Pod Insights Dark Downeast The Murder of Deanna Cremin (Massachusetts) About this episode It should have been a routine school night in Somerville, Massachusetts for 17-year-old Deanna Cremin. Homework, TV, and a walk home with her boyfriend before curfew. But by morning, Deanna was gone. Her body was discovered just a few hundred feet from where she was last seen. The community was stunned: who could do this, and why?
For three decades, Deanna’s friends and family have waited for answers, holding onto hope as forensic science evolves. DNA and forensic genetic genealogy is now at the center of the conversation. Could the key to solving this case be hidden in a decades-old sample, waiting for the right technology or the right name to match?
Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:01 Kylie Low? There's something about being out in nature that makes the world feel a little quieter. But sometimes, even the most peaceful places have stories that refuse to stay hidden. That's what my friend Delia Diambra explores on Park Predators. Each week, she investigates true crime cases set against the world's most beautiful landscapes. Going beyond the headlines, Delia speaks with loved ones, digs through records, and sometimes visits the places where the stories unfolded. If you're ready to uncover the mysteries that linger beneath breathtaking scenery, listen to Park Predators every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:40 Kylie Low? It should have been a routine school night in Somerville, Massachusetts, for 17-year-old Deanna Cremin. Homework, TV, and a walk home with her boyfriend before curfew. But by morning, Deanna was gone. Her body was discovered just a few hundred feet away from where she was last seen. The community was stunned. Who could do this, and why? For three decades, Deanna's family and friends have waited for answers, holding on to hope as forensic science evolves. DNA and forensic genetic genealogy is now at the center of the conversation. Could the key to solving this case be hidden in a decades-old sample,
1:21 Kylie Low? waiting for the right technology or the right name to match? I'm Kylie Low, and this is the case of Deanna Cremin on Dark Down East.
1:42 Kylie Low? It was the night of March 29, 1995, and 17-year-old Deanna Cremin was over at her boyfriend's place, watching TV and doing homework. Deanna and 18-year-old Thomas "Tommy" LeBlanc had been an item for at least a year at that point, and their studying/television sessions were a pretty routine occurrence in their relationship. According to reporting by Peter Gilzines for the Boston Herald, Deanna had a 10 p.m. curfew, so when it was time for her to go home, Tommy would usually walk Deanna from his place on Broadway down to her home on Jake Street, only about a half mile away. But that evening, as Deanna's curfew approached, she called her mother Catherine Cremin and let her know she was going to be late. "Deanna said, 'I love you,' and Catherine said it back,
2:28 Kylie Low? before hanging up the phone and drifting off to sleep on the couch." When Catherine woke up around midnight, she realized that Deanna still wasn't home. Megan Tench reports that Deanna had just received a pager as a gift for her 17th birthday a few days earlier, so Catherine called the pager, but didn't get a response. A few more pages, and still, nothing back from her daughter. Catherine explained away the jolt of worry in her belly with the most likely scenario: "Deanna probably just fell asleep watching TV and was spending the night at Tommy's house." She resolved to give Deanna a lecture about it when she saw her the next day. The very next morning Catherine got up early for work as usual.
3:10 Kylie Low? Realizing her daughter's bed was still empty from the night before, Catherine decided to call Tommy's house. She told Tommy he'd better tell Deanna to get her butt home, but he said Deanna wasn't at his house. According to Catherine, Tommy explained that he'd walked Deanna halfway home the night before. "They parted ways near the corner of Heath and Bond Streets," he said. "That was only two or three tenths of a mile down the street from Deanna's house, almost a straight shot." Catherine left for work, no doubt concerned after that call with her daughter's boyfriend. She asked Deanna's stepfather, Michael Cremin, to call the high school just to make sure Deanna had shown up for class. Michael hoped that the call would calm the fear rising in his wife's mind,
3:56 Kylie Low? but the call did the exact opposite. Deanna had been marked absent. Meanwhile, around 8 a.m. that day, two elementary school students taking a shortcut to school behind the James J. Corbett Apartments at 125 Jake Street found a body lying along the walking path. She was next to a chain-link fence at the top of a steep embankment that separated the apartments from a different housing development on Mystic Avenue. The children thought the girl was asleep. Deanna's family had already called police to begin the search for their missing daughter as news about what the children had discovered began circulating in town, on the bus, and at Catherine's workplace.
