B (22:32)

Sometimes in the quiet corners of our world, or even in the glaring light of day, events unfold that defy the very fabric of reason. There is no scientific, logical, or readily apparent explanation for what we witness. It challenges our understanding, our beliefs, and even our sanity. Why do these things happen? What forces are at play? I'm Yvette Gentile. And I'm her sister, Racha Pecorero. Every week on our podcast, so Supernatural, we dive deep into some of the earth's most bizarre and inexplicable occurrences. We don't just observe them. We actively try to explain the unexplainable. So if you're ready to have your perceptions challenged and your curiosity ignited, listen to so Supernatural every Friday wherever you get your podcasts.

A (23:39)

Amy Sullivan's boyfriend at the time of her murder, who I'll call only by his first name, Alexander, had dated Amy since eighth grade. He remembers her as an amazing person, incredibly intelligent, creative, beautiful and headstrong. He said that in the weeks she was missing, he spent a lot of time hanging around the McDonald's and strip mall in town hoping she would turn up because he believed she had simply run away. Alexander said he was actually with Neil Clough on the night he found out Amy was dead. He remembered Neil acting strange and asking if he knew how to get away from a police dog chasing him. Alexander thought that the question was weird but then again, he felt like Neil was an odd guy anyway. He said that Neil drove him home after that, only for Alexander and his father to head to the police station together soon after. That's when he learned the news about Amy. According to Alexander, Neil Clough was pretty good to him and Amy when they worked at his scrap metal business. And he acknowledged drinking and smoking pot with Neil at times, though no hard drugs. There were times when Alexander was convinced of Neil's innocence, but claimed that Neil also made some other comments soon after the discovery of Amy's remains that made him feel like Neil could have been responsible for her death. Then again, Alexander said he'd also heard other rumors around town about people who seemed more likely suspects for the crime. He personally saw certain people change in demeanor and behavior as the investigation intensified, which drew his suspicion. A lot of what Alexander shared with me is speculation built on rumor. Though on top of the information being largely unverifiable, Alexander didn't want any of his theories on the record. Alexander himself was considered a suspect at one point during the investigation. During our conversation, he addressed the accusations against him that have surfaced through the years, saying, quote, while false accusations pale in comparison to losing somebody so close to you, they are still devastating and destroy your life. End quote. He denies any involvement or first hand knowledge of Amy's murder and hopes that new information will finally surface to close the case. Unfortunately, I can't have a conversation like this with Neil Clough about the accusations and rumors of his involvement in the case. He died in 2018. I gotta mention that investigators looked beyond Amy's immediate circle too. Interestingly, In September of 1996, police released a composite sketch of a man they believed was among the last people to see Amy alive. According to police, their investigation indicated that Amy was seen speaking with a man seated in the driver's seat of a blue car in the parking lot of an Aubusson Hardware in Tewkesbury on July 18, the day after she was with Neil Clough and her boyfriend in Neil's van. The man was described as being between 18 and 27 years old, with a thin build and curly brown hair. The vehicle was believed to be a mid-1980s compact to mid sized car. Police emphasized that the man depicted in the sketch was not considered a suspect, but an important witness. From everything I have found in my reporting so far, there is no sign that this mystery man was ever identified. I'll share the sketch@darkdowneast.com for you to see. By 1998, investigators were saying they believed the suspect was someone acquainted with Amy and who was known to spend time in the area where her body was eventually found. That's about as specific as they got at the time, but fast forward a few years. A Lowell sun article by Jeff Skruck indicated that police believed they knew precisely who was responsible for Amy's death. They again described the suspect as an acquaintance of Brandy, and this person also reportedly admitted to other people that he killed her. The man was local to the area and still lived there as of 2002. I've also read that one male suspect failed two polygraph tests, though it's unclear whether he was the same acquaintance referenced by police. Amy's father had once stated his belief about his daughter's killer publicly. I wouldn't consider the person that did this a friend, but I have a pretty good idea who it is. End quote. Between conflicting theories, uncooperative witnesses, and questions that never fully settled, the list of persons of interest remained unresolved. The silence around her death stretched on unanswered, and in the days and weeks that followed, it became impossible to ignore what was happening elsewhere in Massachusetts. Other girls around Amy's age were found murdered in circumstances that felt uncomfortably familiar in the summer of 1996. Violence against teenage girls was not an abstract fear in Massachusetts. It was a documented reality. An extensive report published in the North Adams Transcript states that at the time, homicide was the second leading cause of death for teenage girls in the state, surpassed only by car accidents. Within days of Amy's remains being discovered, two more teenage girls were found murdered. 