Man Confesses to 1979 Cold Case Murder in Boston

Web Desk

12th Sep, 2023. 07:36 pm
Share
- Listen
- Font size
  - Small
  - Medium
  - Large
- Dark Mode
- Save
- Print

Articles

68-year-old man confesses to 1979 murder in Boston.
John Michael Irmer was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated rape.
Held without bail, their next court appearance is on October 17.

A 68-year-old man from Oregon confessed to killing a woman in Boston in 1979.

John Michael Irmer was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated rape.

He is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 17.

During his arraignment, Irmer kept mostly out of sight behind a wall in the courtroom.

Investigators said Irmer had been free for 10 years after serving three decades in prison for a homicide in California.

He told FBI agents in Portland, Oregon, last month that he’d met a woman with red hair – identified as Susan Marcia Rose – at a skating rink just before Halloween in Boston in 1979.

“A few days later, detectives from the Boston Police Cold Case Homicide Squad flew out to Portland, Oregon after reviewing the file and spoke to Mr. Irmer who, again, confessed to what he did,” Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney John Verner said Monday at the arraignment, media reported.

Irmer said he and Rose walked around the Back Bay before entering an apartment building that was under renovation at the time, prosecutors said. Just after entering the building, Irmer told investigators, he grabbed a hammer and struck Rose on the head, killing her. He then raped her and fled to New York the next day.

Steven Sack, the attorney representing Irmer, said he wouldn’t contest bail, but highlighted Irmer’s decision to turn himself in.

“I would say on his behalf, he was a free man for 10 years. He walked into police and confessed, allegedly,” Sack said.

At the time, another individual had been apprehended and accused of the crime by the police but was later acquitted of the charges in June 1981.

Police reported that Rose, a redhead, was discovered deceased inside the building on October 30, 1979.

Her cause of death was determined to be from blunt head injuries resulting in skull fractures and brain lacerations.

Furthermore, investigators obtained a DNA sample from Irmer, and it was subsequently confirmed as a match with DNA samples preserved from the crime scene.

Rose had relocated to Boston from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and was residing on a nearby street when she tragically lost her life.

“Nearly 44 years after losing her at such a young age, the family and friends of Susan Marcia Rose will finally have some answers,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a written statement.

“This was a brutal, ice-blooded murder made worse by the fact that a person was charged and tried—and fortunately, found not guilty—while the real murderer remained silent until now,” he added. “No matter how cold cases get resolved, it’s always the answers that are important for those who have lived with grief and loss and so many agonizing questions.”

Also Read

Stolen Rifle: Escaped Prisoner on the Loose in Pennsylvania

Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante is still at large in South Coventry Township,...

To stay informed about current events, please like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BOLUrduNews/.
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/bolnewsurdu01 and stay updated with the latest news.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3Tv8a3P to watch news from Pakistan and around the world.

Man Confesses to 1979 Cold Case Murder in Boston

Web Desk

Articles