Human remains have been found near Taylor Swift’s residence, sparking fears of a potential ‘New England serial killer’.
In recent months, the discovery of human remains or deceased individuals in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts has led residents across New England to suspect there may be a murderer at large. This concern, initially viewed as an online conspiracy theory about a ‘serial killer,’ has intensified following the latest discovery of suspected human remains.
The unsettling incident occurred near Swift’s vacation home on Wednesday, May 14. Authorities confirmed to People magazine that suspected human remains were located in the Watch Hill area of Rhode Island, where the singer’s expansive seaside property is located.
Police arrived at the scene on Everett Avenue around 9:30 am, discovering ‘what appeared to be a human leg bone,’ according to the news outlet’s report. The Westerly Police Department issued a statement saying, “Investigators are awaiting official confirmation of the identity of the remains.”
“No foul play is suspected at this time,” they added. The remains are currently at the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.
Neighbors near Swift’s $17.75 million estate expressed their shock to NBC10 WJAR. Taylor Day described the finding as ‘alarming’ and ‘something very out of the ordinary for Westerly.’
She noted that the remains were discovered ‘probably just a couple of football fields away’ from Swift’s residence and the Ocean House. “I would never expect anything like that – especially not in Watch Hill,” Day remarked.
The suspected human bone discovery is part of a series of similar findings across New England towns, including several locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
In Connecticut, the body of a 35-year-old woman, Paige Fannon, was found by a police scuba team in the Norwalk River on March 6, as reported by the New Haven Register.
That same day in Plymouth, officers were summoned to investigate remains found by a hunter, which turned out to be a human skull missing its jaw and nasal area.
In Groton, police uncovered the body of a woman, believed to be aged 40 to 60, inside a suitcase near a cemetery on March 19, according to WTNH. During the same week, authorities in New Haven discovered the decomposed body of Denise Leary on March 21 in a wooded area.
On March 25, the body of 56-year-old Michele Romano was located in a wooded area off Plainfield Pike in Rhode Island, as reported by WJAR.
Unidentified remains of a man believed to be between 25 and 45 years old were discovered on April 9 and 10 in Killingly, Connecticut, and additional unidentified remains were found in Massachusetts.
On April 21, a boater discovered more unidentified remains in the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The following day, a woman named Meggan Meredith was found unresponsive off a bike path in Springfield, with authorities treating her death as a homicide.
On April 23, two men’s bodies were found in the woods near a Walmart in Salem, Massachusetts.
On May 14, additional suspected human remains surfaced in Rhode Island, this time near Taylor Swift’s mansion, marking what could be the 13th discovery in recent months.
UNILAD has reached out to Swift’s representatives for a comment.
There is growing apprehension that the suspicious findings, predominantly involving female victims, suggest a serial killer might be active across these states.
Initially fueled by a Facebook group named ‘New England Serial Killer,’ speculation had gathered over 65,000 members before the group’s name was changed due to platform regulations. Other groups have since emerged, warning of ‘sinister shadows lurking in the Southern New England tri-state area,’ and expressing the community’s ‘grip of fear and uncertainty.’
Many of the discovered remains suggest the individuals died long ago, implying the deaths did not occur concurrently. Nonetheless, the eerie similarity of these discoveries has urged police to advise calmness among the public.
Officials have stated that there is no foul play involved and no connections between the cases, assuring that there is ‘no known threat to the public.’
Following the latest discovery of suspected human remains this week, Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella informed Fox News Digital: “As far as I’m concerned, as far as right now, this has nothing to do with any serial killer [or] any New England murderer.”
Gingerella attributed the heightened fears to ‘the power of social media.’
Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni expressed that online rumors of a ‘serial killer’ are counterproductive, as reported by MetroWest.
“While online conversations around these incidents continue to grow, we urge the public to be mindful of the role that social media can play in spreading fear or misinformation,” he said. “Unverified claims can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture.”
Ryan Walsh, a spokesperson for the Springfield Police Department, dismissed the theory, stating ‘internet rumors are just that’.
Connecticut State Police have also worked to quell the rumors, announcing there is ‘no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time.’