Episode 47: Holly Piirainen Cold Case Mystery 30 Years Later, Sturbridge, Massachusetts with journalist Rich Price
Thirty years ago today, 10-year-old Holly Piirainen was enjoying a lazy summer day with her family at their vacation cottage in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. What should have been an innocent visit with a litter of puppies nearby turned into a decades-long nightmare for her family. Holly disappeared. The only trace of her was one red sneaker. She would be found two and a half months later in the nearby town of Brimfield, in the next county over. As we revisit the details of Holly's case, there are a great many mysteries still. I speak to journalist and former editor of Grafton News, Holly's hometown paper, Rich Price about his journey into the intricate details of her disappearance, the potential suspects in her abduction and murder, and his relationship with the Piirainen family members. In our exploration of Holly's case, we take a moment to appreciate the distinctive beauty of Massachusetts and New England. I share details about local landmarks in the areas relative to Holly's case. Please share any information you have, overheard, or may have remembered: our help is needed to solve her case
Call 413-505-5993
or the State Police Unresolved Cases Unit at 855-627-6583
OR text the word SOLVE to 274637
Listen: Holly's Been Taken a podcast about Holly Piirainen's disappearance and murder, by Rich Price More at HelpHolly.com Photos of Holly over her short ten years: school photos, with family members, Dad Rick with his sister the day after Holly went missing, Her mother Christina, Dad Rick, and grandmother Maureen whose house they were staying when Holly was taken, where she was laid to rest in Grafton, Mass, the "Boston" tshirt that was introduced by the DA as being found near where her remains were located, the wooded area where holly was found in Brimfield off Five Bridges Road, the billboard that was seen on Route 93 in Medford asking for information on her case. There is a $30,000 reward offered by Holly’s family for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Holly’s killer
Sources & links updating
Grafton, Mass
1935 film, Ah, Wilderness! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026046/trivia
The bandstand
https://www.hope1842.com/hope1842/grafton.html
Sturbridge, Mass
Old Sturbridge Village https://www.osv.org
Brimfield, Mass Police https://www.brimfieldma.org/brimfield-police-department
Brimfield Antique Flea Market
MassLive - Brimfield Flea Market
Holly Piirainen’s Story HelpHolly.com
Justice for Holly Piirainen facebook page
Holly’s Timeline
Worcester Telegram https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2011/11/18/holly-piirainen-timeline/49830447007
Holly’s Disappearance
The Tanktop
CBS News
The 20th anniversary of Holly’s abduction
Worcester Telegram https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2013/08/04/holly-piirainen-s-family-marks/44383946007/
The 25th anniversary off Holly’s abduction and murder
Boston Globe
Boston 25 News
New leads in Holly’s case Fitchburg Sentinel, 2012
Western Mass News - Holly’s unsolved murder
Dead man linked to Holly’s case
Boston Globe
Molly Bish wrote to Holly’s family
Archival stories
Boston Globe