DNA Breakthrough Solves 40 a 40-year-old Murder Case of a 16-year-old Long Island Girl

After nearly 40 years, detectives have cracked one of Long Island’s most chilling cold cases—the murder of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco in 1984. The case was mired in wrongful convictions, but new DNA technology has linked her tragic death to a new suspect.

Fusco vanished on November 10, 1984, after she left her job at a roller-skating rink in Lynbrook. Several days later, her body was found in a wooded area, and she was beaten, raped, and strangled. While there was no direct evidence, three men were convicted of murdering Fusco in the 1980s, and they were exonerated in 2003 by DNA evidence.

The case remained cold until recently, when new forensic analysis provided investigators with a potential fresh start. Detectives connected DNA from a straw to 63-year-old Richard Bilodeau of Centre Moriches, which was used to drink a soda just prior to Fusco’s disappearance. The DNA evidence linked him to the samples preserved from when the crime was committed. After decades of careful preservation of evidence and improved genetic testing capabilities, investigators now had what they needed for fingerprint matching Bilodeau’s DNA profile.

When he was detained, Bilodeau reportedly informed agents, “people got away with murder back then”, language that made prosecutors uneasy. He has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge and has a scheduled court appearance on November 21, 2025.

This case is another example of how advancements in forensic science continue to write past wrongs and deliver justice long overdue, authorities said. They added that while there are questions over the investigation blunders of the original investigators, modern DNA science has finally provided answers tthatthe family of Theresa Fusco sought for 40 years.