> 00:26:40,551 Well, where is that piece? 530 00:26:40,655 --> 00:26:44,379 -In 2008, a man who resembled the sketch, 531 00:26:44,482 --> 00:26:46,206 named Rodney Stanger, 532 00:26:46,310 --> 00:26:50,103 was arrested for murdering his girlfriend in Florida. 533 00:26:50,206 --> 00:26:52,862 The victim's sister reached out to Heather 534 00:26:52,965 --> 00:26:55,586 and claimed that Stanger may have been involved 535 00:26:55,689 --> 00:26:58,827 in Molly's murder, as well. 536 00:26:58,931 --> 00:27:01,206 -He has this violent history. 537 00:27:01,310 --> 00:27:05,034 He lived very close to where Molly trained to be a lifeguard. 538 00:27:05,137 --> 00:27:06,379 -Was he a smoker? 539 00:27:06,482 --> 00:27:07,793 -He was also a smoker. 540 00:27:07,896 --> 00:27:10,034 He was known to fish at Comins Pond 541 00:27:10,137 --> 00:27:13,310 and hunt in the area where Molly was found. 542 00:27:13,413 --> 00:27:16,172 -Police were notified about this tip, 543 00:27:16,275 --> 00:27:18,413 but Heather says she was told 544 00:27:18,517 --> 00:27:22,241 that Stanger had been on one of the investigators' lists 545 00:27:22,344 --> 00:27:26,551 of persons of interest from the very beginning. 546 00:27:26,655 --> 00:27:28,379 -I've actually visited him in prison. 547 00:27:28,482 --> 00:27:30,206 -Sean Murphy is a lieutenant 548 00:27:30,310 --> 00:27:33,655 with the Massachusetts State Police. 549 00:27:33,758 --> 00:27:36,241 -He didn't have much to say to me, but I attempted. 550 00:27:36,344 --> 00:27:39,206 And so have other investigators, as well. 551 00:27:39,310 --> 00:27:42,655 -Stanger was convicted of murdering his girlfriend 552 00:27:42,758 --> 00:27:47,448 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. 553 00:27:47,551 --> 00:27:52,241 In 2012, state police went down to Florida again 554 00:27:52,344 --> 00:27:54,965 to search Stanger's trailer. 555 00:27:55,068 --> 00:27:57,413 -We did execute a search warrant at his residence 556 00:27:57,517 --> 00:28:02,137 with our law-enforcement partners, and we did take items. 557 00:28:02,241 --> 00:28:03,655 -Detective Murphy says 558 00:28:03,758 --> 00:28:06,034 the items were tested for DNA 559 00:28:06,137 --> 00:28:09,517 to see if they could be connected to Molly. 560 00:28:09,620 --> 00:28:13,931 -We've tested and continue to test and move forward. 561 00:28:14,034 --> 00:28:15,862 -But there was not enough evidence 562 00:28:15,965 --> 00:28:18,862 to make him an official suspect. 563 00:28:18,965 --> 00:28:20,827 And then in 2011, 564 00:28:20,931 --> 00:28:23,172 a private investigator came to Heather 565 00:28:23,275 --> 00:28:28,310 with a new tip about a man named Gerald Battistoni. 566 00:28:28,413 --> 00:28:31,310 -He had actually raped a woman 567 00:28:31,413 --> 00:28:33,965 in the woods where Molly was found. 568 00:28:34,068 --> 00:28:37,034 His ex-wife had a white car that she reported 569 00:28:37,137 --> 00:28:40,896 he was driving in Warren the day Molly disappeared. 570 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,689 -Heather says she took this tip to the state police, 571 00:28:44,793 --> 00:28:47,344 who have confirmed that Battistoni, 572 00:28:47,448 --> 00:28:52,655 who died in prison in 2014, was on their radar, 573 00:28:52,758 --> 00:28:55,586 along with many others. 574 00:28:55,689 --> 00:28:57,551 -There are times you could say, 575 00:28:57,655 --> 00:28:58,862 "This person's really good for this. 576 00:28:58,965 --> 00:29:00,310 This person's really good for that." 577 00:29:00,413 --> 00:29:02,344 That's not how you solve a crime. 