Help Find Molly Bish's Killer

Summary

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48 Hours: Help Find Molly Bish's Killer (December 8, 2025)

Episode Overview

This episode of 48 Hours revisits the haunting and unsolved case of Molly Bish, a 16-year-old lifeguard who disappeared from Cummins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts, in June 2000. Over 25 years, Molly’s family has fought tirelessly for answers, transforming their personal tragedy into public advocacy. The episode, led by CBS News correspondents and several key figures, traces the investigation’s history, major leads, emotional family perspectives, and the current state of the investigation—particularly the renewed hope under newly assigned Detective Chelsea Safford.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Day Molly Disappeared and Initial Investigation

• Timeline of Events (01:30–03:03):

  • June 27, 2000: Molly is dropped off by her mother at Cummins Pond for her lifeguard shift. Her belongings—flip flops, police radio, chair—are left behind.
  • Immediate suspicion when she’s not at her post, prompting frantic searches by family and police.
    • “Chair, radio, her flip flops, a bottle of water. It was all right there. They said that she would drown. She possibly drowned knowing that she probably didn't.” —John Bysshe, 02:32

• Search Efforts (03:03–04:08):

  • Large-scale search involving fire departments, helicopters, and grid searches.
  • State police and community mobilize but come up empty-handed.

2. The Bish Family’s Response and Advocacy

• Long-Term Impact on Family (04:08–04:51):

  • Heather Bysshe, Molly's sister, becomes a fierce advocate for her:
    • “Ever since that day, I've been trying to find the person who took my sister. I want you to know I'm coming for you. I will never give up.” –Heather Bysshe, 04:08

• Modern Advocacy via Social Media (05:07–05:45):

  • Heather leverages TikTok to bring attention to Molly’s case, hoping to generate leads.
    • “40 year old me got into the TikTok game. It's allowed me to share my story and share Molly's story and really just be honest.” –Heather Bysshe, 05:15

3. Investigative Breaks and Frustrations

• Mysterious White Car and Unidentified Man (11:20–12:27):

  • Day before disappearance, Molly’s mother sees a suspicious man in a white car.
  • Sketches are released, leading to hundreds of tips, but no breakthrough.

• Discovery of Evidence (13:25–17:19):

  • Three years later, in 2003, Molly’s swimsuit and eventually her remains are found at Whiskey Hill, five miles from the pond.
    • “When I saw the bathing suit, I said, this is probably enough here for roughly.” —Dr. AnnMarie Meyers, 15:24
    • “And I knew, I knew there was mom's pin too, right then and there... I cried so hard. I was gut wrenched.” —Maggie Bysshe, 17:10

• Crime Scene Search (18:06–20:17):

  • Largest search in Massachusetts history uncovers scattered remains, attributed possibly to animal activity post-mortem.

4. Case Developments and Emerging Suspects

• Continuing the Investigation (23:18–25:08):

  • White car seen multiple times in the vicinity remains a focal point.

• Suspect Profiles and Grand Jury Proceedings (27:44–32:26):

  • Rodney Stanger: A Florida convict with a violent past and connections to the area and crime profile.
  • Gerald Battistoni: Sex offender with ties to the territory where Molly’s remains were found.
  • Frank Sumner Sr.: In 2021, officially named as a person of interest. Extensive criminal history and access to a white car; however, direct DNA connection is problematic due to cremation.
    • "Frank Sumner seemed like a great suspect. He was convicted of rape and kidnapping...from the area. He had access to a white car." —Kathy Curran, 31:31

• DNA Challenges and Frustrations (32:53–34:13):

  • DNA from Sumner Sr. was unobtainable; authorities attempted familial DNA from his imprisoned son, but results were inconclusive.
    • “It was inconclusive.” —Heather Bysshe, 33:43

5. The Role of New Technology and Detective Safford

• Renewed Hope and Intensive Review (37:32–39:00):

  • Detective Chelsea Safford takes over the investigation in 2025, meticulously organizing and re-examining 80 boxes of evidence and nearly 8,000 tips.
    • “When I dedicate myself to something, I do not stop until it's accomplished.” —Detective Chelsea Safford, 35:54
    • “I believe that that one more piece is out there. I just have to keep digging.” —Detective Safford, 38:43

• Focus on Evidence (39:21–41:15):