17 year old Jamie Snow and 16 year old April Church were found in a wooded area near Interstate 84 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Investigators believed they were killed sometime between late August 1 and early August 2, 1996. Friends said the girls were last seen riding in a truck with 31 year old John R. LeBlanc, who quickly became the primary suspect. LeBlanc had an extensive criminal history that included kidnapping, breaking and entering and violence against women. In Jamie and April's case, LeBlanc investigators believed his motive may have involved retaliation. Jamie's father had reportedly given shelter to one of LeBlanc's former girlfriends who was trying to escape his abuse. But there may have been an even clearer motive for the suspect to silence the girls. According to Brian McQuarrie and Matt Villano's reporting for the Boston Globe, April was expected to testify against LeBlanc in a domestic violence trial. LeBlanc was arrested and charged with both murders on August 8, 1996. Within days of the discovery of Amy's body. He later confessed, admitting he killed the girls and dumped their bodies in the woods. LeBlanc claimed they were planning to report him for sexual assault, though the girls families believed the impending court testimony played a central role in their murders. He remains in prison to this day. Just days after the murders of April and Jamie, another teenage girl was found murdered in a nearby town. According to reporting by Ann E. Donlen for The Boston Herald, 17 year old Kimberly J. Bolton was found around 3:50am on August 11, 1996 by a Conrail police officer near railroad tracks in downtown Framingham in an area known locally as the Weeds. The location was just two blocks away from the police station and routinely patrolled, leading investigators to believe her body was discovered shortly after she was killed. Reporting at the time indicates Kimberly died from head injuries inflicted with rocks. Kimberly had last been seen at home on the evening of August 10th. She reportedly rode her bike to the Waverly street commuter rail station, chained it outside Ebenezer's restaurant and went into a store 24 convenience store. There she asked if she could leave her bag behind the counter, bought a lottery ticket and lingered outside. A clerk later told police she left with someone around 11:15pm taking her backpack with her. At the time, police said there was no conclusive link between Kimberly's murder and Amy's. But the similarities were worth examining if the source material is accurate, that the murder weapon in Amy's case could have been a rock that aligns with how Kimberly died. A suspect named Damien Lockhart was later arrested and he ultimately pleaded guilty to Kimberly's murder and assault with intent to rape. He was sentenced to life in prison but is eligible for parole. So far, all four of his requests have been denied. In 2018, his request was denied after he told the parole board that sexual assault was how he was quote, going to get his needs met. End quote. He's eligible again in 2026. From what I've read, Damian's attack on Kimberly was random and opportunistic. It does not fit the descriptions police have said about Amy's killer who was known to her. Taken together, all of these cases fueled public fear and a troubling narrative. Much of the media coverage during that period shifted attention away from perpetrators and toward the lives of the victims themselves. The language used often carried an unmistakable tone of judgment, implying that the girls behavior rather than the actions of the people who killed them, was to blame. That framing landed squarely on Amy's family. In December of 1996, letters published in the Lowell Sun's Back Talk section criticized Dennis and Barbara Sullivan, with one writer claiming they had set her up for her murder by failing to make tough decisions as parents. Days later, another reader demanded the paper apologize for publishing such harsh criticism of a family already deep in grief. None of these cases were formally linked. Different victims, different suspects, different outcomes. But for families like Amy's, the proximity in time, place, and circumstance made one thing clear. Her death was part of a broader landscape of violence, one where young girls were routinely endangered and too often blamed. While answers came slowly, if at all.