4:38 Kylie Low? When her husband called and told Catherine she'd better come home, she already knew the earth-shattering news she was about to receive. The body found behind the senior housing development that morning was her daughter, Deanna. She'd once babysat the children who found her. According to reporting by Paul Lengner and Pamela W. Walsh for the Boston Globe, Deanna's uncle said that police first told their family that Deanna died of a drug overdose, but that information couldn't have been further from the truth. There were no obvious signs of injury that the first responders could see, but the autopsy later found that Deanna died from strangulation, and her death was officially ruled a homicide.
5:20 Kylie Low? At the time, investigators did not disclose if the autopsy found indications of sexual assault. However, the condition of her clothing and state of undress at the time of discovery raised questions about a possible sexual element to the crime. Beverly Ford and David Weber report for the Boston Herald that Deanna was found partially nude. Witnesses claimed they saw Deanna laying on her back, wearing a red jacket that was open in the front. Her pants were pulled completely off her right leg and halfway down her left thigh. Her right shoe was not on her foot, but her left foot was still wearing a sock and sneaker. As of today, there's no clear answer to the question about where the murder occurred.
6:03 Kylie Low? Investigators at the time didn't say if they believed Deanna was killed in that location or if she was left there after her death. However, residents who spoke to the media at the time said they didn't hear anything strange or concerning the night before Deanna's body was found. Marjorie Egan writes in her column for the Boston Herald that getting to the location of Deanna's body required walking down a path that connected Jake Street to the backyard of that senior housing complex. You'd pass a fence and several apartment windows while traipsing down a full flight of 13 stairs. By the sounds of it, it wasn't exactly an area you'd just stumble upon, but given the fact that two children found Deanna there while taking a shortcut to school,
6:47 Kylie Low? it seems like it was a path known to locals and frequently traveled. The location of her body was also less than 500 feet away from where her boyfriend Tommy said he left Deanna that night, when he walked her halfway home. Police obviously had questions for Tommy. However, he was not considered a suspect at the time. As for his version of events of the night before Deanna's body was found, he told police basically the same thing he told Deanna's mother. He said that he walked Deanna halfway home. He didn't accompany her all the way because he'd ordered some food and wanted to get back to his house for the delivery. Friends who saw their relationship said that Tommy and Deanna were very close,
7:32 Kylie Low? and they really loved each other. Tommy's mother has said that her son was extremely upset about Deanna's death, and Deanna's mother recalled Tommy being emotional as well. Catherine remembers Tommy holding her hand at Deanna's wake as he sobbed, asking, "What am I going to do now?" Tommy was one among dozens of people police spoke to in the first critical hours of the investigation. Family and friends and fellow classmates and coworkers of Deanna's gave their accounts of the girl they knew, the people she surrounded herself with, and anything unusual in her life in the days before somebody killed her. That's how police came to interview a Somerville firefighter who had reportedly taken an interest in Deanna.
8:15 Kylie Low? He'd been a firefighter for over a decade and came from a prominent family in town. His father was a well-known attorney. The firefighter worked out of the Central Fire Station on Broadway, which was across the street from the supermarket where Deanna worked. Beverly Ford and David Weber's reporting for the Boston Herald indicates that the firefighter worked on that Wednesday morning, the day before Deanna's murder was discovered. He was scheduled again for that Sunday, but called out sick twice, maybe because of the scrutiny he was under at the time. Police questioned the firefighter at least three times early on with the first interview just a day after she was found. He was reportedly cooperative with the investigation, and according to at least
9:00 Kylie Low? one source, he provided samples which could presumably be forensically tested against evidence police already had in the case. Police did not identify him as a suspect at the time, and he has never faced any charges. Investigators soon announced that they were searching for a potential witness seen in the area of 125 Jake Street around the time someone murdered Deanna, and they released a sketch and description of the potential witness. He was described as 40 to 45 years old, white with short dark hair, 5'9" to 5'11" inches tall, and 160 to 170 pounds. You can see the sketch at darkdouneast.com. Investigators stated that the man was "not a suspect," they just wanted to talk to him
9:45 Kylie Low? about what he may have seen or heard that night. Matthew Brellis reports for The Boston Globe that as of April 1995, police had not excluded anyone as a suspect, though they had also not officially publicly identified any suspects. Jason B. Johnson reports for The Boston Herald, however, that according to a member of Deanna's family, police had seven to 10 suspects at the time, and there was belief among investigators that an arrest was imminent. Police did not confirm this information. Nearly a month into the investigation, Deanna's family was justifiably frustrated that no one had been arrested for her murder.