  • Detective Safford visits the crime lab, highlights importance of Molly’s backpack and persists with forensics and tip reviews.
    • “What we carry in our backpack, I think it says a lot...learning about the person, the victim, I think is a very important part.” —Detective Safford, 40:49

6. The Family’s Enduring Strength and Memorials

• Ongoing Advocacy (41:49–43:34):
  • Heather Bysshe continues to advocate and encourage public support through TikTok and public ceremonies.
  • Annual remembrances illustrate the impact on the family and community.
    • “Because of Molly, I have become braver than I ever thought possible. I have faced my deepest fears. I have endured unimaginable heartbreak. I have survived.” —Heather Bysshe, 42:56
    • “Because of Molly, we have conquered what evil could not. For love is much stronger.” —Maggie Bysshe, 43:11

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Maybe we won't know why, but we at least deserve to know who.” —Heather Bysshe, 04:08
• “You don't just stumble upon Cummins Pond. That's why the person who killed Molly Bish had to have watched her, and they had to have had a plan.” —Kathy Curran, 24:19
• “You have to have the evidence to support it.” —John Bysshe, 30:07
• “It's not what I want to do. It's what I'm going to do. Yes, we will do it.” —Detective Safford, 41:28
• “Somebody knows something. And somebody knows who killed Molly Byssh. I will never give up. I'll fight. Molly deserves that justice.” —Heather Bysshe, 41:59

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Important Timestamps

• 01:07–03:03: Immediate aftermath of Molly’s disappearance and initial search.
• 11:20–12:27: The sighting of the unidentified man in the white car—central clue.
• 15:13–17:19: Discovery and identification of belongings/remains.
• 23:18–24:06: Discussion of the white car’s movements.
• 27:44–32:26: Consideration and clearing of major suspects; grand jury efforts.
• 35:54–43:39: Investigator Chelsea Safford’s approach and ongoing efforts.
• 42:56–43:34: Family memorial and statements on hope, resilience, and love.

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Conclusion & Status

The Molly Bish case remains officially unsolved, but the family’s resilience and the revival of the case under Detective Safford offer a glimmer of hope. The episode ends with a call to action for anyone with information to come forward.

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If you have any information regarding Molly Bish’s case, you are urged to contact the tip line at 508-453-7575.

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Transcript

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[Heather Bysshe]

It's been 7,680 days since my sister disappeared and I've been waiting for answers on what happened to her.

[Kathy Curran]

This is one of those cases that has haunted me my entire career. I was there from day one. This could be a very significant break in this case.

June 27, 2000, I was a reporter at WBC.

We received word that there was a teenager missing in Warren, Massachusetts. It was a lifeguard who was supposed to be working at this pond.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Do you remember coming here?

[Maggie Bysshe]

Yes.

[John Bysshe]

It started like every other missing person case that I've ever worked.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And about what time did Molly arrive here?

[John Bysshe]

We believe sometime after 9:50. Molly went to work that day. It was her eighth day as a lifeguard at Cummins Pond. She drove with her mom to work. She stopped at a Extramart and purchased a bottle of water. She went to the police station, secured a police radio, her mom and she then drove the short distance down to Cummins Pond.

[Maggie Bysshe]

I was with Molly and they dropped her off and everything seemed fine.

[John Bysshe]

And the rest is a mystery at this point.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And what was left behind.

[John Bysshe]

Chair, radio, her flip flops, a bottle of water. It was all right there. They said that she would drown. She possibly drowned knowing that she probably didn't. But I Ran into the water.

[Maggie Bysshe]

He did. He was trying to get to the deep ends.

[John Bysshe]

You're just going on adrenaline. It's your baby sister.

[Kathy Curran]

You saw, you know, fireboats coming in. You saw dive teams coming in.

The state police helped. The helicopter was hovering from up above. They had cadets from the state police take your time doing grid searches all throughout the town in the woods, and they were stopping cars.

[John Bysshe]

Was it an abduction? Did she drown? Did she walk away?

[Heather Bysshe]

I was like frantic. My mom and I were frantic and we were just staring into this pond like it'll resurrect her or it'll tell us what happened to her. Like it had the answers and what we didn't have.

[Maggie Bysshe]

We had to sleep with knowing where she was the first time in our life.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You were actually on this case from the very beginning?

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

Yes. My roles as the anthropologist, the archaeologist, they were coming to me and saying, Dr. Myers, we're not blaming her. Where could she be? They were focusing down around Cummings Pond. And I said, you need to branch out.