578 00:29:02,448 --> 00:29:05,827 You know? You have to have the evidence to support it. 579 00:29:05,931 --> 00:29:08,551 -Finally, in 2021, 580 00:29:08,655 --> 00:29:12,379 21 years after Molly disappeared, 581 00:29:12,482 --> 00:29:16,241 it looked like investigators had enough evidence. 582 00:29:16,344 --> 00:29:18,137 The District Attorney's Office 583 00:29:18,241 --> 00:29:23,517 officially named a person of interest. 584 00:29:23,620 --> 00:29:26,034 -For the first time, I thought, 585 00:29:26,137 --> 00:29:29,827 "This is it. There will be justice." 586 00:29:38,241 --> 00:29:40,344 -On June 3, 2021, 587 00:29:40,448 --> 00:29:44,448 more than two decades after Molly Bish disappeared, 588 00:29:44,551 --> 00:29:47,000 there was finally news. 589 00:29:47,103 --> 00:29:49,689 -Tonight, a break in the murder of Molly Bish. 590 00:29:49,793 --> 00:29:52,724 More than 20 years after the teenager was killed, 591 00:29:52,827 --> 00:29:56,758 investigators have named a new person of interest. Molly... 592 00:29:56,862 --> 00:29:58,137 -We named the person of interest. 593 00:29:58,241 --> 00:29:59,689 -But you had never done that before. 594 00:29:59,793 --> 00:30:01,586 -Never done that. Never done that in this case. 595 00:30:01,689 --> 00:30:03,551 But we did get more information to come in, 596 00:30:03,655 --> 00:30:05,241 we pursued those leads, 597 00:30:05,344 --> 00:30:08,551 and at that point, I was comfortable saying, 598 00:30:08,655 --> 00:30:12,482 "This person is a person of interest, yes." 599 00:30:12,586 --> 00:30:15,758 -Francis "Frank" Sumner Sr. 600 00:30:15,862 --> 00:30:18,689 was a local auto-repair shop owner 601 00:30:18,793 --> 00:30:21,517 with an extensive criminal record. 602 00:30:21,620 --> 00:30:25,793 Kathy Curran was the first to report the details. 603 00:30:25,896 --> 00:30:29,103 -Frank Sumner seemed like a great suspect. 604 00:30:29,206 --> 00:30:32,000 Frank Sumner has a violent past. 605 00:30:32,103 --> 00:30:37,344 He was convicted of rape and kidnapping. 606 00:30:37,448 --> 00:30:39,068 -Was he familiar with the area? 607 00:30:39,172 --> 00:30:41,137 -He was -- He was familiar with the area. 608 00:30:41,241 --> 00:30:45,206 He was from the area. He had access to a white car. 609 00:30:45,310 --> 00:30:49,896 And when you compare the photo of him smoking the cigarette 610 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:51,620 to the sketch, 611 00:30:51,724 --> 00:30:54,241 you can see a resemblance there. 612 00:30:54,344 --> 00:30:56,206 -And just like the sketch, 613 00:30:56,310 --> 00:31:01,344 Sumner was photographed smoking with his left hand. 614 00:31:01,448 --> 00:31:06,103 D.A. Joe Early says Sumner, who died in 2016, 615 00:31:06,206 --> 00:31:07,482 had been well known 616 00:31:07,586 --> 00:31:11,689 to investigators working the Bish case for years. 617 00:31:11,793 --> 00:31:14,482 What made Frank Sumner rise to that top, 618 00:31:14,586 --> 00:31:16,275 to actually be called a suspect? 619 00:31:16,379 --> 00:31:20,379 -Information that came in, some dots that were connected. 620 00:31:20,482 --> 00:31:23,241 -Although tight-lipped about the details, 621 00:31:23,344 --> 00:31:25,137 the Worcester D.A.'s Office 622 00:31:25,241 --> 00:31:28,965 was confident that Sumner was a viable suspect 623 00:31:29,068 --> 00:31:31,862 and planned to compare his DNA 624 00:31:31,965 --> 00:31:34,758 to DNA found at the crime scenes. 625 00:31:34,862 --> 00:31:36,448 But as it turned out, 626 00:31:36,551 --> 00:31:39,655 they couldn't obtain Sumner's DNA. 627 00:31:39,758 --> 00:31:42,000 Sumner had been cremated, 628 00:31:42,103 --> 00:31:45,034 and his DNA had never been submitted 629 00:31:45,137 --> 00:31:48,275 to the national CODIS database. 