10:27 Kylie Low? So they decided to start raising money to offer a reward for information in her case. They sold tickets to a benefit dinner at a local restaurant, as well as purple ribbons with Deanna's name on them. They created and sold T-shirts with words from her memorial service. Quote, "This is Deanna's message to us: Respect life. Someone did not respect hers." End quote. Not long after the effort began, funds raised allowed Deanna's family to announce a $10,000 reward for information, leading to the capture and conviction of her killer. It's heartening to see the commitment this community had and still has to keep Deanna's memory alive.
11:08 Kylie Low? With the investigation still ongoing in May of 1995, the Somerville Board of Aldermen voted on a proclamation to rename the corner of Jakes and Temple Street to Deanna Cremin Square. A friend of the Cremin family came up with the idea in hopes that it would carry Deanna's name on through decades and generations to come. They didn't want Deanna to be forgotten. The blue signs marking her square still stand today, often adorned with a wreath in Deanna's honor. Even a year after Deanna died, the investigation still had not developed to the point of an arrest. There was no word on whether that man in the composite sketch was ever identified or located, or if the investigative findings had pointed to the firefighter, or to Tommy,
11:53 Kylie Low? or someone else entirely having information about what happened that night. So, once again, Deanna's family, with the help of community members, found a new way to keep attention on the case. A donated billboard went up near Temple Street and Broadway off the McGrath Highway in Somerville with an unmissable reminder of the reward for information. Again at the two-year mark, another billboard went up. But again, Deanna's case went without closure. In 1999, another billboard was raised in Deanna's Winter Hill neighborhood, and this one featured a message written as if Deanna herself was addressing her killer. "Let my time in heaven be restful," it said. "You know what you did to me."
12:37 Kylie Low? Again in 2001, a new billboard was raised for the month of March. "How much longer must I wait?" it read.
12:51 Kylie Low? Every small town has a local legend. The house no one drives past after dark, or the woods that hold secrets. Every October, I like to add something a little more spooky to my playlist. Stories that blur the line between what's imagined and what might be waiting in the dark. Full Body Chills returns with more strange coincidences, unsettling confessions, and stories where danger may be closer than it seems. Listen to Full Body Chills all October long, wherever you get your podcasts.
13:30 Kylie Low? The only updates about the case throughout the years have been vague statements about ongoing efforts. Around the 10-year anniversary, Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley said that her office had, quote, "made some developments on the forensic front," end quote. Tom Farmer reports for the Boston Herald that those forensic developments included analysis of DNA evidence that had not been possible back in 1995. While forensic developments might have opened up new avenues for identifying potential suspects as early as 2005, the case also really needed, and still needs, witnesses to come forward. The DA's office believed that someone or multiple someones may have witnessed the
14:14 Kylie Low? murder, but had yet to come forward with their accounts. DA Coakley said that after a full decade into the investigation, whoever did offer up their information would be considered a hero. So for the month of March, once a year for at least 10 years, the billboard with Deanna's face stared down at Somerville, waiting for a fraying relationship to unearth information never before shared, or guilt of conscience to move the killer to confess. The reward has increased in recent years and now sits at $70,000. But the promise of a major payday has not brought this case to a close.
14:52 Kylie Low? No one has ever been officially named a suspect in Deanna's case, and no charges have ever been brought against anyone. However, as reported in 2005, Somerville police were focusing on three individuals at that point, and they'd been the same three people since the early investigation. Now, according to some earlier reporting, the firefighter was supposedly ruled out as a suspect, but Peter Gilzynis claims that the firefighter was actually one of the three individuals police were still actively investigating. Reporting in 2013 by Megany Irons for the Boston Globe, identified a second potential suspect, a man who had previously served time for sexual assault.