[Kathy Curran]

The months went by, the years went by, and then the decades went by.

[Heather Bysshe]

So that's when I became a warrior. Ever since that day, I've been trying to find the person who took my sister. I'm asking you for help. I picked up that sword and I started marching on to the man responsible for the abduction of my sister, Molly Bysshe. I want you to know I'm coming for you. I will never give up. Maybe we won't know why, but we at least deserve to know who. I will use science. I will use technology. I will use my voice. I will not stop screaming from the mountaintops for justice for Molly. I'm coming for you. I'm coming.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Aaron Moriarty reports.

[Commercial Announcer]

Help find Molly Bish's killer.

[Heather Bysshe]

Have you heard of Molly Byssh? She looks like this. She was abducted in 2000. She was only 16 years old.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In 2021, two decades after her sister went missing, Heather Bysshe did something she never thought she would do.

[Heather Bysshe]

40 year old me got into the TikTok game. It's allowed me to like, share my story and share Molly's story and really just be honest. It's been 7,680 days since my sister disappeared and I've been waiting for answers on what happened to her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She hopes that by going public with her TikTok videos online, she will generate tips that will finally solve her sister's case and put an end to a painful 25 year old mystery.

[Heather Bysshe]

If you know something, please say something. The wait needs to Be over.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The last time Heather Bish saw her little sister Molly was the morning of June 27, 2000. Just before Molly left for her job as a lifeguard at Cummins pond in Warren, Massachusetts. Molly was playing with Heather's 11 month old daughter Michaela.

[Heather Bysshe]

She was having fun with Mikayla. And I remember my mom saying, come on, we gotta go, we gotta go. You're gonna be late.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But shortly after Molly was dropped off, beachgoers arrived and she wasn't there. Police were eventually called to the scene. By the time they told Maggie Bysshe, Molly had been missing for three hours.

[Heather Bysshe]

And my mom was frantic on the phone. She said, she's not there, she's not there, her shoes are there. My heart dropped. I just knew something was wrong because I knew Molly wouldn't go anywhere without her shoes on.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Why?

[Heather Bysshe]

Because she didn't like icky feet.

[Narrator/Reporter]

When you first heard that she was missing, did you think maybe she had gone off with friends? John Jr is Molly Byssh's brother.

[John Bysshe]

It's not what we do. It's not our personality, our character. We were raised better than that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

16 year old Molly was Maggie and John Bysshe's third and youngest child. 48 Hours interviewed John back in 2003.

[John Bysshe]

She was heavily involved in school, with sports, with her friends.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Molly was an honor roll student, her varsity athlete, and she had just completed her junior year of high school.

[Heather Bysshe]

Molly was just very loud and fun.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather says despite their six year age difference, they were extremely close. It was a bond she had had with Molly ever since the day she was born.

[Heather Bysshe]

I do remember thinking that, oh, that baby is my baby too. I'm going to teach her everything I know and you know, we're gonna do this life together.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Molly also had a close relationship with her brother.

[Heather Bysshe]

She very much wanted to be like my brother.

[John Bysshe]

I took her underneath my wing, you know, I was a lifeguard before her. She wanted to be a lifeguard. We played soccer together, baseball together.

[Heather Bysshe]

Molly was 5, 7. You know, she was athletic and in shape and strong.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So when police suggested that Molly could have drowned, they didn't believe it.

[Maggie Bysshe]

When Molly went missing, I mean, it was inconceivable. And then what I was told was the first aid kit was open.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Adding to the mystery, the police radio was there, but Molly had not used it for her required morning check in.

[Maggie Bysshe]

Why? So what was what happened.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Later that afternoon when it became clear to local police that Molly had not just walked off with friends.

[John Bysshe]

The canine commences water search.

[Narrator/Reporter]

State police took over the investigation. And launched an extensive search.

[John Bysshe]

We're looking for a 16 year old.

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

Her name's Molly. In Bish, she's the lifetime of the town.

[Heather Bysshe]

Beach.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Massachusetts State Police Lt. Col. Dan Richard headed to Warren to help out.

[John Bysshe]

I had a three year old daughter. Her name was Molly. She had blonde hair. She has blue eyes. This case has every day been with me from that day to today.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Also present at the scene was then Worcester district attorney John Conti. The state police are working around the clock on this. Okay.

