Dark Downeast: The Murder of John E. Volungis Jr. (Massachusetts)

Host: Kylie Low
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engrossing episode, host and investigative journalist Kylie Low untangles the decades-old unsolved murder of John E. Volungis Jr., a young man with ambitions of a law enforcement career, brutally stabbed to death in his Worcester, Massachusetts duplex on the eve of his departure for military service in February 1992. The episode explores conflicting relationships, life insurance intrigue, prior allegations, and a web of suspects and possible motives that remain unresolved to this day. With compassion and rigor, Kylie contextualizes the human cost behind the headlines, honoring John’s memory while probing the enduring mysteries around his death.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: John’s Last Night

• Timeline:
  • The murder occurs on the night of February 3, 1992. John, aged 21, is preparing to leave the next morning for six months of military duty (03:25).
  • His marriage to Bridget Diorio Volungis is tumultuous; she is 12 years older and their relationship has frequent separations.
• The Scene:
  • Bridget picks John up from his parents’ house between 7:00-7:30 PM, drops him at home, then returns after caring for her children.
  • She discovers John inside, stabbed up to 18 times, with a knife sheath at his side but no murder weapon found—no forced entry or theft evident (03:25–09:04).

“She walked through the garage and into the house, but was stopped cold at the sight on the hallway floor...John was on the floor and there was blood everywhere." – Kylie Low (03:25)

Initial Investigation and Complications

• Forensic evidence (John’s leather jacket, etc.) is sent to labs, but nothing public emerges from these results (09:04).
• Police interview Bridget and her brother (who lived in the other side of the duplex and heard nothing).
• Phones from within the house are missing or tampered with, indicating the killer’s attempts to delay emergency calls.

Life Insurance & Family Suspicion

• On January 9, 1992, John and Bridget each purchase $150,000 life insurance policies naming each other beneficiary—John is killed just 25 days later (09:04–09:51).
• Bridget stirs suspicion by ceasing cooperation after her police interview and hiring a lawyer while proceeding with her insurance claim.
• John’s sister and mother recount that John had expressed fear, telling them if anything happened, Bridget should be considered responsible (09:51–13:52).

“‘Less than a month before he was murdered, John told her if anything happened to him, she should tell police that Bridget had him killed.’” – Kylie Low (09:51)

The Civil Trial and Legal Fallout

• The insurance company contests the payout, leading to a 1997 civil trial (16:06).
• The judge bars the use of the term “suspect” regarding Bridget.
• The jury finds, under the civil standard, that Bridget was “an accessory before the fact.” Yet a judge overturns this verdict, ruling the finding was based on speculation, not evidence (17:56–21:04).

"A motive alone isn’t enough, and you can’t stack one shaky inference on top of another just to fill in the gaps.” – Kylie Low (21:04)

• Ultimately, after years and appeals, courts declare there isn’t sufficient evidence to exclude Bridget from the insurance benefits nor to pursue criminal charges.

Suspects & Motives: A Tangle of Violence and Intrigue

1. Bridget Diorio Volungis (Wife):

• Civil court once found her more likely than not an accessory, but this was vacated.
• Maintains her innocence. No criminal charges ever filed.

2. James Marone (Bridget’s Ex-Lover and John’s Prior Accuser):

• In 1990, John was acquitted of shooting Marone, who had previously dated Bridget.
• Bridget and Marone described each other as abusive; mutual restraining orders followed.
• Despite tension, police say Marone is not considered a suspect in John’s murder (23:30–27:20).

3. Pipe Bombing Incident (1991) & Associates:

• Pipe bombs explode at the home of the father of Patrick "Patsy" Santamaria Jr., someone Bridget saw during separation.
• John’s former UPS co-workers Mark Dion and Larry Howerton are implicated, but ultimately not convicted of major charges. Connection to John’s death unproven (32:18).

4. Mateo Trotto (“Significant Drug Dealer”):

• Named by police as a possible suspect, with no public evidence or apparent motive linking him to John beyond mob involvement generally; Trotto later convicted in an unrelated murder (32:18).

5. Unknown Parties:

• Four days before he died, John testified against a coworker deemed “an enemy.”
• No direct link established between this testimony and his death.

Motive: A Web of Possibilities

• Life insurance and marital strife are immediate red flags.
• History of violent relationships, criminal accusations, operating in circles where grudges run deep (organized crime, bombings).
• Unsolved aspects and denied access to leads mean all theories remain conjecture.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the emotional fallout:

  “When you strip away the noise, the accusations, the conflict, people pulling him in opposite directions, you see a young man who wanted a big future. A young man who was working hard, step by step to get there.” – Kylie Low (39:32)

• John’s foreboding warnings:

  “‘If anything happens to me, tell police that Bridget had me killed.’” – John, as recounted by his sister (09:51)

• On the lack of justice:

  “One jury, once upon a time, may have been convinced that it was more likely than not Bridgette allegedly participated or aided in the murder of John...But that had little bearing on actual justice almost 10 years later.” – Kylie Low (21:04)

Key Timestamps

• 02:33 – Introduction to John and the fateful evening
• 03:25–09:04 – Timeline leading to John’s murder and crime scene details
• 09:04 – Forensic investigation and early dead ends
• 09:51–13:52 – The life insurance policies and family suspicions
• 16:06–21:04 – Civil trial, overturning of verdict, and legal conclusions
• 23:30–27:20 – Recounting John’s prior trial as murder suspect and acquittal
• 32:18 – Pipe bombing subplot and other persons of interest
• 39:06–41:49 – Remembering John as a son, his ambitions, and unresolved grief

Conclusion & Call to Action

Kylie concludes by emphasizing the humanity at the heart of the story—the family’s enduring pain, John’s dreams, and the ongoing fight for resolution in his murder (39:06).

“For them, John’s story will always be more than the investigation that stalled or the trial they have yet to see. It will be the story of the son they love, the boy they raised, and the man he was on the cusp of becoming when his life was stolen.” – Kylie Low (39:45)

Listeners are urged to contact the Worcester Police Department with any information (39:57).

Summary

This episode delves deep into a haunting unsolved New England homicide, mapping the tangled relationships, legal maneuvers, and criminal intrigue that swirl around the case. Through meticulous storytelling, Kylie Low balances empathy for the victim with clarity about the murky facts and unanswered questions that persist—leaving listeners with a moving portrait of a life interrupted, a family still seeking justice, and the stubborn mysteries at the core of true crime.