B (34:14)

Sometimes in the quiet corners of our world, or even in the glaring light of day, events unfold that defy the very fabric of reason. There is no scientific, logical, or readily apparent explanation for what we witness. It challenges our understanding, our beliefs, and even our sanity. Why do these things happen? What forces are at play? I'm Yvette Gentile. And I'm her sister, Racha Pecorero. Every week on our podcast so Supernatural, we dive deep into some of the earth's most benevolent, bizarre, and inexplicable occurrences. We don't just observe them. We actively try to explain the unexplainable. So if you're ready to have your perceptions challenged and your curiosity ignited, listen to so Supernatural every Friday, wherever you get your podcasts.

A (35:21)

Over the years, Amy's family has searched for ways to keep her name visible. In July of 1997, they tied purple ribbons to telephone poles and other spots around town, asking neighbors to do the same. Purple had been Amy's favorite color when she was a child. The ribbons were meant to be a simple but powerful effort to honor their daughter, something easy to see and impossible to ignore, a reminder that a young woman's life had been taken and justice still hadn't followed. However, a few days later, Barbara drove past the poles and saw the ribbons scattered on the ground. Someone had slashed them with a knife. She couldn't understand why anyone would do that. Angry, maybe. But undeterred, the family made more ribbons and put them right back up. And then, a few years later, In March of 2000, Amy's parents filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit, naming Amy's boyfriend and Neil Clough as defendants. They alleged that Amy's death was caused by willful, wanton or reckless conduct, and they sought monetary damages. Shortly after the filing, they amended the complaint to add a John Doe defendant, a legal placeholder for someone they believed may also be responsible for but had not yet been identified. Both named defendants were served in April of 2000. Neil Clough responded with multiple motions to dismiss the case, challenge service, and limit discovery, effectively trying to prevent the lawsuit from moving forward. The Sullivans opposed each motion. Amy's boyfriend, by contrast, appears to never have responded to the lawsuit, and the court entered a default against him in May 2000, meaning liability was treated as uncontested, though damages were still unresolved. The case then slowed considerably. In November 2000, the court dismissed the John Doe defendant without prejudice. Years later, in early 2004, the court revisited the case to assess damages. By then, Clough still had a pending motion to dismiss, which a judge ultimately denied. Soon after, the court entered a default against Clough as well. On March 17, 2004, the court entered a judgment in favor of the Sullivans on liability only against both defendants. This was a procedural ruling, not a finding of criminal guilt, and no damages were awarded at that time. A damages hearing was scheduled for April 2004, but no one appeared on the Sullivan's behalf. Because of that, the judge dismissed the case without prejudice for failure to prosecute. The parents later attempted to vacate that dismissal, but the court declined. The wrongful death case ended without a trial, without damages, and without factual findings about who killed Amy, mirroring the unresolved nature of the criminal case itself. Neal clough died in 2018. Investigators have said that the case remains stalled, in part because key witnesses are still withholding firsthand testimony and information that police believe could have led to an arrest. Dennis once expressed his disbelief about how quickly public attention had faded on his only daughter. Quote, how come people don't talk about her anymore? They don't do anything about it? How come nobody's asked anything? How come nobody's called the police or the district attorney? It just seems like everybody's forgot all about it. End quote. In a December 19, 1997, interview with the Lowell Sun, Tewkesbury Sergeant Dennis Peterson put it plainly. If anyone thinks we're going away, they're crazy. We'll haunt them every single day until this case is closed. End quote. It was a promise to Amy's family and to whoever knew what happened, that even as leads dried up, the case was not finished. But nearly 30 years later, her case remains open. Amy loved music. She listened to the Doors, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, artists whose songs were restless and questioning and searching, much like she was. She was drawn to the spirit of the 1960s, to the idea that art and music could challenge the world as it was and push it towards something better. She cared about social justice. She believed in fairness. She believed people mattered. She was also deeply creative. Amy had a talent for shaping metal into things that felt alive. Amy's parents told Chris Ivan for the Lowell sun in 