State Police Assembling Clues In Homicide Investigation

By Andrew Gorosko

A state police spokesman said this week that excavation done in a residential backyard in Hawleyville since last month has proven worthwhile in the continuing state police investigation into the 1984 disappearance and presumed homicide of a Sherman woman.

Earthmoving equipment was in use this week in the backyard at 15 Farrell Road. Workers last week started restoring the backyard, where excavation had begun on the week of September 17.

State police Lieutenant J. Paul Vance said, “The investigation is open, active, and ongoing…We have developed information and [investigatory] leads…We’re still working the case.”

State police have said the current residents of the home on the property are not subjects of the investigation.

Armed with a search warrant, state police detectives had directed state workers to remove an estimated 500 cubic yards of sandy soil from the backyard in seeking clues in the unsolved disappearance and presumed homicide of Mary Badaracco.

That search warrant has been sealed by a judge in Danbury Superior Court because the investigation into Ms Badaracco’s death is ongoing.

Lt Vance said this week that no corpse or body parts had been found during the excavation.

During the course of their digging, the workers removed several motor vehicles that had been buried in the backyard, according to neighbors.

Investigators continue to analyze the various physical objects that were unearthed during the excavation, Lt Vance said.

The lieutenant declined to be specific about the state police’s progress in solving Ms Badaracco’s disappearance. “We’re holding our cards close to our vest,” he noted.

But he added, the investigation is moving forward.

State police would disclose progress in solving the case at the appropriate time, he said.

State police have spoken with a number of witnesses in the case who have provided them with useful information, Lt Vance has said.

The state plans to restore the excavated backyard to its previous physical condition when it is finished with its investigatory work there.

Ms Badaracco has been missing since August 1984 and is believed to be a homicide victim. She was last seen at her Sherman home, according to state police. The woman’s date of birth is March 11, 1946, so she was 38 when she was reported missing.

A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Ms Badaracco’s disappearance and/or homicide.

State police are encouraging the public to contact the state police’s Western District Major Crime Squad at Troop A in Southbury if they have information on the Badaracco case. The telephone number is 800-376-1554.