630 00:31:48,379 --> 00:31:49,655 -I don't know who dropped the ball, 631 00:31:49,758 --> 00:31:51,689 but somebody dropped the ball. 632 00:31:51,793 --> 00:31:54,482 -So authorities traveled to Ohio 633 00:31:54,586 --> 00:31:59,241 to get DNA from his son, Frank Sumner Jr. 634 00:31:59,344 --> 00:32:03,000 He was serving time in prison for robbery. 635 00:32:03,103 --> 00:32:05,827 -And so we waited and we waited. 636 00:32:05,931 --> 00:32:07,965 Because they said, "We're going to, you know, 637 00:32:08,068 --> 00:32:09,827 do some DNA analysis." 638 00:32:09,931 --> 00:32:13,896 -Heather, who had started that TikTok months earlier, 639 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:15,758 reached out to her followers 640 00:32:15,862 --> 00:32:19,000 to see if she could drum up more evidence. 641 00:32:19,103 --> 00:32:22,137 -If you know something, if you heard something, 642 00:32:22,241 --> 00:32:25,448 please call the state-police tip line. 643 00:32:25,551 --> 00:32:28,034 We are still waiting for answers. 644 00:32:29,482 --> 00:32:32,379 -Heather says it took investigators about a year 645 00:32:32,482 --> 00:32:37,517 before they finally told her the results of the DNA testing. 646 00:32:37,620 --> 00:32:39,068 -It was inconclusive. 647 00:32:39,172 --> 00:32:41,241 -What do you mean, inconclusive? 648 00:32:41,344 --> 00:32:43,655 Was he eliminated from the DNA? 649 00:32:43,758 --> 00:32:45,482 -I don't know what that means. 650 00:32:45,586 --> 00:32:48,034 -Oh, you don't -- -And they won't tell me. 651 00:32:48,137 --> 00:32:50,344 -Heather wonders if authorities 652 00:32:50,448 --> 00:32:53,931 who collected discarded cigarettes and other evidence 653 00:32:54,034 --> 00:32:55,793 at Comins Pond 654 00:32:55,896 --> 00:33:01,275 even have a viable sample of the killer's DNA. 655 00:33:01,379 --> 00:33:03,862 Do you have enough DNA 656 00:33:03,965 --> 00:33:06,241 that you could do genetic genealogy? 657 00:33:06,344 --> 00:33:08,103 And have you done any -- 658 00:33:08,206 --> 00:33:09,896 -I can't speak to the DNA. 659 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:11,482 I can speak in thisregard. 660 00:33:11,586 --> 00:33:13,206 We continue to test, and we've gotten 661 00:33:13,310 --> 00:33:16,862 well over 100 pieces of information tested, 662 00:33:16,965 --> 00:33:18,724 and we continue to test. 663 00:33:18,827 --> 00:33:22,000 -You know that the Bishes have been frustrated. 664 00:33:22,103 --> 00:33:24,206 They don't feel they're getting enough information 665 00:33:24,310 --> 00:33:25,862 from your office. 666 00:33:25,965 --> 00:33:28,827 They want to know, is the DNA being preserved properly? 667 00:33:28,931 --> 00:33:30,724 What kind of DNA? 668 00:33:30,827 --> 00:33:33,551 -As a general rule of thumb, no matter what family it is -- 669 00:33:33,655 --> 00:33:36,034 the Bishes, other families that we have -- 670 00:33:36,137 --> 00:33:38,965 we just don't share the information 671 00:33:39,068 --> 00:33:41,413 because someone might say something they shouldn't say 672 00:33:41,517 --> 00:33:44,586 and it can compromise the entire case. 673 00:33:44,689 --> 00:33:50,793 -However, he says DNA is just one piece of the puzzle. 674 00:33:50,896 --> 00:33:53,586 -This isn't just a DNA case. 675 00:33:53,689 --> 00:33:56,965 There's a lot of investigation that's been done. 676 00:33:57,068 --> 00:33:59,758 We need a little bit more. I'm not going to say what it is, 677 00:33:59,862 --> 00:34:02,379 but we need a little bit more to get to where we need to get 678 00:34:02,482 --> 00:34:06,172 to name a person as a defendant in this case. 679 00:34:06,275 --> 00:34:11,585 -But Heather says she's losing faith in the investigators. 