A Discarded Straw Leads to Murder Charges in 1984 Killing of New York Teen

Four decades after 16-year-old Theresa Fusco was found murdered near a Long Island roller-skating rink, a new suspect has finally been charged—thanks to DNA evidence recovered from a discarded smoothie straw.

Richard Bilodeau, 63, was arrested and indicted on two counts of murder after investigators matched his DNA to samples collected from the 1984 crime scene.

The case had haunted Nassau County for years: three men were convicted in the mid-1980s but were later exonerated in 2003 after DNA testing proved they were innocent, sparking lawsuits that exposed major police misconduct.

Authorities say renewed leads prompted surveillance of Bilodeau, culminating in the 2024 DNA match. Prosecutors now call it a breakthrough in a decades-long fight for justice, while Fusco’s father says he never lost faith that the truth would surface.

If convicted, Bilodeau faces up to 25 years to life in prison. The case, once a symbol of wrongful conviction, may finally reach closure through modern forensic science.