Detectives zeroed in on everyone who was close to Molly, including family members, friends, and Molly's boyfriend, Stephen Lucas. They had only been dating for three months and had just gone to the prom together.

[Kathy Curran]

What raised some suspicion was that Steven Lucas had a fat lip and he had some scratches on him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Former WBZ investigative reporter Kathy Curran.

[Kathy Curran]

Could a young kid pull off this crime in such a short amount of time?

[Narrator/Reporter]

The Bishes never believed that Stephen was involved. Within 24 hours, authorities were looking at known sex offenders in the area. We've looked at 35 to 45 sex.

[Maggie Bysshe]

Offenders in the area.

[Heather Bysshe]

That's been the scariest part about all this, is realizing how many bad people were within the fabric of our community.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Molly's dad worked tirelessly with police.

[Heather Bysshe]

He was always going every weekend trying to work with the police and trying to find different ways to. To find Molly.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And despite the fact that DNA testing was still in its early stages back in 2000, Detective Richards says they did collect and document many items found in and around the pond area, including discarded cigarettes and trash.

[John Bysshe]

When we did the initial search, anything that wasn't there by nature or by God was at least identified as potential evidence.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As the days went by, the Bish's despair grew.

[Heather Bysshe]

It wasn't like Molly was hit by a car or got sick. She was just suddenly gone. And we didn't know where she was.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But it would be Maggie Bysshe who would give detectives their biggest lead.

[Maggie Bysshe]

We pulled into the parking lot here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The morning before Molly disappeared. As Maggie went to drop Molly off at work, work at Cummins Pond, she recalled seeing a man sitting alone in a white car that resembled this one.

[Maggie Bysshe]

And I see this guy and he's just smoking a cigarette, and he just gives me like a little look. And I said, oh, I can't leave her here. You know, it's like the mama bear comes out.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Maggie says she waited for 20 minutes until they finally left. When she brought it up with Molly that evening, Molly didn't seem concerned.

[Maggie Bysshe]

She says, oh, no, ma. It's just Fishermen don't be. I'm not afraid.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The next day, when Molly disappeared, Maggie told the police about what she had seen.

[John Bysshe]

That became very significant because now we had a piece of information.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A sketch was composed based on Maggie's description and it was released to the public.

[Maggie Bysshe]

This is the individual that we're looking.

[Narrator/Reporter]

For in that white car.

[Maggie Bysshe]

I had seen the hair. It was gray, it was very thick. There's just that smoking, you know, that doggone smoking. That's what I remembered.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Almost immediately, hundreds of tips started flooding in.

[John Bysshe]

If you were a 50 year old white male with a mustache and salt and pepper hair, somebody may have wanted to give us a call.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Many months later, authorities released a second different sketch. I believe that this sketch is a.

[John Bysshe]

Remarkable sketch and it's very distinctive and.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I think it's going to help us a great deal. But still no Molly.

[Kathy Curran]

I think that's what makes this case so difficult. You know, you have so many people who resemble that sketch.

[Maggie Bysshe]

You know, when time kept going and passing, you knew it wasn't good. You just know that somebody either has her and that's horrendous.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And then almost three years after Molly disappeared.

[Kathy Curran]

Live from Warren, Kathy Curran, WBZ4 News.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Police were notified that a bathing suit had been found in the woods just five miles from Cummins Pond.

[Kathy Curran]

It's the first major break in this case in years and a very anxious time. Time for Molly's parents.

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[Narrator/Reporter]

Do you remember the very first time you came here?

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

Yes, I do. It was May of 2003. We came here from what we thought would be the recovery of Molly Bych.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Three years after Molly Bysshe disappeared, Dr. AnnMarie Meyers, a forensic anthropologist for the Boston medical examiner's office, was summoned by police to the area known as Whiskey Hill, located about five miles from Cummins Pond.

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

This is how we came in at first. So right above us here are these rock ledges and this is where the bathing suit was found.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A local Hunter had stumbled upon pieces of a weather beaten blue bathing suit, much like the one that Molly Bysshe was wearing when she disappeared.

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

When I saw the bathing suit, I said, this is probably enough here for roughly.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And how could you tell?

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

It was covered by deadfall, so leaves and debris from three years of foliage dropping. But then it had also grown into the surface and roots had come up through it.

[Kathy Curran]

I arrived with my photographer and I was let in.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Acting on a tip, Kathy Curran and her crew got there in time to take pictures of the bathing suit. What's going through your head?

