Two chilly instances that stumped Rhode Island prosecutors for many years had been lastly solved this week, however officers couldn’t catch the killers in time.
Debra Stone and Cynthia McKenna each died of asphyxiation 23 years aside within the Ocean State, Rhode Island Legal professional Common Peter Neronha introduced Wednesday.
“At present, we shut the instances surrounding the deaths of Cynthia and Debra, and by doing so, we hope their households can lastly really feel a way of closure,” Neronha mentioned. “Victims have been, and can at all times be, our precedence, and we are going to proceed to ship outcomes for Rhode Islanders – via the Chilly Case Unit, and Workplace-wide.”
Neronha launched his workplace’s chilly case unit in 2023 to unravel the a number of chilly instances which have plagued the state with the mission to “ship long-awaited solutions for victims seemingly forgotten by time and for households who by no means gave up hope.”
Debra Stone
Stone, 24, was discovered useless within the Slender River in Narragansett on Aug. 30, 1984.
Medical experts dominated she died from asphyxiation attributable to strangulation, with harm being discovered round her neck.
She was final seen the earlier evening when visiting the condominium of Robert D. Geremia in Johnstown.
Geremia is believed to have strangled Stone inside his house earlier than stuffing her physique right into a sleeping bag and anchoring her down with a cinderblock into the river with the assistance of an unidentified particular person.
Police used the unidentified particular person as an informant whose eyewitness account matched proof from the scene.
Geremia instructed police Stone had died of an overdose, however the medical expert dominated out that reason behind loss of life based mostly on the accidents discovered on her physique.
One witness instructed investigators that Geremia disclosed to them he “needed to kill” Stone as a result of she was stealing from him, based on the lawyer basic’s workplace.
No arrests had been made on the time and Stone’s homicide remained unsolved till the chilly case unit reopened the investigation in 2023 and re-interviewed 32 of the preliminary witnesses.
Geremia, who died in 1995, was named the suspect in Stone’s loss of life.
“For over 4 a long time, Debra’s household remained with out solutions after her life was tragically minimize quick,” Narragansett Police Chief Kyle Rekas mentioned. “Via re-examining proof and re-interviewing witnesses, our collaboration with the Legal professional Common’s Chilly Case Unit has delivered solutions for all who cherished Debra. I commend our detectives and officers, in addition to our companions within the Legal professional Common’s Workplace, for his or her tireless efforts in closing this case.”
Cynthia McKenna
McKenna, 49, was discovered unresponsive in mattress at her North Windfall condominium on Feb. 21, 2007 after the constructing’s supervisor hadn’t heard from her in days.
She was discovered tucked tightly in her mattress with two pillows over her face, based on WPRI, citing the unique police report.
Police uncovered the bedding round McKenna and located a sock stuffed in her mouth and tissues stuffed up every of her nostrils.
Officers dominated her reason behind loss of life as asphyxiation on account of blocked airways.
Investigators realized concerning the hostile relationship she had with Robert J. Corry, Jr.
Corry was the topic of a number of home violence expenses filed by McKenna who was additionally owed cash from the suspect.
Corry gave an alibi to police about his whereabouts on the time of McKenna’s loss of life however police discovered “vital gaps” in his story.
A confession to the McKenna’s homicide despatched to a recognized affiliate of Corry’s was intercepted by police in late 2007, officers revealed.
DNA proof was discovered on the observe, however Corry’s profile was by no means uploaded to the database and no connection might be made between him and the confession.
The Chilly Case Unit used a Y-STR evaluation in 2024, evaluating male relations to the DNA on the observe and corroborated Corry as the author of the letter.
Officers tied the DNA outcomes, the confession letter and Corry’s alleged act of contrition to a witness as proof he had killed McKenna by suffocation.
He died in 2014 and couldn’t be charged with homicide.
“This case represents the most effective of our collaborative investigative efforts with the Legal professional Common’s Chilly Case Unit,” North Windfall Police Chief Alfredo Ruggiero Jr mentioned. “Utilizing the newest forensic know-how, our workforce has lastly discovered solutions for Cynthia’s household. I’m grateful for the laborious work of our detectives, in addition to within the Legal professional Common’s Workplace, all through the investigation.”
