Criminology Podcast: The Connecticut River Valley Killings Part 2

Hosts: Mike Ferguson & Mike Morford
Episode Date: June 22, 2025
Episode #: 364

Main Theme

This episode is the second part of a deep dive into the infamous, unsolved Connecticut River Valley Killings—a series of murders and attacks in New Hampshire, Vermont, and neighboring regions during the late 1970s to late 1980s, largely targeting women, many of them stabbed with remarkable brutality. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford focus on additional unsolved cases possibly linked to the series, explore prime suspects (especially Michael Nicolau), discuss recent investigative developments, and reflect on law enforcement challenges in linking or solving these decades-old crimes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Revisiting the Series and Setting Up Part 2

• Recap: Part 1 detailed primary cases tied to the series, emphasizing similarities between victims and locations. Notably, Jane Boroski, a surviving victim, was discussed.
• Part 2 Focus: This episode introduces other potential but disputed cases, explores possible suspects, and delves into investigative progress and challenges.
  • [03:07] Mike Morford: "In part two, we're going to talk about a couple more deaths that may be part of this series... And then we'll dive into some possible suspects in the murders."

2. Additional Victims & Potentially Related Cases

A. Constance Basignani

• Discovery: On June 24, 1989, severed limbs (legs and arms) of a woman found near Warwick, Massachusetts, close to the NH border.
• Identification: DNA confirmed her identity in May 2024 as Constance Basignani, missing since Memorial Day Weekend 1989 from Woonsocket, RI.
• Suspect: Her husband, William, told family she moved to Hawaii but was never charged; he died in 1993.
  • [03:56] Ferguson: “Remains were found in decomposed condition…believed that someone had dismembered the body before disposing of it.”
  • [05:08] Morford notes geographic and gruesome similarities with the River Valley cases, but William’s cover story “might lead someone away from thinking that this is part of the series.”
  • [06:02] Ferguson: “If somebody I cared about...suddenly disappeared and their spouse told me they went to Hawaii...I’d be making inquiries...that just sounds far-fetched.”

B. Carrie Moss

• Victim Profile: 14-year-old from New Boston, NH; disappeared July 25, 1989, on her bike.
• Investigation Hurdles: Not reported missing for 2+ months; repeatedly dropped from missing person lists. Family believed, possibly under police influence, she was a runaway due to a minor marijuana charge.
• Discovery: Her skeletal remains found nearly two years later—a mile from her home. Death classified as homicide, cause undetermined.
  • [08:56] Morford: “Skeletal remains were found by a boy on a bike…about a mile from the Moss’ home...Her death was classified as a homicide…”
  • [11:40] Ferguson laments the investigation: “Her name dropping off the missing person’s list…seems to have hamstrung developments.”

3. Victim Patterns and Questions of Seriality

• Grouping Cases: Discussion on whether there was one killer or multiple.
• Victimology: Most were women, alone, outdoors; many stabbings (sometimes 20+), throats cut, attacks often at night.
• Evidence Consistency: Many victims found near Interstate 91; some along the Sugar River. Stab wound pattern described as a “V” shape over the torso and thighs.
• Law Enforcement Viewpoint: Vermont Det. Thomas Eauclair believed a single killer:
  • [15:34] “If we had six homicides that involved multiple stabbings, and if six different people were doing that, we’d be tripping over bodies.”

4. Suspects Explored

A. Michael Nicolau

Background:

• Vietnam veteran, history of violence, multiple state residencies in the region, involved in other violent crimes.

Connections to Case:

• Lived near affected areas and traveled Interstate 91.
• First wife was a nurse; theorized possible connection, as several victims were healthcare workers.
• Ex-girlfriend Michelle Ashley vanished in late 1988 after expressing fear he’d kill her; her body never found.
  • [24:11] Ferguson: “To this day, Michelle Ashley is still a missing person, nearly 37 years later.”
• Private investigator Lynn Marie Carty reported him to authorities after deep research.

Violent End:

• In 2005, Nicolau killed his wife Eileen and her daughter before dying by suicide in Florida.
  • [29:39] Ferguson: “Michael Nicolau got inside the home... ended up in one of the bedrooms... shot Eileen and her daughter before turning the gun on himself.”

Arguments for and Against:

• Behavioral and geographic links, black belt in karate (could subdue victims), known to keep calm under pressure, had access to the relevant region.
• No physical evidence ties him to River Valley killings; most known victims were intimate partners, not strangers.
  • [32:12] Morford: “As far as hard physical evidence connecting him to any of the murders... there’s nothing that we know that links him.”
• Earlier, Jane Boroski was “totally convinced” (see quote below; 33:45) he was her attacker but later changed her mind.