[Kathy Curran]

I was sick to my stomach.

Just thinking about Maggie and John.

And knowing what it could mean.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As Kathy left Whiskey Hill, she called.

[Kathy Curran]

Maggie and she said, you know, could you show us the, the video? And I said, maggie, you know, I really don't want to do that, but, you know, if that's what you want to do, I want to do whatever I can to help.

[Maggie Bysshe]

She just had a little van that had the six old TVs or whatever inside. And she showed it to us.

[John Bysshe]

So distinctive.

It looks like hers.

[Maggie Bysshe]

And I knew, I knew there was mom's pin too, right then and there.

Let's go in the house, come on. And I went up, I locked myself in the room. I cried so hard. There was nothing. I was gut wrenched.

[Kathy Curran]

It was one of the toughest days of my career.

Because.

You know, for three years there was still hope.

And she knew at that moment that something was drastically wrong and something horrible had happened.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Investigators sent the bathing suit to the Massachusetts State Police lab and a private lab in Virginia for DNA testing.

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

So now we've got to search the area and see if we can find evidence that can help us determine what happened up there.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As they waited for DNA results under Dr. Meyer's instruction, you all know what we're looking for. A new search was launched.

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

And that's when I basically said, we're going to grid this area.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Anyone who has compasses, we're working off 110 asthma, 110 magnetic.

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

We did grid searching arm to arm. They were within sight of each other. They raked, they combed the forest with rakes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And had any of that area been searched before? No. When John Bish arrived to the scene, Dr. Myers assured him of one thing.

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

You know, I looked him straight in the face and I shook his hand And I said, Mr. Bish, if your, if your daughter's remains are here, we're going to bring her home to you.

[Narrator/Reporter]

DA John Conti announced that the DNA results came back as inconclusive the search continued and intensified.

[Heather Bysshe]

And it was the biggest search that's ever been conducted in Massachusetts history.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And almost two weeks later, they made an horrific discovery. This afternoon.

We did discover a human being bone. It's the upper arm bone. And Dr. Myers does describe it as the bone of a person between 14 and 20 years of age. What did that feel like to finally find a bone?

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

Unbelievable. But immediately I thought of the family.

[John Bysshe]

We've now established the area as a crime scene area.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As days went by, investigators would come to find more human bones.

[Maggie Bysshe]

It was like every day they came with small rib bones. It was like agonizing and you know, they were trying to find Mal. And we went out every morning. We thanked the researchers. We were so grateful that people would continue to look and help us find Mal.

[Narrator/Reporter]

By the end of the three week search, investigators found as many as 27 bones and and a human skull spread across 35 acres of forest. It was confirmed through DNA testing and dental identification that the bones were Molly's. Dr. Myers believes that Molly's killer most likely picked Whiskey Hill because of its hidden location. Do you believe the killer might have been a hunter being that familiar with the area?

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

It's possible.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She also believes that after Molly was killed, a mountain lion may have scattered her remains among the 35 acres of forest.

[Dr. AnnMarie Meyers]

I often felt that the person knew the area and knew that there was a large animal up there.

[Maggie Bysshe]

We want to tell you that Molly's come home.

We are extremely saddened. The depth of our sadness no family should have to endure.

[Narrator/Reporter]

With the discovery of her sister's remains, Heather had a hard time accepting the tragic news.

[Heather Bysshe]

I wanted to run away, honestly. I just wanted to run outside of this nightmare and this life and maybe even my own body. But I remember feeling like I wanted to run away immensely.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The search for Molly Byssh was now over.

But the search for her killer was never more urgent.

Two months after Molly Bish's bones were discovered in augaz at In 2003, on what would have been her 20th birthday, Molly was laid to rest.

[John Bysshe]

We commend you now to the loving care of the Lord of us all.

[Maggie Bysshe]

We were so blessed we got to have it in a church.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But after three years, the Bishes still had no answers as to who could have murdered Molly. And the man in the white car who Maggie had seen the day before Molly disappeared had never been identified.

[John Bysshe]

Frustrating is a reoccurring word in this case.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Maggie wasn't the only one who reported seeing a suspicious white girl in the vicinity. Say Investigators. On the day that Molly went missing, a white car was spotted at a car wash right down the street from the pond and again in the cemetery behind the pond. So where is Cummings pond right from here?