680 00:34:11,688 --> 00:34:15,241 -It's really a sad situation to be a victim family member 681 00:34:15,344 --> 00:34:18,344 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 682 00:34:18,447 --> 00:34:20,896 -Investigator Sean Murphy says 683 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,241 he understands Heather's frustration. 684 00:34:24,344 --> 00:34:27,482 -Heather is a fierce advocate for her sister and her family, 685 00:34:27,585 --> 00:34:29,275 and I wouldn't have it any other way, 686 00:34:29,379 --> 00:34:31,757 and I have no problem being held accountable by Heather, 687 00:34:31,862 --> 00:34:34,896 and I'm happy that she holds me accountable. 688 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,034 -25 years after Molly Bish's murder, 689 00:34:38,137 --> 00:34:40,310 the case remains active, 690 00:34:40,413 --> 00:34:42,585 and there is a new detective 691 00:34:42,688 --> 00:34:46,034 who has recently joined the investigation. 692 00:34:46,137 --> 00:34:48,862 She has a plan. 693 00:34:48,965 --> 00:34:51,310 -When I dedicate myself to something, 694 00:34:51,413 --> 00:34:54,482 I do not stop until it's accomplished. 695 00:35:01,758 --> 00:35:07,103 ♪♪ 696 00:35:07,206 --> 00:35:09,724 -In March of 2025, 697 00:35:09,827 --> 00:35:12,724 Detective Chelsea Safford was hired... 698 00:35:12,827 --> 00:35:14,000 [ Beep ] 699 00:35:14,103 --> 00:35:17,310 ...to take over the Bish investigation. 700 00:35:17,413 --> 00:35:23,862 ♪♪ 701 00:35:23,965 --> 00:35:28,620 -It's a perfect job for someone that has an overactive mind, 702 00:35:28,724 --> 00:35:32,068 thrives on challenges, and doesn't sleep much. 703 00:35:32,172 --> 00:35:35,172 -One of her first tasks has been to weed through 704 00:35:35,275 --> 00:35:38,896 and organize over 80 boxes of case files 705 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,448 that have accumulated over the years. 706 00:35:41,551 --> 00:35:45,103 -I saw all those boxes, and I just wanted to dive in. 707 00:35:45,206 --> 00:35:47,206 I just wanted to learn more. 708 00:35:47,310 --> 00:35:50,724 -Detective Safford believes the answer to who killed Molly 709 00:35:50,827 --> 00:35:54,586 may just lie within these 80 boxes. 710 00:35:54,689 --> 00:35:56,586 -This one. 711 00:35:56,689 --> 00:36:01,310 I found Molly's high-school yearbook, 712 00:36:01,413 --> 00:36:03,137 and I went through that. 713 00:36:03,241 --> 00:36:07,724 You know, I have a few tips that I was trying to track down. 714 00:36:07,827 --> 00:36:09,931 -It's part of her strategy... 715 00:36:10,034 --> 00:36:11,896 -These are all tips. 716 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:17,551 -...to organize and look at past tips with fresh eyes. 717 00:36:17,655 --> 00:36:19,896 -Who else might have heard or seen something 718 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:23,379 that they didn't realize was significant? 719 00:36:23,482 --> 00:36:26,137 That one person that we haven't spoken to, 720 00:36:26,241 --> 00:36:28,000 they might be the missing piece 721 00:36:28,103 --> 00:36:30,689 that we've been searching for this entire time. 722 00:36:30,793 --> 00:36:33,000 I believe that that one more piece is out there. 723 00:36:33,103 --> 00:36:34,965 I just have to keep digging. 724 00:36:35,068 --> 00:36:38,896 -And Detective Safford faces an overwhelming task. 725 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:42,689 She says there has been almost 8,000 tips 726 00:36:42,793 --> 00:36:45,310 that have come in since Molly went missing, 727 00:36:45,413 --> 00:36:47,310 and they keepcoming. 