Notable Quotes on Nicolau

• [25:26] Morford: “Michael Nicolau bounced around the United States with his children, living in multiple states, including Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Virginia.”
• [33:45] Morford: “At the time of the 2006 press conference, Jane Borowski and private investigator Carty seemed sure that Nicolau could have been responsible for the attacks… However, Jane has since said that she does not think Nikolau is responsible for her attack and seems to believe that Carty swayed her opinion earlier.”

B. Jeffrey Champagne & The Kellyville Searches (May 2024)

• Police executed search warrants at Champagne's home in Newport, NH (near multiple victim sites).

• Locals called him “the Kellyville Killer” but many believe he’s just eccentric; no arrests made.

  • [36:34] Morford: “Many doubt his involvement and believe he's just a little weird, but he's not a killer.”

• [38:58] Ferguson: “If he's ever deemed innocent... then his name's out there as the 'Kellyville Killer.' And how do you put that genie back in the bottle?”

C. Unnamed Maine Suspect & Jessica Briggs

• Credible but undisclosed suspect with ties to Maine present at scene of Linda Moore’s murder.
• [40:46] Morford: “This suspect has ties to Maine and was at the Moore house the day Linda was killed.”
• Noted possible expansion of killer’s area: in 1989, Jessica Briggs murdered in Portland, Maine, in ways reminiscent of River Valley cases (multiple stab wounds, throat cut); prior conviction overturned, real perpetrator remains unidentified.

5. Investigative Challenges and Reflections

• Technological Limitations of the Era:

  • No social media, cellphones, DNA technology or widespread surveillance.
  • [42:15] Morford: “A series of murders this big would not likely happen today with all of the tools that would make getting away with murders like these extremely hard.”

• DNA Hopes:

  • [45:04] Ferguson: “Hopefully they’re always looking back at the evidence with new modern advancements, trying to re-examine it and see if there’s DNA... that seems like it would probably be the best way to solve one or more of these cases.”

• Theories and Lingering Questions:

  • Is it one killer or multiple? What happened to end the attacks?
  • [46:19] Ferguson: “If it was one person, I kind of wonder what happened to them to make them stop. Did they go to jail, did they die?”
  • [46:56] Morford: “I think it’s probably a mix... one or more serial killers operating in the same areas, and then I think some of the murders were probably one-off killings.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Problem of Far-fetched Alibis

  • [27:23] Morford (joking about unlikely excuses): "Well, let's face it, Morph, what man hasn't been left for a Colombian drug dealer? I mean, that's just routine. It happens all the time."

• On the Impact of Time

  • [42:15] Morford: “It seems like the enemy to solving a lot of these cases is the time they happened. In a time when DNA collection was, you know, in its infancy.”

• On Community Suspicion

  • [38:58] Ferguson: “You have to feel for this guy in some capacity, because if he’s ever deemed innocent... his name’s out there as the Kellyville Killer. And how do you put that genie back in the bottle?”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:07] – Episode focus & context for Part 2
• [03:56] - [08:39] – Case summaries: Constance Basignani and Carrie Moss
• [14:35] - [15:34] – Victim patterns, law enforcement perspectives
• [22:53] - [33:20] – In-depth profile of suspect Michael Nicolau
• [35:10] - [39:44] – Suspects: Jeffrey Champagne & Ayres Rd. searches
• [39:44] - [41:48] – Unnamed Maine suspect & potential links to Portland murder
• [42:15] - [46:19] – Technological limitations, hope for DNA solutions
• [46:19] - [48:30] – Debating serial vs. multiple killers
• [49:18] - [49:44] – Will the case ever be solved?

Conclusion

• The Connecticut River Valley Killings remain among New England’s most haunting cold cases, complicated by the passage of time, lack of physical evidence, and uncertainties about how many, or which, of the murders are truly connected.
• Advances in DNA and genetic genealogy provide hope for possible breakthroughs, but the case exemplifies the challenges of pre-digital, pre-surveillance crime investigation.
• The hosts emphasize the importance of public vigilance and reports—even decades later—to potentially solve these cold cases.

Public Tip Lines

• New Hampshire Department of Justice: 603-271-3658 or online tip form at business.nh.gov/coldcasetips
• Vermont State Police: Text VTIPES to 274637

Overall Tone & Style

The hosts blend professionalism and empathy with conversational candor, inserting moments of dark humor and sincere frustration with investigative dead-ends. They focus on fairness regarding families, suspects, and the community, while remaining critical of missed investigative opportunities and the lasting impact of both rumor and time.

This summary captures the central themes and detailed developments of this episode, allowing those unfamiliar with the podcast or case to understand the historical, emotional, and investigative complexity of the Connecticut River Valley killings.