As fears circulate online regarding a potential serial killer in New England, one person found dead in a river in Taunton, Massachusetts on Friday afternoon has been identified.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III confirmed that the body was Samuel Stovall, 51, of Taunton. Quinn said that Stovall was homeless, and known to Taunton Police.
His body was found in Mill River by walkers, and had obvious signs of decomposition.
Quinn’s office said the death has not been deemed suspicious, but that an investigation remains open.
NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS MERIT ‘REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION’ AFTER REMAINS FOUND ACROSS 3 STATES: EXPERT
There have been a total of 11 bodies found in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts since the beginning of March, fueling online speculation that a serial killer might be roaming the area.
However, police departments in the region have denied those rumors.
Meggan Meredith, 45, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was found dead last Tuesday, and identified earlier this week.
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Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni addressed the serial killer rumors in light of Meredith’s death.
NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: 10 BODIES NOW FOUND IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS
“While online conversations around these incidents continue to grow, we urge the public to be mindful of the role that social media can play in spreading fear or misinformation,” he said. “Unverified claims can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture.”
The remains of a Rhode Island woman who had been missing since July were recently found in Foster. Her family adamantly denied that her death was related to a serial killer.
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The body of Paige Fannon, 35, was found in the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut in early March.
“The State of Connecticut Medical Examiners’ Office has not completed its investigation,” Connecticut State Police said. “Based on our investigation, there is no indication of foul play or relation to any other death or serial killer.”
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But Ted Williams, an attorney and former Washington, D.C. homicide detective, said that so many bodies found in such proximity is an oddity.
“Anytime you find 10 bodies in any geographical location, it is very concerning to law enforcement,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “The big question that law enforcement have though, when you find 10 bodies like this, is to try to show some kind of a nexus between these various areas in which these bodies have been found.”
He believes that law enforcement entities in New England are likely communicating about the cases.
“I would absolutely have to believe that in the New England corridor, where these bodies have come up, that there is communication between law enforcement agencies at these various venues and these various locations where bodies have been found to try to show if there is an actual nexus between the bodies that have been and a specific, should we say serial killer,” he said.
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