Twenty years after 16-year-old Molly Bish’s physique was discovered, Worcester County District Legal professional Joseph Early seems optimistic about fixing her homicide.

“Our State Police Detectives, prosecutors and sufferer witness advocates stay devoted to fixing this case and discovering justice for Molly’s household,” he mentioned in an announcement Wednesday.

The case to this point

Molly went lacking on June 27, 2000, after her mom dropped her off for a lifeguard shift at Comins Pond in her hometown of Warren.

Police carried out an intensive seek for the teenager, however her physique wasn’t discovered till June 9, 2003. Molly’s physique was present in close by Palmer after somebody seen a blue bathing swimsuit within the woods which was much like the one she wore.

At the moment, police decided that she had been kidnapped and killed, however nobody was charged together with her homicide.

The following huge break in Molly’s case didn’t come till 2021 when Early introduced that Francis “Frank” Sumner Sr., who died in 2016 at age 71, was an individual of curiosity in Molly’s homicide.

Frank Sumner Sr. continues to be an individual of curiosity

Early mentioned Wednesday that Sumner continues to be an individual of curiosity within the case, calling the proof that led his workplace to call him as “persuasive and credible.”

Sumner was a longtime central Massachusetts resident who owned and operated auto restore retailers within the space. He was convicted of aggravated rape and kidnapping in 1982 after he locked a girl he’d employed to scrub an condo within the condo. He then choked her, threatened to kill her, and raped her.

MassLive reported beforehand that Sumner was thought of a disreputable auto repairman within the space, and was concerned in quite a few civil and prison lawsuits throughout his lifetime.

WBZ-TV reported beforehand that Sumner was going through prison expenses when he died, together with failing to register as a intercourse offender, making threats, disorderly conduct, and harassment.

Sumner matches the outline Molly’s mom gave police of a suspicious man driving a white automobile who she noticed close to Comins Pond seashore the day earlier than Molly went lacking.

Sumner additionally bears a resemblance to a sketch police made primarily based on Molly’s mom’s description, and Molly’s household has mentioned publicly that they’d obtained recommendations on Sumner for years earlier than he was named an individual of curiosity.

Through the years, different males have been related to Molly’s homicide, however solely Sumner has ever been named an individual of curiosity.

What police are doing now

This yr, Early mentioned, police recognized a “important variety of objects of proof” that might be examined or retested due to new scientific developments. State Police detectives are within the strategy of assessing proof that may be reanalyzed, he mentioned.

Early mentioned his workplace nonetheless frequently receives recommendations on Molly’s case, calling the tip line “very lively.” He encourages anybody who might need details about Molly’s case or Sumner to contact his workplace at 508-453-7575 or [email protected]. 

“We’re doing every little thing we are able to to unravel Molly’s case. Now we have solved 40-, 30- and 20-year-old instances,” he mentioned. “…These instances should not ‘chilly’ instances, sitting on a shelf someplace accumulating mud.”