728 00:36:47,413 --> 00:36:49,827 -I can honestly say that since I've been in this office, 729 00:36:49,931 --> 00:36:51,931 I don't think a week has gone by 730 00:36:52,034 --> 00:36:54,206 where we haven't received a Molly Bish tip, 731 00:36:54,310 --> 00:36:56,896 if not multiple, throughout the weeks. 732 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,586 -Detective Safford says she's also studying 733 00:36:59,689 --> 00:37:03,655 the many pieces of evidence involved in Molly's case. 734 00:37:04,827 --> 00:37:07,448 She allowed "48 Hours" to accompany her 735 00:37:07,551 --> 00:37:10,620 to the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab's 736 00:37:10,724 --> 00:37:14,482 DNA cold-storage facility 737 00:37:14,586 --> 00:37:17,379 in Sudbury, Massachusetts. 738 00:37:17,482 --> 00:37:19,344 Boy, it's shivery in here! 739 00:37:19,448 --> 00:37:22,310 Sherri Mittelholzer is a forensic support 740 00:37:22,413 --> 00:37:24,965 section manager at the crime lab. 741 00:37:25,068 --> 00:37:27,103 And what am I looking at right in front of me? 742 00:37:27,206 --> 00:37:30,551 -So this is a bay, um, full of evidence 743 00:37:30,655 --> 00:37:33,931 and all of these items here go with the Molly Bish case. 744 00:37:34,034 --> 00:37:36,551 -Inside some of these brown paper bags 745 00:37:36,655 --> 00:37:39,517 are items taken from the crime scenes. 746 00:37:39,620 --> 00:37:42,068 Is the swimsuit here? -It is. 747 00:37:42,172 --> 00:37:43,793 Um -- Oh, it's this one, I believe. 748 00:37:43,896 --> 00:37:45,448 I don't think it says it on it, 749 00:37:45,551 --> 00:37:48,689 but I know it was sent out for additional testing. 750 00:37:48,793 --> 00:37:51,172 -Are there any cigarettes here or any...? 751 00:37:51,275 --> 00:37:53,206 -There definitely are cigarettes. 752 00:37:53,310 --> 00:37:57,551 -Containers A-B-C. There are a lot of them in A-B-C. 753 00:37:57,655 --> 00:37:59,172 -A-B-C is this one here. 754 00:37:59,275 --> 00:38:00,827 They've been repackaged over time. 755 00:38:00,931 --> 00:38:02,482 -Have they been tested? 756 00:38:02,586 --> 00:38:04,379 -Oh, yeah. 757 00:38:04,482 --> 00:38:06,620 -Chelsea, are you going to be looking at this 758 00:38:06,724 --> 00:38:08,448 to see if there's something else? 759 00:38:08,551 --> 00:38:10,206 You're thinking, "Why don't we try to test that?" 760 00:38:10,310 --> 00:38:11,793 -Absolutely. Yeah. 761 00:38:11,896 --> 00:38:14,344 -Today Detective Safford has her eye 762 00:38:14,448 --> 00:38:16,965 on one piece of evidence in particular -- 763 00:38:17,068 --> 00:38:18,862 Molly's backpack. 764 00:38:18,965 --> 00:38:20,620 -I'll tell you, this is the number-one item 765 00:38:20,724 --> 00:38:23,137 that I've been looking for. -Why? 766 00:38:23,241 --> 00:38:27,551 -I think what we carry in our backpack or our pocketbook, 767 00:38:27,655 --> 00:38:29,620 I think it says a lot, and I -- 768 00:38:29,724 --> 00:38:34,241 I personally think learning about the person, the victim, 769 00:38:34,344 --> 00:38:37,793 I think, is a very important part of each case. 770 00:38:37,896 --> 00:38:40,620 ♪♪ 771 00:38:40,724 --> 00:38:43,137 -Despite the challenges, 772 00:38:43,241 --> 00:38:46,689 Detective Safford says she is determined 773 00:38:46,793 --> 00:38:49,172 to find answers for the Bish family. 774 00:38:49,275 --> 00:38:51,206 -None of us can bring Molly back, 775 00:38:51,310 --> 00:38:54,137 but the best thing I can do is find out what happened. 776 00:38:54,241 --> 00:38:55,793 -I see you have some of these. 