After more than 40 years, a discarded smoothie straw has helped investigators solve one of Long Island’s most notorious cold cases, as reported by The Guardian. DNA evidence has led to the indictment of Richard Bilodeau, 63, for the 1984 rape and murder of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco, a crime that had previously sent three innocent men to prison.
Breakthrough After Four Decades
A Nassau County grand jury indicted Bilodeau on two counts of murder after DNA obtained from a straw he discarded at a café matched samples taken from Fusco’s body in 1984. The breakthrough came after investigators began surveillance on Bilodeau last year following several new leads.
Fusco disappeared after leaving her job at a Lynbrook roller-skating rink in November 1984. Her body was found weeks later in a wooded area nearby. Bilodeau, then 23 and living with his grandparents, became a suspect decades later thanks to modern forensic technology.
Wrongful Convictions and Exonerations
Three men were originally convicted of Fusco’s murder and spent years in prison before being exonerated in 2003 when DNA evidence proved their innocence. Two of the men later received $18 million each in compensation for their wrongful imprisonment. The case had long stood as a grim example of the dangers of faulty convictions based on circumstantial evidence.
Justice for Theresa Fusco
At a press conference, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly emphasized the significance of the indictment. “The past has not been forgotten,” she said. “No matter how much time passes, we will never stop fighting for victims.”
Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt recounted that when confronted by investigators, Bilodeau allegedly said, “Yeah, people got away with murder back then.” Rosenblatt responded during the arraignment: “Well, Mr. Bilodeau, it’s 2025, and your day of reckoning is now.”
A Cold Case Finally Cracked
Bilodeau pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the Nassau County Jail. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison. Authorities hope the case will encourage further reexaminations of cold cases using advanced DNA techniques.