[John Bysshe]

It's that direction, straight down. And you can see there's a path opening there.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yes. So somebody saw a white car where, right down on that road down there?

[John Bysshe]

Yes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So is the thought that if somebody brought the car down there, they could maybe grab her, pull her back up, get in the car before.

[John Bysshe]

That's a theory.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In fact, in the early days of the investigation, search dogs did follow Molly's scent from the pond leading up to the cemetery.

[Kathy Curran]

You don't just stumble upon Cummins pond. That's why the person who killed Molly Bysshe had to have watched her, and they had to have had a plan.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But there were still so many unanswered questions, like why was the first aid kit left open? Kathy Curran believes that Molly's abductor may have pretended to be injured, and then.

[Kathy Curran]

Someone either forced her or threatened her to get her up that hill. Because she's athletic, she's not going to go easily.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Then, In May of 2004, four years after Molly disappeared, DA John Conti called for a grand jury to be convened.

[Kathy Curran]

Whenever you hear a grand jury in a crowd, you think, oh, they have evidence against someone. So the hope was that the case was moving forward.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather, along with her family, were called to testify. They say that many of the DA's questions seem to be focused on Molly's friends.

[Heather Bysshe]

I remember we were all kind of like, mad because we didn't feel like they were really significant.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But detectives had learned that some of Molly's friends had gathered at her boyfriend Stephen Lucas house the morning of Molly's disappearance.

[Heather Bysshe]

We have a timeline.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And they were telling police conflicting stories about what happened in the hours before and after Molly went missing. The grand jury transcripts are still sealed, so it is not known whom the investigators actually questioned. But they would later clear Stephen Lucas as a person of interest.

After two long years, in December of 2006, the grand jury was dismissed without an indictment.

[Heather Bysshe]

It was disappointing. It was incredibly disappointing.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Just weeks after the grand jury was dismissed, John Conti retired and Joe Early Jr. Took over as Worcester district attorney. He says the grand jury was used as an investigative tool to preserve witnesses testimony.

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

You get them right in, you get them under oath, and there's a criminal penalty. If they lie in the grand jury and they can't say later. I didn't say that because it's Right there. And that is something that helps us get cases beyond a reasonable doubt and prove guilt.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But Heather says not having answers as to who murdered her sister was taking its toll.

[Heather Bysshe]

I was giving up hope in a lot of areas.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And things only got worse. In 2007, her father, John Bysshe, who, who worked so closely with police, had a stroke. Heather would now face the daunting task to take over where her father had left off. And it would not be easy.

[Maggie Bysshe]

The police have always stayed very careful about what they let us know.

[Heather Bysshe]

The police kept saying that we're just one piece of information away. Well, where is that piece?

[Narrator/Reporter]

In 2008, a man who resembled the sketch named Rodney Stanger was arrested for murdering his girlfriend in Florida. The victim's sister reached out to Heather and claimed that Stanger may have been involved in Molly's murder as well.

[Heather Bysshe]

He has this violent history. He lived very close to where Molly trained to be a lifeguard.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Was he a smoker?

[Heather Bysshe]

He was also a smoker. He was known to fish at Cummins Pond and hunt in the area where Molly was found.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Police were notified about this tip, but Heather says she was told that Stanger had been on one of the investigators lists of persons of interest from the very beginning.

[John Bysshe]

I've actually visited him in prison.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Shawn Murphy is a lieutenant with the Massachusetts State Police.

[John Bysshe]

He didn't have much to say to me, but I attempted, and so have other investigators as well.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Stenger was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In 2012, state police went down to Florida again to search Stenger's trailer.

[John Bysshe]

We did execute a search warrant at his residence with our law enforcement partners, and we did take items.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Detective Murphy says the items were tested for DNA to see if they could be connected to Molly.

[John Bysshe]

We've tested and continue to test and.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Move forward, but there was not enough evidence to make him an official suspect. And then in 2011, a private investigator came to Heather with a new tip about a man named Gerald Battistoni.

[Heather Bysshe]

He had actually raped a woman in the woods where Molly was found. His ex wife had a white car that she reported he was driving in Warren the day Molly disappeared.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather says she took this tip to the state police, who have confirmed the Battistoni, who died in prison in 2014, was on their radar, along with many others.

