Case 237

Rena & Danny Paquette

In February 1960, the city of Manchester, New Hampshire, was rocked by the violent murder of teenager Sandra Valade. Three years later, another teenager, Pamela Mason, was killed in the same manner. A quiet housewife named Rena Paquette confided to police that she knew who murdered the two teens. Just days after coming forward, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances by her son, Danny Paquette. 

When Danny is targeted decades later, members of the Paquette family believe the same perpetrator to be responsible. But when they receive two anonymous letters, the case takes a completely different turn.

CREDITS

 

Casefile Presents

 

EPISODE:

Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Narration – Anonymous Host

 

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com

Audio production – Mike Migas 

Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

 

OTHER:

Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska

 

PREMIUM

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RESOURCES

 

BOOK

Our Little Secret: The true story of a teenage killer and the silence of a small New England town – Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie

 

AUDIO/VIDEO

Unsolved Mysteries S03 EP06

 

NEWS ARTICLES

Cops probe Manchester missing girl – Nashua Telegraph

Missing Manchester girl is feared slain – Valley News

Telegraph staffer visits scene of hunt for girl, 19 – Nashua Telegraph

Full resources of state hunt slayer – Nashua Telegraph

Final rites held for slain woman – Nashua Telegraph

Wyman sure state will catch Sandra’s slayer – Valley News

Slain girl’s mother gets phone threat – Nashua Telegraph

Sandra Valade mystery may be ended in confession here – Concord Monitor

Investigators discount tale of Valade killing – Valley News

Babysitter, 14, missing 2 days in Manchester – Valley News

Testimony of mother continues – Nashua Telegraph

Pam Mason’s last phone call is described to jurists by mother – Manchester UPI

Milford man testifies he found girl’s body – Manchester AP

Pamela may have gone in auto of man calling for baby sitter – Manchester UPI

Manchester girl still object of wild police hunt – Manchester AP

All-out hunt under way for vicious killer – Manchester AP

Snow yields Pamela clues – Manchester AP

Manchester police reveal no new lead in Pamela case – Manchester AP

Cross examination of doctor in Coolidge trial continues today – Manchester UPI

Manchester woman’s death ruled as suicide by cremation – Manchester AP

Family refuses to accept ruling of fiery suicide – Manchester AP

Police testify Coolidge changed story 5 times to provide alibi – Manchester UPI

Ballistics expert says Coolidge gun, murder slugs perfect match – Manchester UPI

Circumstantial evidence builds in Coolidge trial – Manchester UPI

Coolidge flatly denies murder of Pamela Mason – Manchester AP

Coolidge gets life; defense plans appeal – Manchester UPI

Police saying little about investigations  – Concord Monitor

Hooksett shooting a mystery – Concord Monitor

Murder of accident? – Concord Monitor

Family: 1964 death was murder, not suicide – Associated Press

Autopsy rules out woman’s suicide – Concord Monitor

Windhurst sentenced to 15 to 36 years – Concord Monitor

Man who killed friend’s stepfather in 1985 released on parole – Concord Monitor

Recalling life in prison system – Valley News

N.H. parole board votes to release killer in 1984 – The Boston Globe

Father of slain N.H. girl says 21,000 oppose killer’s parole – The Boston Globe

Two deaths haunt a N.H. family – The Boston Globe

Windhurst asks for forgiveness – New Hampshire Union Leader

Suicide ruled out in Paquette death – New Hampshire Union Leader

 

OTHER

Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443 (1971)

 

 

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