How police solved a Massachusetts scholar’s 1986 homicide

On a sunny Saturday in July, Claire Gravel’s 5 siblings and 90-year-old father gathered round her grave.

It was the primary time the household had been again to go to Claire’s grave since a person was convicted and sentenced for her homicide, which had remained a thriller for practically 40 years.

The 20-year-old school sophomore was discovered strangled along with her personal tank prime within the wooded brush alongside the aspect of a freeway close to Salem, Massachusetts, in 1986.

Deborah Roberts investigates for the “20/20” season premiere, “The Salem Strangler,” airing Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the subsequent day on Disney+ and Hulu.

It’s also possible to get extra behind-the-scenes of every week’s episode by listening to “20/20: The After Present” weekly collection proper in your 20/20 podcast feed on Mondays, hosted by “20/20” co-anchor Roberts.

For many years, investigators tracked down tons of of leads and stored a watch on a handful of them. Claire’s household, in the meantime, spent many years in the dead of night.

“It is a sense of reduction as a result of the final time we have been right here, we had unanswered questions,” her youthful brother, Jim Gravel, instructed “20/20” co-anchor Deborah Roberts. 

The Gravels are a tight-knit Irish Catholic household. Claire was “bubbly,” but “feisty,” as her older brother, Bob Gravel Jr., remembers her.

“She lit up a room,” he mentioned.

Claire was finding out political science at Salem State School and dreamed of turning into a lawyer and beginning her family.

On June 30, 1986, she did not present up for her work on the Nationwide Braille Press. Two of her brothers and her roommate reported her lacking. Hours later, her brothers returned residence to discover a fleet of police vehicles parked alongside the driveway.

“And at that time, my world shattered,” her brother Mark Gravel mentioned, because the household discovered Claire was murdered.

One of many troopers who responded to the crime scene was Elaine Gill. At age 24, she was only a few years older than Claire. Gill and the opposite officers on the case started their investigation by retracing Claire’s closing steps.

Claire was final seen at native bar Main MagLeashe’s within the early hours of June 29. A bouncer named Roger Boulay mentioned a person who seemed misplaced was talking along with her that evening. Police additionally staked out Claire’s funeral, on the lookout for extra clues.

Over the subsequent decade, police seemed into whether or not Claire’s case was associated to a collection of comparable murders of younger ladies in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Police have been by no means capable of join them to Claire’s case, and people 9 murders stay unsolved.

In 2004, as Detective Gill discovered extra about developments in contact DNA, she submitted Claire’s tank prime for processing.

Nearly three years later, outcomes confirmed a male DNA profile discovered on Claire’s tank prime. Detectives then submitted the profile into the nationwide DNA database referred to as CODIS, however have been unable to discover a match.

In 2007, within the close by city of Hamilton, Massachusetts, a girl named Rosemary Diskin was attacked in her residence by an acquaintance named John Carey. Diskin’s 12-year-old son was residence on the time and, upon listening to the commotion, went downstairs. His mom instructed him to seize a knife and stab Carey. 

“I believed I used to be going to die,” Diskin instructed Roberts. “I actually thought I used to be going to die.”

Carey was tried and located responsible of residence invasion and tried homicide within the assault on Diskin. He was sentenced to twenty years in jail.

After Carey’s conviction, his DNA was entered into CODIS and resulted in a match to the DNA profile discovered on Claire Gravel’s tank prime. He attended Salem State earlier than Claire, again within the late Nineteen Seventies.

Family and friends mentioned they by no means heard his title or knew of any connection between him and Claire.

Carey was charged with Claire’s homicide in 2022. He pleaded not responsible and went to trial in March of this 12 months. After an almost three-week-long trial, the jury returned a responsible verdict, and a choose sentenced Carey to life in jail with out the potential for parole. Carey is interesting the conviction.

Claire’s father, Bob Gravel Sr., attended the trial. He at all times retains a photograph of Claire tucked in his pockets.

“Over time, I take into consideration how my dad and mom have been by way of the worst factor they are saying a father or mother can undergo,” Denise Foley, Claire’s sister, mentioned. “The second worst factor must be watching your dad and mom take care of one thing like this.”

Bob Gravel Jr., Claire’s older brother, mentioned that their mom was by no means the identical after Claire died — that the flicker in her eye disappeared.

Claire’s mom, Mary Gravel, died in 2015 — after Carey’s DNA was linked to Claire’s tank prime, however earlier than he was charged within the case. Claire and her mom are buried side-by-side.