[John Bysshe]

There are times you could say, this person's really good for this. This person's really good for that. That's not how you solve a crime. You know, you have to have the.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Evidence to support it finally, in 2021, 21 years after Molly disappeared, it looked like investigators had enough evidence. The district attorney's office officially named a person of interest.

For the first time.

[Kathy Curran]

I thought, this is it. There will be justice.

[Narrator/Reporter]

On June 3, 2021, more than two decades after Molly Byssh disappeared, there was finally news tonight, a break in the.

[Kathy Curran]

Morning of Molly byssh. More than 20 years after the teenager was killed, investigators have named a new person of interest.

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

We named the person of interest.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But you had never done that before.

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

Never done that. Never done that in this case. But we did get more information to come in. We pursued those leads, and at that point I was comfortable saying this person is a person of interest.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yes.

Frances. Frank Sumner Sr. Was a local auto repair shop owner with an extensive criminal record. Kathy Curran was the first to report the details.

[Kathy Curran]

Frank Sumner seemed like a great suspect. Frank Sumner has a violent past. He was convicted of rape and kidnapping.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Was he familiar with the area?

[Kathy Curran]

He was familiar with the area. He was from the area. He had access to a white car. And when you compare the photo of him smoking the cigarette to the sketch, you can see a resemblance there.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And just like the sketch, Sumner was photographed smoking with his left hand. DA Joe early says Sumner, who died in 2016, had been well known to investigators working the Byssh case for years. What made Frank Sumner rise to that top to actually be called a suspect?

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

Information that came in some dots that were connected.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Although tight lipped about the details, the Worcester DA's office was confident that Sumner was a viable suspect and planned to compare his DNA to DNA found at the crime scenes. But as it turned out, they couldn't obtain Sumner's DNA. Sumner had been cremated and his DNA had never been submitted to the national CODIS database.

[Heather Bysshe]

I don't know who dropped the ball, but somebody dropped the ball.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So authorities traveled to Ohio to get DNA from his son, Frank Sumner Jr. He was serving time in prison for. For robbery.

[Heather Bysshe]

And so we waited and we waited because they said, we're going to, you know, do some DNA analysis.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather, who had started that TikTok months earlier, reached out to her followers to see if she could drum up more evidence.

[Heather Bysshe]

If you know something, if you heard something, please call the state police tip line. We are still waiting for answers.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather says it took investigators about a year before they finally told her the results of the DNA testing.

[Heather Bysshe]

It was inconclusive.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What do you mean inconclusive? Was he eliminated from the DNA?

[Heather Bysshe]

I don't know what that means. Oh, you don't and they won't tell me.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather wonders if authorities who collected discarded cigarettes and other other evidence at Cummins Pond even have a viable sample of the killer's DNA. Do you have enough DNA that you could do genetic genealogy? And have you done any?

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

Can't speak to the DNA. I can speak in this way. We continue to test and we've gotten well over 100 pieces of information tested. And we continue to test.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You know that the bishops have been frustrated. They don't feel they're getting enough information from your office. They want to know, is the DNA being preserved properly, what kind of DNA?

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

As a general rule of thumb, no matter what family it is, the Bishops, other families that we have, we just don't share the information because someone might say something they shouldn't say and it can compromise the entire case.

[Narrator/Reporter]

However, he says DNA is just one piece of the puzzle.

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

This isn't just a DNA case. There's a lot of investigation that's been done. We need a little bit more. I'm not going to say what it is, but we need a little bit more to get to where we want. Need to get to name a person as a defendant in this case.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But Heather says she's losing faith in the investigators.

[Heather Bysshe]

It's really a sad situation to be a victim and family member in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Investigator Sean Murphy says he understands Heather's frustration.

[John Bysshe]

Heather is a fierce advocate for her sister and her family, and I wouldn't.

[Commercial Announcer]

Have it any other way.

[John Bysshe]

And I have no problem being held accountable by Heather, and I'm happy that she holds me accountable.

[Narrator/Reporter]

25 years after Molly Bish's murder, the case remains active and there is a new detective who has recently joined the investigation. She has a plan.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

When I dedicate myself to something, I do not stop until it's accomplished.

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[Detective Chelsea Safford]

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In March of 2025, Detective Chelsea Safford was hired to take over the Bish investigation. Investigation.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

It's a perfect job for someone that has an overactive mind, thrives on challenges, and doesn't sleep much.

