New England serial killer fears grow as police downplay threat encroaching on wealthy coastal enclaves

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In an unannounced, September interview with Okaloosa authorities, who traveled to the Oregon State Penitentiary to meet with the suspect, Keith Jesperson said he met his eighth victim, Suzanne Kjellenberg, at a truck rest stop.

Speculation about a serial killer in New England is gaining significant traction online – specifically stemming from discussions in a private Facebook group called “New England Serial Killer.”

Members of the Facebook group and social media users on other platforms like TikTok and X are pointing to several recent discoveries of human remains in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island between March and April.

Authorities across all three states have identified remains in New Haven, Groton, Killingly and Norwalk, Connecticut, as well as Framingham and Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Foster, Rhode Island.

Three sets of human remains have been identified. New Haven police identified remains discovered on March 21 as Denise Leary, a formerly missing 59-year-old mother of two. Norwalk police also identified the remains of 35-year-old Paige Fannon of West Islip, New York, on March 6. Her remains were found in a swiftly moving Norwalk River after heavy rainfall the night before. 

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Rhode Island State Police identified remains found in a wooded area of Foster as 56-year-old Michele Romano, who had been missing since August 2024.

Their causes of death have not been released as of Tuesday.

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“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,” Connecticut State Police said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

CTSP further told police that troopers responded to Woodward Street in Killingly on April 9 regarding the discovery of possible human remains. Police later confirmed the remains, which have yet to be identified, and said there is no known threat to the public. 

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Paige Fannon, Michele Romano and Denise Leary were all found dead between March and April in Rhode Island and Connecticut. (GoFundMe/Facebook)

“This investigation is in the early stages and remains active and ongoing,” CTSP said.

Police in Groton, Connecticut, home to a Naval submarine base, located the remains of what appears to be an adult female between the ages of 40 and 60 with light-pigmented skin on March 19. She may have had Turner syndrome. 

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“Individuals with Turner syndrome often display physical characteristics such as short stature, broad chest, short wide neck, and small chin,” Groton police said.

On April 10, Massachusetts firefighters discovered remains in Framingham off the Massachusetts Turnpike, according to FOX 25 Boston. Authorities have yet to identify the remains, which they believe were in the area for several months before they were discovered. 

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Norwalk police also identified the remains of 35-year-old Paige Fannon of West Islip, New York, on March 6. Her remains were found in a swiftly moving Norwalk River after heavy rainfall the night before. (iStock)

Jane Boroski, a survivor of the Connecticut River Valley killer and host of the podcast “Invisible Tears,” shared concerns and questions about a serial killer in New England with those on social media. Boroski posted a video discussing the possibility on Monday.

“It’s disturbing, and really a bit unnerving. People are scared.”

— Jane Boroski

Foster, Rhode Island, and Killingly, Connecticut, are the two towns closest in proximity. 

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The serial killer speculation seems to stem from the series of discoveries of female human remains over the span of two months. However, just because police discovered the remains between March and April does not mean all the victims died between March and April.

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The New England Serial Killer Facebook group, which has 57,000 members, garnered more than 10,000 new members last week and over the weekend, as MassLive.com first reported.

Searches for “New England serial killer” on Google spiked around April 7, according to data from the search engine.

Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.