HENRY BEDARD Jr.

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Swampscott Police Department (MA)

Offense Location:

Swampscott, Massachusetts

Summary:

Henry Bedard Jr., age 15, was found beaten to death with a baseball bat in December 1974. No arrests were ever made. The Swampscott Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and Essex County District Attorney's Office are working on an ongoing investigation.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On December 16, 1974, Henry walked his younger brother to the junior high school before heading to Swampscott High School, where he was a sophomore. After the bell rang, Henry caught a bus to Vinnin Square and stopped at CVS to drop off a roll of 8mm film. He also bought perfume as a Christmas gift for his sister. Henry left CVS around 3 p.m., heading down Paradise Road. Former Swampscott Police Lt. Peter Cassidy later said he waved to Henry as he passed. The 15-year-old crossed through the Department of Public Works lot, wished the workers a Merry Christmas, and showed them the CVS bag, saying he planned to wrap the gift at home. Two boys had followed a trail behind the houses on Norfolk Avenue when they discovered Henry's body in a shallow grave, covered in leaves and soaked with rain and blood. Following an autopsy, former Essex County Medical Examiner Dr. Albert Shub reported that Henry had been struck at least five times with a blunt object. Police believed the murder weapon was a baseball bat found near Henry's body, a Henry Hank Aaron 125LL model. A series of lines were carved into the knob, possibly indicating the Roman numeral VI or resembling the letter "K."

Additional Details:

The Bedards reported their son missing at 9:15 pm; however, the officers immediately assumed he had run away. Henry's parents insisted he had no reason to, and he did not have a history of running away. A $10,000 reward fund was established to help find the killer, but no one came forward with information. On the morning of Henry's death, he was seen by Mr. Spencer at school, arguing with another student over what seemed to be "money." Both Henry and that student were missing from their last period class. Henry's wallet contained no money, suggesting robbery might have been the motive. Chief Carlin had been vocal in his opinion that Henry had been killed by someone he knew, likely another teenager or teenagers. Henry Sr. and Gloria Bedard eventually divorced and moved away. Gloria died in 2014. In response to information recently received, a court order called Henry's body to be exhumed. "Advances in forensic science and technology have led to new criminal investigative avenues that were not possible in the past," said District Attorney Paul Tucker.

Case Last Updated:

Jul 20, 2026