On the morning of June 27th 2000, Magi Bish dropped her 16 year old daughter Molly off at Comins Pond, Warren, Massachusetts, for her summer job as the lifeguard.
A short while later, concerned parents of other swimmers raised the alarm, reporting that there was no lifeguard present at the pool. However a two way radio, an open first aid kit and Molly’s personal belongings were still beside the lifeguard station where she had set up for the day.
Molly’s family were first made aware of her disappearance when three hours after dropping off her daughter, Magi was contacted by the local police. Initially police thought Molly had gone off with friends but it soon became clear this was not the case and an intensive search soon followed, becoming the largest, most expensive missing person search ever in Massachusetts.
Molly’s Mum, Magi, informed police of a vital piece of information. Magi said that the day before at the pond she saw a man with a mustache in a white car.
Due to her uneasiness, Magi escorted Molly to work. Expecting the man in the white car to be gone by the time she returned to her own car.
Other witnesses collaborated Magi’s report with one stating he saw a man matching the same description in a white car, parked in the parking lot of Comins Pond on the morning Molly disappeared and another witness said he saw the same described man and car parked in the adjacent cemetery.
Despite the extensive search it was almost three years later that Molly Bish’s skeletal remains were discovered on 9th June 2003 in the woods on Whiskey Hill.
Although no-one has been charged for the murder of Molly Bish’s murder, police have named several people of interest…
Rodney Stanger:
- Convicted of murdering his girlfriend
- Lived a few miles away from Molly for 20yrs
- Moved away 1yr after Molly’s murder
- Had a white car similar to the suspects
- Regularly fish in Comins Pond
- Known to hunt in the woods where Molly’s remains were discovered.
- Closely resembled witness descriptions of suspect and the police sketch.
- Not charged
Geraonld Battisti:
- Served time for raping a teenage girl
- Was in the area where Molly’s body was found
- Close match for the police sketch of the suspect
- Matched witness description of suspect
- Attempted suicide in prison after a newspaper identified him as a person of interest.
Another person of interest was 49 year old western Massachusetts man, John Regan. He became a person of interest after being arrested for the attempted kiddnapping where he tried to force a young person into his salesman van. He was not charged.
At the time of publication, no one has been charged with the disappearance and murder of Molly Bish.
