The investigation into the DeWitt murders on Beaumont
Road was one of the most publicized of our time. Hundreds of
law enforcement officials compiled their resources to find
possible motives and perpetrators that may have had reason
to commit these vile and savage acts. Media coverage
occurred in record breaking proportions and lasted for
months after the murders took place. There was never a
single lead in the crime.
Police officials spent
months gathering possible clues and photographing the crime
scene. In the days following the murders, investigators from
fifteen different districts
dispatched their best and most talented detectives to help
in the efforts, and several police forces were utilized to
contain public interest in the murder site. People flocked
from around the country to view the place where their
beloved DeLongpre had perished and to mourn her loss.
The details of the murders were so gruesome that many
officials had to be removed from the case. The bodies of the
victims were mutilated beyond recognition and some officers
could not continue.
One detective was quoted as saying, "In all of my
years of criminal investigation, I have never encountered
such a ghastly and bloody crime scene, nor
have I ever imagined that I would ever see anything that
could compare to it. It is simply the most horrible and
senseless loss of life I have ever come across." The
partial crime scene photographs speak to this statement in
total truth.
Many investigators have since attempted to solve the crime,
and all have come up empty handed. One thing remains true to
this day, and that is that someone prepared carefully to
commit these murders.
That someone made sure they would not be caught, as
thirty-six years have passed with no breaks in the famous
DeWitt murder case. Even today many detectives ask to
re-open the case and attempt to try and solve the mystery
behind the brutal slaughter. Each and every time, these
attempts fall short and lead back to nothing. Will there
ever be an answer? Will the mystery ever be solved?
Even
the public is still anxious for answers, and today tourist
and fans still visit the site of the murders to leave
flowers and notes for the victims, all pinned carefully to
the cordoned off area that is still barricaded and only
accessible by police and crime scene officials. It is not
uncommon to see anywhere from fifty to one hundred visitors
at the site in a single day.
Perhaps one day we will have answers, perhaps we will never
know what happened on that night. One thing remains, and
that is the four victims have not been forgotten and
probably never will be.
|