MINEOLA, N.Y. — In a significant turn of events, authorities have indicted Richard Bilodeau, 63, for the murder of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco, four decades after her brutal death on Long Island. The indictment comes as a result of DNA evidence obtained from a discarded straw which matched a sample taken from the victim's body in 1984.
Fusco disappeared from her part-time job at a roller-skating rink in Lynbrook in November 1984. Her body was uncovered weeks later, buried beneath leaves in a wooded area nearby. Three men were wrongfully convicted in her murder, spending several years in prison before DNA evidence exonerated them in 2003. Two of them were awarded $18 million each for their wrongful imprisonment.
During an arraignment held Wednesday, Bilodeau pleaded not guilty to the charges. Fusco’s father, Thomas, attended the hearing, describing the ordeal as “heartbreaking” while expressing hope that justice might finally be served. “I loved her and I miss her. She lives in my heart,” he stated, holding a photo of his daughter.
The new suspect's connections to the case began to unfold last year as authorities developed multiple investigative leads against him.
In February 2024, investigators recovered a cup and straw from a smoothie café linked to Bilodeau. The DNA evidence confirmed a match with samples from Fusco's body.
“The past has not been forgotten,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly after the arraignment. “We will never stop fighting for victims. My office is determined to see justice for Theresa and her family.”
Bilodeau, who was just 23 at the time of the murder, faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison if convicted. The case had previously drawn attention due to the simultaneous disappearances of two other teenage girls in the same area, adding layers of complexity and urgency to the long-unsolved mysteries.