15:36 Kylie Low? This person was questioned at some point during the investigation, and he denied killing Deanna, but is reported to have described what he would have done if he did do it. It's unclear how this person was initially linked to Deanna's case in the first place. The third person believed to be investigated is Deanna's boyfriend, Tommy LeBlanc. And it makes complete sense why Tommy has been side-eyed from day one. He's believed to be the last person with Deanna before someone killed her. He said he walked her halfway home, and she was found within 500 feet of where Tommy said he parted ways with her that night. But not only that, according to court records, Tommy had a tendency towards violent outbursts,
16:20 Kylie Low? both before and after Deanna's death. Sean Flynn writes for the Boston Herald that Tommy previously lived with his father in Nashua, New Hampshire, before, quote, "begging to move in with his mother in Somerville." In 1993, not long after he moved in with his mother, Susan LeBlanc petitioned for a restraining order against her own son. She wrote in an affidavit that Tommy had been an angry child from age five or six. It reads, quote, "He has a history of a violent temper, and lately if he doesn't get his own way, he will react irrationally." End quote. Also in that affidavit, she accused Tommy of shooting her cat with a BB gun. She said that Tommy was, quote,
17:04 Kylie Low? "on a collision course with himself." End quote. The May 1995 restraining order affidavit filed after Deanna's death includes similar information from Tommy's mother. Susan LeBlanc wrote in the 1995 affidavit that when her son went into a rage, she feared that her life was in jeopardy. It continues, quote, "He has thrown lamps, furniture, et cetera, in his effort to maintain control of me. Many occasions, I feel that my house is not a home, but more of a prison," end quote. On May 23, 1995, a judge in Somerville District Court ordered Tommy to move out of his mother's home and keep 100 yards away from her at all times.
17:46 Kylie Low? Somerville Police served Tommy with the order, and he was arrested on a default warrant, but it's unclear what that warrant was for or if he faced charges. Susan only wanted Tommy to get the help he needed for his behavior and emotional struggles. An attorney representing Tommy's mother said that the restraining order was not related to Deanna's murder, but that Tommy's mood swings, as she described them, got worse after Deanna's death. For Deanna's family, particularly her mother Catherine, Tommy's version of events has never really satisfied her. She said that Tommy routinely walked Deanna home. He might have even walked her halfway before, but there was something distinctly different
18:29 Kylie Low? about that night as far as Catherine remembers it. She said that Tommy never called to see if Deanna made it home safely. According to Catherine, Tommy would always call to see if she'd gotten home after saying goodbye. Maybe the change in behavior Catherine reports is innocuous. He claimed he was expecting food delivery, so perhaps he got home, dove right into the takeout, and forgot to give Deanna a call to confirm she made it the final two or three tenths of a mile back. But it's also possible that what Catherine identified as a divergence from what Tommy usually did tells a different story. Catherine had tried calling Tommy several times after Deanna's death, but says she only got through to him once.
19:12 Kylie Low? The exchange was brief, and she still has unanswered questions for him about Deanna's final hours. She hopes that his answers might reveal clues that could lead to her killer. In March of 2017, Catherine appealed to Tommy LeBlanc through the media. She wrote a letter that reads in part, “Today, on the 22nd anniversary of my daughter Deanna’s death, I’m still haunted by questions. For that reason, I’m begging you to please reach out to the Mass. State Police and be kind enough to offer to be re-interviewed. I’m well aware of how painful it is for you to go back down this road, but I’m pleading with you to help me, help Deanna. You were the last one to spend time with her that night.
19:56 Kylie Low? Nobody can help her case like you can. Please, Tommy, please help. Please reach out to the MSP, Chief of Homicide.” End quote. I called all the numbers I could find for Tommy, and I reached out to him on the only online platform I could find for him, but I haven’t been able to speak with Tommy as of this episode’s release date. That said, Tommy, if you want to talk about the loss of your girlfriend 30 years later, I’d still like to hear from you.