2000 that she welded realistic roses, each petal carefully formed. She made toolboxes for her father and brothers. One of her pieces was a cast iron napkin holder. Detailed and deliberate, these are the tangible reminders that Amy was once here. She left her mark on the people who love her most. To her family, Amy wasn't defined by her struggles or the turbulence of her teenage years. She was warmth. She was connection. Barbara once said she had this wonderful glow about her that made everyone who was near her comfortable to talk to her. End quote. Amy had a way of making people feel seen, of drawing them in without trying. That's the version of Amy her family carries with them the one who laughed easily, who dreamed big, who believed there was more life waiting just beyond the horizon. Her absence is not just a loss measured in years past or answers missing. It's the loss of all the things she hadn't yet made, all the places she hadn't yet gone, all the people she would have continued to gather around her. Amy should be remembered not for how her life ended, but for how she fully lived it and for how deeply she is still loved. I want to read you a letter written by Barbara and Dennis Sullivan in 1996. It's a plea that stands today to all the teenagers and adults who knew and cared about Brandy Amy Sullivan. We would like to know the whereabouts of the friends and acquaintances whose lives were touched by Amy Sullivan. In the final days of Amy's life, many of you were aware of where she was and whom she was with. And although a great deal of you have already shared that information with investigators, there are still a few of you who are withholding essential information. The police have a considerable amount of evidence leading to the cold hearted killer of Amy Sullivan. But they still believe there is somebody out there who is withholding vital evidence that would bring the killer to justice. Our family would like to thank those who have made all efforts to help by coming forward with information. Still, we would like to ask all of her other friends and acquaintances. Do you have a conscience? Were you her friend? Why won't you come forward and give information to the police? How can you protect a person or persons who murdered a defender defenseless young girl? They are cowards and sick and must be punished for what they have done before they do it again. We need all of the answers to be able to give Amy the justice that she deserves as her Friends, your loyalty is more important than ever now. For those who have information and feel that you don't want to get involved, think again. What if it was your friend or child? Would you want someone to turn their back on you? Unfortunately, in today's society, we accept many crimes as a way of life. As Amy's parents, we will not let this happen. Our daughter was a frail and innocent victim of a cold and heartless murderer. Please help bring Amy's killer to justice. Our hearts are broken and our lives will forever be changed because of this fierce person who cowardly took our daughter from the world. This person or persons does not deserve to be free in society. We will all be better off when they are brought to justice. A beautiful and kind person has been unfairly taken from us all. A person who would have provided the world with many wonderful things if she were not robbed so early of her precious gift of life. Please, if you have any information, share it with police. Do it not only for Amy's sake, but for preventing someone you know from. From becoming the next victim. We need this person to be brought to justice. Signed, Barbara and Dennis Sullivan. If you know something about what happened to Amy, anything at all, this is your moment to speak. Maybe it's a detail you brushed off years ago, a conversation you didn't think mattered. Something you saw, heard, or were told and chose to keep to yourself. Maybe. Maybe you thought someone else would come forward. Maybe you were scared. Maybe you were loyal to the wrong person. But silence has a cost, and it has cost Amy her justice. It has cost her family decades of unanswered questions. If you have information about Amy's case, contact the Tewksbury Police Department at 978-851-7373 or via the anonymous tip line at 978-851-0175. You can also contact the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the District attorney's office at 781-897-6600. You don't need the whole story. You don't need proof. You just need to tell what you know. Amy's family is still waiting. Foreign. Thank you for listening to Dark Down East. You can find all source material for this case@darkdowneast.com Be sure to follow the show on Instagram arkdowneast. This platform is for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still searching for answers. I'm not about to let those names or their stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is Dark Down East. Dark down east is a production of Kylie Media and audio. Chuck. I think Chuck would approve.