[Narrator/Reporter]

One of her first tasks has been to weed through and organize over 80 boxes of case files that have accumulated over the years.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

I saw all those boxes and I just wanted to dive in. I just wanted to learn more.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Detective Safer believes the answer to who killed Molly may just lie within these 80 boxes.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

This one I found Molly's high school yearbook and I went through that. You know, that I have a few tips that I was trying to track down.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's part of her strategy.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

These are all tips to organize and.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Look at past tips with fresh eyes.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

Who else might have heard or seen something that they didn't realize was significant? That one person that we haven't spoken to, they might be the missing piece that we've been searching for this entire time. I believe that that one more piece is out there. I just have to keep digging.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And Detective Safford faces an overwhelming task. She says there has been almost 8,000 tips that have come in since Molly went missing. And they keep coming.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

I can honestly say that since I've been in this office, I don't think a week has gone by where we haven't received a Mollybish tip, if not multiple.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Throughout the weeks, Detective Safford says she's also studying the many pieces of evidence involved in Molly's case. She allowed 48 hours to accompany her to the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab's DNA cold storage facility in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Boy, it's shivering in here. Sherry Mittelhoser is a forensic support section manager at the crime lab. And what am I looking at right in front of me? So this is a bay full of evidence and all of these items here go with the Molly Bish case. Inside some of These brown paper bags are items taken from the crime scenes. Is a swimsuit here it is. Oh, it's this one, I believe. I don't think it says it on it, but I know it was sent out for additional testing. Are there any cigarettes here or any. There definitely are cigarettes.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

Containers. Abc. There are a lot of them in abc.

[Kathy Curran]

Abc is this one here. They've been repackaged over.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Have they been tested?

Oh, yeah. Chelsea, are you going to be looking at this to see if there's something else? You're thinking, why don't we try to test that?

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

Absolutely, yeah.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Today, Detective Safford has her eye on one piece of evidence in particular. Molly's backpack.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

I'll tell you, this is the number one item that I've been looking for.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Why?

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

I think what we carry in our backpack or a pocketbook, I think it says a lot. And I. I personally think learning about the person, the victim, I think is a very important part of each case.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Despite the challenges, Detective Safford says she is determined to find answers for the Bish family.

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

None of us can bring Molly back, but the best thing I can do is find out what happened.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I see you have some of these solved, guilty, captured. Is that what you want to do in this case?

[Detective Chelsea Safford]

It's not what I want to do. It's what I'm going to do. Yes, we. We will do it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather Bysshe, who has been critical of the Massachusetts State Police investigation in the past, says she is encouraged by Detective Safford's passion.

[Heather Bysshe]

I feel like she has the same energy and commitment to solving this as I do.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Heather still makes TikTok videos about Molly's case, hoping her efforts will one day generate a tip that can help investigators.

[Heather Bysshe]

Somebody knows something. And somebody knows who killed Molly Byssh. I will never give up. I'll fight. Molly deserves that justice.

[Narrator/Reporter]

DA Joe Worley Jr. Insists that investigators are moving in the right direction. As you sit here, is Frank Sumner still on the top of the list of people of interest?

[DA Joe Early Jr.]

He's the only person of interest we've named. The only person of interest that's been named in this case, yes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

On June 27th in 2025, the Bysshe family gathered with friends and family to remember Molly 25 years after her death.

[Maggie Bysshe]

Rest eternal grant unto her, O Lord.

[Narrator/Reporter]

First at the cemetery.

And then at a more formal ceremony in the center of Warren.

[Heather Bysshe]

I feel her beside me. Because of Molly, I have become braver than I ever thought possible.

I have faced my deepest fears. I have endured unimaginable heartbreak I have survived.

[Maggie Bysshe]

I believe Molly's love and light have guided us through these 25 years. So today we share our family's gratitude. And because of Molly, we have conquered what evil could not. For love is much stronger.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The evening ended with a gathering at Cummins Pond.

[Heather Bysshe]

I don't want people to ever forget Molly.

And we will never stop honoring her.

[Commercial Announcer]

If you have any information that can help authorities find Molly's killer, please reach out to the Molly Byssh tip line. 508-453-7575. Paramount plus has big hits that hit hard.

[John Bysshe]

It's about to come to a head.

[Narrator/Reporter]

How do you know?

[John Bysshe]

Cause I'm about to take it there.

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[Maggie Bysshe]

I need you to trust me one last time.

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[John Bysshe]

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