20:25 Kylie Low? The investigation into Deanna’s murder unfolded at a time when forensic DNA analysis as we know it today was still developing. CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System, was introduced in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a few years after Deanna was murdered. And so in recent years, as you’ve already heard, there’s been questions about if and how CODIS and contemporary DNA testing might be able to expand what’s known about Deanna’s killer. Since her death, Massachusetts has enacted legislation requiring those convicted of certain criminal offenses in the state to submit a DNA sample to be entered into corresponding databases. This legislation has already directly contributed
21:08 Kylie Low? to the identification of suspects in other unsolved Massachusetts homicides. You’ll remember the case of Lena Bruce that I covered recently on Dark Down East. A suspect previously unknown to the case was finally connected to her murder when he was required to submit a DNA sample following a conviction for another unrelated crime. That DNA sample matched a profile collected at the scene of Lena’s murder. This legislation could continue to identify suspects in other cases, maybe even Deanna's, but only if the samples are collected and processed as required. However, a 2023 investigative report by WCVB's Karen Anderson found that Massachusetts
21:53 Kylie Low? was falling behind on the collection of DNA samples from people convicted of felony offenses. The backlog was upwards of 10,000 to 15,000 people. This upset Deanna's family, and for good reason. The topic of DNA evidence has remained front and center during the most recent conversations about Deanna's case. Just this year, in March of 2025, the Somerville City Council announced a resolution calling for the reinvestigation of two unsolved murders in the city: the case of Charlene Rosemond and that of Deanna Cremin. As you've also recently heard on Dark Down East, there's finally been an arrest in Charlene Rosemond's murder.
22:34 Kylie Low? That announcement came days before the Middlesex District Attorney Marion Ryan appeared before the city council in response to the resolution. On April 10, 2025, District Attorney Marion Ryan spoke to the council members and attendees about the county's cold case unit. Since its creation in 2019, the unit has helped bring answers to 10 families and was responsible for the indictment of the suspect in Charlene Rosemond's case. The DA emphasized that cold cases are solved through persistence, time, and solid investigative work, with forensic tools like DNA analysis playing a supporting role. Justice may take years, but she assured the council members and families in attendance
23:19 Kylie Low? that her office remains committed until every case is resolved. Deanna's mother Catherine listened from the audience as the DA discussed the unit's recent success, and then it was her turn to speak.
23:39 Kylie Low? Every small town has a local legend. The house no one drives past after dark, or the woods that hold secrets. Every October, I like to add something a little more spooky to my playlist. Stories that blur the line between what's imagined and what might be waiting in the dark. Full Body Chills returns with more strange coincidences, unsettling confessions, and stories where danger may be closer than it seems. Listen to Full Body Chills all October long, wherever you get your podcasts.
24:18 Speaker 01 My name is Captain Kerman. I am Deanna Kerman's mother.
24:22 Speaker 01 This year has been 30 years. The infirmity has been unsoft.
24:29 Speaker 01 Excuse me.
24:31 Speaker 01 Over the 30 years, I can't say that my horror has decreased, but, believe it or not, my hope gets stronger because of new forensic science, because of diligent investigators, our district attorney, a councilman, relatives and friends who don't let this go to sleep.
24:55 Kylie Low? Among those relatives and friends who will not rest until Deanna's killer is brought to justice is her friend Jamie McDonald, also at the council meeting that day. Jamie had a direct request for the district attorney.
25:10 Speaker 02 I'm asking DA, please, whatever there is, whatever DNA that we have not done, do it. If we've done it, do it again. If there's someone willing to help us, anything. I can't continue on and have no answer. For my friend, I don't feel I am doing her justice right now.
25:33 Kylie Low? When DA Ryan returned to the mic, she addressed the topic of forensic DNA testing. She could not speak to the evidence available in Deanna's case specifically. However, she emphasized that DNA evidence comes with several limitations and careful considerations. And I thought what she had to say was really enlightening. First, investigators must recover a usable DNA sample, which is difficult because crime scene DNA is rarely pristine and can degrade due to environmental factors like heat or rain. And then even when a sample is obtained, it must meet quality standards to produce a full profile that can be uploaded to databases for comparison.
