The New Bedford Highway Killer: Massachusetts’ Forgotten Serial Murders (1988–1989) | Full Case File

The New Bedford Highway Killer (Dead Ends - Case 05)

Between 1988 and 1989, at least nine women vanished from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Their bodies were later discovered along highways, backroads, and wooded areas throughout southeastern Massachusetts—many strangled, stabbed, or left partially clothed.

Investigators quickly suspected a serial killer, but the case became entangled in jurisdictional confusion, lost evidence, and the stigma surrounding marginalized victims. Despite task forces, suspect sketches, and decades of speculation, no one has ever been charged.

This full case file examines:
• Victim timelines
• Crime scene patterns
• Investigative failures
• Suspected connections
• Why the case remains unsolved

New full episodes every Thursday. Shorts posted throughout the week.

Read the full written chapter in Dead Ends by J.M. North — available on Amazon.

#truecrime #newbedfordhighwaykiller #unsolved #serialkiller #coldcase #documentaryshorts

Heartbreaking by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
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References for Chapter 5: The New Bedford Highway Killer
1. The Standard-Times (New Bedford) “A Legacy of Fear: 30 Years Later, the Highway Killer Case Still Haunts.” https://www.southcoasttoday.com

2. Boston Globe “New Bedford’s Forgotten Victims: A Cold Case Timeline.”
https://www.bostonglobe.com

3. Massachusetts State Police Cold Case Unit Public case files and missing persons data. https://www.mass.gov/orgs/state-polic...

4. America’s Most Wanted Episode archive on the New Bedford Highway Killer.
https://www.amw.com

5. Unsolved Mysteries Podcast – Episode: Route 140 Murders https://www.unsolved.com

6. “Fall River” – True Crime Documentary Series, Ep. 4 (EPIX) Brief coverage of the New Bedford killings and Ponte investigation.

7. Murderpedia “The New Bedford Highway Serial Killer.” https://murderpedia.org/male.N/n/new-...

8. WPRI 12 News (Providence) “Decades Later: Families of Highway Killer Victims Still Waiting.” https://www.wpri.com

9. Justice for Mary Rose Facebook Group Victim advocacy and public discussion forum.   / justiceformaryrosesantos  

10. “Dead Reckoning: The New Bedford Highway Killer” – Independent blog archive https://deadreckoningcrime.com