On October 15, 2025, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office announced a significant development in a 41-year-old murder case that has haunted the Lynbrook community since November 1984.
Richard Bilodeau, a 63-year-old resident of Center Moriches, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco. The indictment also includes a charge of second-degree murder during the commission or attempted commission of first-degree rape.
Theresa Fusco disappeared in November 1984 after being dismissed from her job at the snack bar of Hot Skates, a roller rink in Lynbrook, New York. Her body was later discovered buried under leaves and shipping pallets, having been strangled, sexually assaulted, and beaten.
The brutal crime sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community, heightening fears for the safety of young women, particularly as two other teens went missing in the area, which locals dubbed the “Lynbrook Triangle” due to the series of disappearances.
Initially, three men were convicted of Fusco’s murder and sentenced to over 30 years in prison. However, in 2003, advancements in DNA technology revealed that semen found on Fusco’s body did not belong to the convicted men, leading to their exoneration. The case remained unsolved until early 2024, when investigators identified Bilodeau as a suspect.
Authorities had been surveilling Bilodeau for months when, in February 2025, a discarded smoothie cup and straw he used near his Center Moriches home provided the critical evidence.
DNA extracted from the straw matched the DNA from the 1984 crime scene, directly linking Bilodeau to the murder. “The DNA in this case led us straight to Richard Bilodeau,” stated District Attorney Anne Donnelly during a press briefing on October 15, 2025.
Bilodeau, who lived alone in Center Moriches and was 23 years old and residing with his grandparents in Lynbrook in 1984, was arrested on October 14, 2025. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied knowing Fusco.
However, Donnelly countered his claims, stating, “Through his denials that he had ever known her name, who she was, he made kind of a flippant comment about the 1980s. He said, ‘People got away with murder.’ Well, I’ll tell you something, Mr. Bilodeau, I’ve got you now.”
The indictment brings long-awaited closure to Fusco’s family. Tom Fusco, Theresa’s father, expressed gratitude and relief during the press briefing, stating, “It’s heartbreaking to go through this over and over again, but this seems like a finalization and I’m very grateful, very grateful, for me and my family to come to an end like this, than to constantly be a cold case situation.”
The resolution of this case marks a significant milestone for the Lynbrook community and underscores the impact of advancements in forensic science. The three men wrongfully convicted in the 1980s, including John Restivo, who spoke to Good Morning America in 2003 about his exoneration, can now see justice pursued against the true perpetrator.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate, ensuring that this decades-old case reaches a just conclusion.
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