26:17 Kylie Low? She pointed out that testing DNA consumes part of the sample, and by law in Massachusetts, half of what's available must be preserved for potential testing by the defense, which means investigators must be strategic about when and how they use it. The DA went on to explain that advances in technology over the past decades have made it possible to analyze mixed DNA samples and obtain profiles from smaller or more complex evidence. So cases are often revisited when new methods emerge. However, even with a full profile, a match is only possible if the person's DNA is already in the database. This is where forensic genealogy adds value to investigations.
27:02 Kylie Low? By identifying relatives of an unknown suspect and building family trees to narrow down possible matches before confirming through a court-ordered DNA sample. This evolving science has helped solve decades-old cases, but it requires careful sample management and constant reevaluation as testing capabilities improve.
27:26 Kylie Low? Now, Councilor Jessie Klingon originated the resolution calling for the reinvestigation of Deanna's case, and he's a longtime friend of the Cremin family. The counselor asked DA Ryan a series of pointed questions about Deanna's case. He wanted to know if the cold case unit she spoke about, and commended for their work on Charlene's case, was also investigating Deanna's murder. The DA explained that cases older than six years are generally treated as cold cases. Despite the age of Deanna's case, though, it remains with the chief of homicide, who has handled it for nearly 30 years, and who works closely with the head of the cold case unit.
28:09 Kylie Low? The DA positioned this long-term involvement as an advantage to the case because of the established relationships with Deanna's family and the greater Somerville community. Counselor Klingon also asked about the perceived reluctance of the DA's office to work with outside experts to further the investigation into Deanna's murder. But DA Ryan said that this is not the case. They work with outside agencies and experts all the time. But she also said that her office has a valuable asset in-house that others in the state do not. There's a forensic genealogist on staff. The DA did not elaborate on how this asset might be specifically aiding the investigation
28:50 Kylie Low? into Deanna's murder, but if you look at the most recent information about the case and evidence that might be available to further the investigation, forensic genetic genealogy might be exactly what it needs after all these years. As recently as 2013, local media coverage revealed that there were findings of sexual assault in Deanna's case. This information was either not confirmed or was strategically withheld early on in the investigation. So if a DNA profile has been developed from biological evidence, we gotta hope that profile has also been entered into all of the appropriate databases for a potential match.
29:31 Kylie Low? And if it has, but there's no match yet, that could be because the perpetrator's DNA profile does not exist in the available databases.
29:41 Kylie Low? Maybe that backlog of samples is playing a role here. Maybe the profile hasn't made its way into CODIS yet to identify potential matches. Or perhaps, the killer did not go on to commit any other crimes after the requirement was put into place for those with felony convictions to submit a DNA profile. But with forensic genetic genealogy, a match to a potential suspect in a database doesn't have to be the end of the investigation. Perhaps a relative of the killer has, or will someday, enter their profile into a database accessible by law enforcement. If the profile points to a family member,
30:21 Kylie Low? that's where a family tree comes in to analyze relatives who might fit the profile of a potential suspect. According to DA Ryan's statements at the council meeting, Deanna's case has been under active review since October of 2021. There's been hundreds of hours of reexamination, new investigative approaches, and DNA testing, even if results have not yet been achieved or seen publicly. The DA shared her confidence that behind-the-scenes progress will eventually lead to a resolution, just as it did in the case of Charlene Rosemond.
31:00 Speaker 01 I know that there are so many murders that are just like, oh, well, another one gone because the world is in such chaos. But, you know, what happened to Deanna and what it inevitably did to my family, and a lot of her friends, where her presence would have definitely made a difference in their lives.
31:22 Kylie Low? Deanna's death had a ripple effect on the Cremin family and those closest to her. The emotional toll left Katherine struggling in day-to-day life. She lost her job, her home fell into foreclosure. By the time the one-year anniversary arrived, Katherine and Deanna's stepfather had separated, and she was moving out of the home on Jake Street, where Deanna once lived too. She battled substance use and charges relating to driving under the influence, which resulted in probation. She lost custody of her other children for a time. The fallout of losing Deanna threatened to torpedo her life. But Catherine did eventually find her way through the storm. She even started her own support group to help others in the midst of substance use.