777 00:38:55,896 --> 00:38:59,310 "Solved." "Guilty." "Captured." 778 00:38:59,413 --> 00:39:02,206 Is that what you want to do in this case? 779 00:39:02,310 --> 00:39:05,241 -It's not what I wantto do. It's what I'm going todo. 780 00:39:05,344 --> 00:39:07,482 Yes. "We." We will do it. 781 00:39:07,586 --> 00:39:09,448 -Heather Bish, who has been critical 782 00:39:09,551 --> 00:39:12,103 of the Massachusetts State Police investigation 783 00:39:12,206 --> 00:39:15,448 in the past, says she is encouraged 784 00:39:15,551 --> 00:39:18,034 by Detective Safford's passion. 785 00:39:18,137 --> 00:39:21,620 -I feel like she has the same energy and commitment 786 00:39:21,724 --> 00:39:23,620 to solving this as I do. 787 00:39:23,724 --> 00:39:27,862 -Heather still makes TikTok videos about Molly's case, 788 00:39:27,965 --> 00:39:30,172 hoping her efforts will one day 789 00:39:30,275 --> 00:39:33,586 generate a tip that can help investigators. 790 00:39:33,689 --> 00:39:35,310 -Somebody knows something 791 00:39:35,413 --> 00:39:38,758 and somebody knows who killed Molly Bish. 792 00:39:38,862 --> 00:39:41,586 I will never give up. I'll fight. 793 00:39:41,689 --> 00:39:44,758 Mollie deserves that justice. 794 00:39:44,862 --> 00:39:47,482 -D.A. Joe Early Jr. Insists 795 00:39:47,586 --> 00:39:50,896 that investigators are moving in the right direction. 796 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,448 As you sit here, is Frank Sumner still on the top 797 00:39:54,551 --> 00:39:57,241 of the list of people of interest? 798 00:39:57,344 --> 00:39:59,379 -He's the onlyperson of interest we've named, 799 00:39:59,482 --> 00:40:01,137 the only person of interest 800 00:40:01,241 --> 00:40:03,862 that's been named in this case, yes. 801 00:40:03,965 --> 00:40:07,275 -On June 27, 2025, 802 00:40:07,379 --> 00:40:10,275 the Bish family gathered with friends and family 803 00:40:10,379 --> 00:40:12,000 to remember Molly 804 00:40:12,103 --> 00:40:14,724 25 years after her death... 805 00:40:14,827 --> 00:40:16,827 -♪ Rest eternal 806 00:40:16,931 --> 00:40:19,896 ♪ Grant unto her, O Lord 807 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,827 -...first at the cemetery... 808 00:40:21,931 --> 00:40:25,862 -♪ Let light perpetual shine upon her ♪ 809 00:40:25,965 --> 00:40:28,724 -...and then at a more formal ceremony 810 00:40:28,827 --> 00:40:30,758 in the center of Warren. 811 00:40:30,862 --> 00:40:33,137 -I feel her beside me. 812 00:40:33,241 --> 00:40:35,862 Because of Molly, I have become braver 813 00:40:35,965 --> 00:40:39,000 than I ever thought possible. 814 00:40:39,103 --> 00:40:41,413 I have faced my deepest fears. 815 00:40:41,517 --> 00:40:44,103 I have endured unimaginable heartbreak. 816 00:40:44,206 --> 00:40:45,827 I have survived. 817 00:40:45,931 --> 00:40:47,896 -I believe Molly's love and light 818 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,896 have guided us through these 25 years, 819 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:54,137 so today we share our family's gratitude. 820 00:40:54,241 --> 00:40:58,931 And because of Molly, we have conquered what evil could not, 821 00:40:59,034 --> 00:41:01,241 for love is much stronger. 822 00:41:01,344 --> 00:41:03,551 [ Bagpipes playing ] 823 00:41:03,655 --> 00:41:09,000 ♪♪ 824 00:41:09,103 --> 00:41:13,275 -The evening ended with a gathering at Comins Pond. 825 00:41:13,379 --> 00:41:16,172 -I don't want people to ever forget Molly. 826 00:41:16,275 --> 00:41:18,241 ♪♪ 827 00:41:18,344 --> 00:41:20,620 And we will never stop honoring her. 828 00:41:20,724 --> 00:41:28,551 ♪♪