Naman Shrestha
In ABC News’ ‘IMPACT x Nightline: The Last Straw: Solving Theresa Fusco’s Murder’ and CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Killing of Theresa Fusco,’ the primary focus is on the mysterious disappearance and murder of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco in Lynbrook, Long Island, in 1984. The quaint village also saw a couple of other disappearances related to teenage girls, sending shockwaves across the entire community. Although three men were convicted and sentenced for Theresa’s murder, they were exonerated and released from prison after serving nearly two decades for a crime they did not commit. Decades later, a new, unexpected suspect emerged based on DNA evidence, which the authorities described as a significant development in the case.
Theresa Fusco Was On Her Way Home From Work When She Was Killed
The beloved daughter of Thomas Fusco, Theresa V. Fusco, was born on January 18, 1968, in New York. While growing up, Theresa had dreams of becoming a renowned ballerina. By the time she turned 16, she began working at the Snack Bar at Hot Skates roller skating rink in Lynbrook, Long Island, just a few blocks away from her family home. Unfortunately, on November 10, 1984, Theresa was reportedly fired from her job at Hot Skates, which upset her. Around 9:45 pm, the 16-year-old girl left for her home on foot in tears. However, she never made it home.
When her sudden disappearance was reported to the authorities, they launched a search for Theresa. Her neighbors and others in the community also searched for her over the following weeks. Her loved ones’ worst nightmare became reality on December 5, 1984, when two teenage boys discovered her remains buried under leaves and shipping pallets in a wooded area along the Long Island railroad tracks, near the rink and her home. Upon inspecting her remains, the authorities determined that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death.
Theresa Fusco’s Alleged Killer Was Taken Into Custody Decades After the Murder
Around the time of Theresa Fusco’s murder, two other teenage girls, Kelly Morrissey and Jacqueline Martarella, went missing in Lynbrook. While the latter was found dead at a private golf club, Kelly was never found. The investigation led the authorities to believe that three local men — a local contractor named Dennis Halstead, a moving company owner named John Restivo, and a local landscaper named John Kogut — were responsible for Theresa Fusco’s murder. In the spring of 1985, Kogut reportedly confessed to killing Theresa after an 18-hour interrogation session. During the interrogation, he also failed a polygraph test. In his confession, he also implicated Dennis and Restivo. Thus, the trio was arrested and charged with the rape and murder of Theresa.
In 1986, they were convicted and sentenced to 33 years to life in prison. All three men appealed to get their convictions overturned, with Kogut arguing that his confession was coerced after a lengthy interrogation. Eventually, in June 2003, their convictions were overturned when the DNA evidence from the crime scene didn’t match any of the three men. While the charges against Restivo and Dennis were dismissed, Kogut was retried because of his confession. However, he was also found not guilty of the crime. Thanks to advances in DNA testing technology, by early 2024, the authorities focused on a new suspect — Richard Bilodeau. At the time of Theresa’s murder, Richard lived in Lynbrook with his grandparents at 16 Tredwell Avenue, near Theresa’s workplace and home.
The suspect, who resided in Suffolk County, was kept under surveillance. When the detectives collected his used-smoothie cup and straw from the trash in February 2024, they sent them for testing. According to Nassau County prosecutors, the DNA from the straw matched the DNA evidence recovered from Theresa’s remains. Following the DNA analysis, police arrested Richard on October 14, 2025, in connection with the rape and murder of Theresa. The following day, he was arraigned on two counts of murder in the second degree, as he was also accused of committing murder in the course of a rape. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and decided to take the matter to court. If convicted, he could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
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