32:05 Kylie Low? She remains committed to honoring Deanna's life, remembering her bright light, and hoping to someday see an end to all the unknowns. There are so many versions of Deanna's future that her family and friends are left to only imagine now. But if there's one thing everyone knew about Deanna, it was that she loved children. She wanted to become a preschool teacher someday, and she probably would have. Deanna was ambitious and seemed to have a plan laid out on how to achieve her dreams. She was the neighborhood's favorite babysitter, and she was even enrolled in an early childhood development course that allowed her to work with 3rd graders at a local elementary school. As reported by Sarah Morrison for The Boston Globe,
32:48 Kylie Low? "In a class assignment on March 29, 1995, what's believed to be the same day of her death, Deanna made a list of five goals she wanted to achieve for her life. They were: graduate high school, get a job she liked, buy a dark green Mustang convertible, have a happy family, and live a long and healthy life." For Deanna's friend Jamie, the rawness of her grief even 30 years later has not changed. Neither has her commitment to doing whatever she can for the Cremin family.
33:20 Speaker 02 There has been no stone unturned as a friend, as a community. We have had rallies, we've had walks, we've had masses, we've had... We've done everything we can do to try to keep her memory alive. But we have a capacity, and there is a boundary as individual citizens, that we can only take it so far. And here, 30 years later, which is unfathomable, to be here still and have the same answer that I had as that 16-year-old girl when I was pulled out of high school to be told my friend was strangled to death. I have that same answer today, which is nothing. There's no reason.
34:07 Kylie Low? To use Jamie's word, it's unfathomable to know that Deanna's life ended so viciously, so close to home, that her life of promise ended so abruptly by an assailant who has managed to avoid consequence three decades later. A friend once said back in 1995, "This can't have been done by anyone who knew her. She was too nice. No one who knew her could have done this." "Deanna was a goofball," said one friend. At the same time, she was warm and caring. She was bubbly and outgoing, and she had a mischievous spirit. She snuck her share of cigarettes, she skipped school on occasion, got a few detentions.
34:52 Kylie Low? But there was nothing about her lifestyle or behavior that had anyone worried about Deanna. She was liked by just about every person who crossed her path. That sentiment is reinforced by the repeated showing of support for the Cremin family. Still, after so many years, when the Kremens and Deanna's friends announce a memorial mass or remembrance event, supporters show up in droves. On some anniversaries of her death, her loved ones have organized a walk in her honor. Hundreds of people have walked the very same route, from Broadway down Jake Street to Deanna's former home. It's a symbolic journey to finish the walk she didn't survive.
35:36 Kylie Low? Deanna's mother closed her time at the city council meeting this past April with the same wish she's repeated for 30 years: that one day she will see her daughter's case solved, and that Deanna's life and legacy will never be forgotten.
35:51 Speaker 01 I don't know who killed Deanna, for a fact. I know where my suspicions lie, but you can't close that door either. I say you have absolute proof. And...
36:03 Speaker 01 I do believe that, you know, talking about this at this time and keeping the bubbly little life that she had, her kind heart, her strong ambitions and insight for her growth, for what she was going to do in the world with her skills. I just want people to be peaceful one another, the way Deanna would have been, and never give up hope that Deanna's murder is going to get solved. Thank you.
36:33 Kylie Low? Anyone with information about Deanna Cremin's murder is asked to call the confidential tip line at 617-544-7167. Thank you for listening to Dark Down East. You can find all source material for this case at darkdowneast.com. Be sure to follow the show on Instagram at @darkdowneast. This platform is for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still searching for answers. I'm not about to let those names or their stories get lost with time.
37:15 Kylie Low? I'm Kylie Low and this is Dark Down East. Dark Down East is a production of Kylie Media and AudioChuck. I think Chuck would approve.
37:30 Speaker 03 If anyone wanted to commit a murder, up here would be the greatest place in the world to hide the body, but soon they'll find it. He acted friendly. He talked friendly. He sounded friendly.
37:48 Speaker 04 They all knew that I did the scary boogie stuff and they said, maybe she'll find out where this girl is. I saw him violent, backhanded her, pow!
38:02 Speaker 05 Listen to The Devil's Quarry, Season Two, in the Bone Valley feed, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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