After eight individuals were found dead in the same location within a few weeks, authorities released a statement that sparked concerns about the possibility of a serial killer being on the loose.
On Tuesday, April 22, a woman was discovered unconscious on a Springfield bike route, located on the 1500 block of Hall of Fame Avenue..
Ryan Walsh, a spokesperson for the Springfield Police Department, confirmed that the woman was declared deceased upon the arrival of police and medical personnel at the scene.
Walsh stated, “The SPD Homicide Unit, under the direction of Captain Trent Duda, is investigating the unattended death in coordination with the Hampden County District Attorney’s Murder Unit, pending an autopsy by the Medical Examiner.”
Although authorities have released this initial statement, the exact cause of the woman’s death remains unclear.
Eight people, mostly believed to be women, died in March and April across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, raising questions about a possible serial killer. Human remains have been discovered in locations such as New Haven, Norwalk, Groton, Killingly, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in the past two months.
Walsh addressed the rumors surrounding the deaths, telling Fox News Digital, “Internet rumors are just that,” adding that authorities have not found any connection between the eight deaths.
In response to the deaths, Connecticut State Police issued a statement indicating that there is no evidence at this time suggesting a link between the cases, nor is there any known threat to the public.
The rumors first surfaced in a Facebook group called “New England Serial Killer,” but the group’s name was changed in accordance with social media platform policies.
Amid these developments, Peter Valentin, chair of the University of New Haven’s Forensic Science Department, spoke with Fox News Digital, bringing attention to the crucial detail that the woman found unconscious on the bike route has not yet had her cause of death revealed by Springfield police.
Valentin remarked, “I am curious about what was found around the body. There could be items suggesting activity that might downplay homicide (perhaps incorrectly) to the investigators, as the article is quite cautious in its language. It is filled with very careful wording, likely taken from police press releases, which might be intentional to avoid fueling the growing scrutiny over every suspicious death in New England.”