If you live in Ledyard or any of the surrounding towns you have likely driven on Shewville Road. But have you heard of the cold case that still haunts that street, and, by extension, our community?
It was New Year’s Eve, 1970. What was meant to be a day of celebration, turned into a nightmare for a couple who were living a life of crime. An invitation into Richard DeFreitas’s home would lead to their deaths. Who was DeFreitas? He was a criminal who had rented a little A-framed house on Shewville Road with his common-law wife, Joanne. They had befriended the previously mentioned couple, which consisted of a known bank robber and a young woman. The woman in question had become involved in a life of crime and was trying to stay undercover from the cops alongside her boyfriend, leading to Defreitas helping her create an alias.
She would go on to confide closely in Joanne, expressing concern about the criminal life she was leading. Unfortunately, word soon got back to DeFreitas and the two other men he worked with. Having decided that she was a liability that might speak to the police, they decided to kill her. Knowing that her boyfriend would not comply with their decision, they lured the couple to the house and killed him too. The murders remained unknown until 1974, when Joanne DeFreitas came forward with information that led to the discovery of the bodies.
Insider edition: A personal anecdote acquired by Starkova and Erno from a retired police officer detailed that the woods surrounding the house had been substantially dug up by bulldozers in the search for the couple.
While one of the victims was identified as Gustavous Lee Carmichael, a robber and criminal who was finding shelter with Defreitas and his friends, his girlfriend’s identification was a challenge. The woman’s jaw had sustained serious damage due to her manner of death making it impossible to use dental records to identify her. The Ledyard Jane Doe has been referred to as Lorraine Stahl, but this name is simply an alias. A woman by the same name later came forward, claiming that her identity had been stolen.
The true identity of Lorraine Stahl remains unknown. In 54 years, she has not been returned to her family, who would likely reside out of state due to phone records acquired showing calls made by her to states around the country. Having died between the ages of 18 and 30, she lived a remarkably short life and one that was haunted by crime and secrets. Investigators had many leads, which unfortunately led to dead ends.
Dear readers, please use this article to spread awareness about this case. The story has managed to evade the knowledge of even Ledyard’s oldest living citizens. Recently, the case has been taken up by Othram and other investigators in the Chief Medical Examiner’s office. Help shine a light on this woman’s mysterious identity, and stay tuned for when answers reveal themselves.
Co-written by Senior Alisa Starkova and Senior Chloe Erno. Chloe Erno is a staff writer for the 2023-2024 Colonel Newsmagazine. She is also a part of the marching band and Inner Visions. She likes dogs and has two named Bella and Sadie. She enjoys drawing and writing in her free time.
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