Theresa Fusco was 16 years old when she vanished from Long Island in November 1984. She never came home from her job at Hot Skates, a roller rink where teenagers gathered to listen to music and meet friends. Nearly a month later, her body was discovered beaten, raped and strangled near train tracks, buried under leaves and wooden shipping pallets.
For more than four decades, the case haunted investigators, devastated families, and became one of Long Island's most notorious cold cases — complicated by wrongful convictions that sent three men to prison for crimes they did not commit. Now, DNA evidence found on a smoothie straw has led authorities to Richard Bilodeau, a 63-year-old man charged with Theresa's murder.
Background
Theresa Fusco disappeared on November 10, 1984, after finishing her shift at Hot Skates roller rink in Lynbrook, New York. Her friend Lisa Johnson was waiting for her at home for a sleepover that never happened. The search that followed consumed the entire community.
"Everyone and then some," said Thomas Fusco, Theresa's father, describing the effort to find his daughter. "Everywhere."
Nearly a month later, not far from Hot Skates and near Long Island Rail Road tracks, Theresa's body was discovered. The news devastated the tight-knit suburb.
"When her body was found, it was a shock not just to the Lynbrook community, but I think to all of Nassau County," said Anne Donnelly, who would later become Nassau County District Attorney. "It changed the way we saw the world back in the 80s."
Investigators at the time had little physical evidence — no footprints, no fingerprints, and DNA testing technology was not advanced enough to identify perpetrators. Despite this, police focused on three men: John Kogut, Dennis Halstead, and John Restivo.
"There's tons of missing person's cases on a daily basis," said retired Nassau County Detective Freddy Goldman, who later reviewed both Theresa's case and that of Kelly Morrissey, another Lynbrook teen who had vanished five months earlier in June 1984. "That's how these cases were initially handled."
In February 1987, Kogut, Halstead, and Restivo were convicted of Theresa's rape and murder and sentenced to more than 30 years to life. But their convictions unraveled dramatically in 2003 when more sophisticated DNA testing became available.
"Just 6 hours ago, after 17 years in prison, the murder rape convictions of three Long Island men were overturned following stunning new DNA evidence," reported WCBS in June 2003. "New testing not only ruled out Kogut, Halstead and Restivo, it pointed to someone else entirely: another unknown male."
All three men were released from prison. The case went from an alleged certainty to a mystery once again.
"Wait a second," Lisa Johnson recalled thinking at the time. "There was investigations. We trusted the detectives. We trusted the police to do the right thing... How could they do this to us?"
The Investigation
For years, investigators continued working Theresa's case using evolving DNA technology. Advances in genetic genealogy allowed cold case investigators to identify unknown suspects by comparing crime scene evidence against public databases.
According to court documents and law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, DNA evidence recovered from Theresa Fusco's body was submitted for advanced testing. The analysis yielded a partial DNA profile that pointed toward Richard Bilodeau.
Authorities later obtained additional evidence linking Bilodeau to the crime scene — specifically, biological material found on a smoothie straw that investigators believe Bilodeau discarded. The strawberry smoothie had been purchased near where Theresa was last seen alive, according to sources familiar with the case.
"DNA found on a smoothie straw links suspect to teen's 1984 killing," law enforcement officials confirmed in court filings unsealed this week.
Bilodeau was arrested and charged with murder in the first degree and sexual assault related to Theresa Fusco's death. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
"My client maintains his innocence and looks forward to challenging this evidence in court," said Bilodeau's attorney in a statement.
The Nassau County District Attorney's Office declined to comment on specific evidence, but confirmed that charges were filed following a lengthy investigation utilizing modern forensic techniques unavailable in 1984.
Key Takeaways
- Theresa Fusco, 16, disappeared November 10, 1984, after her shift at Hot Skates roller rink in Lynbrook, New York
- Her body was discovered nearly one month later, beaten, raped and strangled near Long Island Rail Road tracks
- Three men — John Kogut, Dennis Halstead, and John Restivo — were originally convicted based on a confession and limited forensic evidence
- In 2003, DNA testing overturned all three convictions, pointing to an unknown male perpetrator
- Richard Bilodeau, now 63, was recently charged after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the killing through material found on a smoothie straw
What's Next
Bilodeau is expected to appear in Nassau County Court for arraignment within the coming weeks. His defense team has indicated they will challenge the validity of the DNA evidence and question how it was obtained.
For Theresa Fusco's family, who have waited more than four decades for answers, the charges represent both vindication and renewed pain.
"We thought, believing me, that there was time for closure," said Thomas Fusco years ago. "But there was no closure."
The case is scheduled for pre-trial hearings in the coming months, where attorneys will argue motions related to evidence admissibility and potential witnesses.