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The wooded area/SV did not have to be accessed from the main road/public works as Henry did. Suffolk Ave dead ends to the woods and it can be gotten to by various back yards from several other streets that abut the woods and old train tracks. If someone lived in that area, like the boys that found Henry, they could have been in the woods and did not have to access the way Henry did, which would be very noticeable.
some believe he came upon a group of people that were already there.
True, the killer (s) could have approached from a number of directions.
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But he either:
Was already following Henry
Was already there, possibly with others, when Henry came up
Had arranged to meet Henry there, that afternoon
Was somewhere nearby and saw him approach the hillside
BTW, I was just wondering if we knew where Henry fell after the attack and the location of the bat, it might give a clue as to which direction the killer walked as he left the crime scene.
Betty P-I agree with your analysis.
I find myself in a circle on this. The attack has always sounded somewhat random to me. Could be random local or outsider opportunity as we now know (we didn't know much back in the 70s) that this does happen with these types of crimes.
But if random, I wonder why did Henry go up that way when it was not a short cut home. And if someone was following, it would be risky, especially for an adult, to go up to that small woods the same way and only a local would know the other ways to access the woods.
I had not considered him coming across a group of kids but if so, they sure have kept it quiet in this somewhat small close knit town. So maybe coming across a lone individual makes more sense though since Henry went out of his way to get up there, he must have been meeting someone or looking for something.
My understanding is that the bat was found near Henry. And that he did not have any defensive wounds or injuries. No idea which way they walked off. I would guess out Suffolk Ave or sneak back down to the old train tracks and walk unnoticed to a street exit like on Stetson Ave. They would not go the way Henry got up there.
Unfortunately what the police thought at the time still seems true today, no real suspects or theories.
"We never got anything that was worthwhile. Nothing. Nothing at all," said James Hanley, the retired Swampscott police captain who oversaw the investigation. "There were all kinds of theories. Theories like some hobo came down the track and killed him. A nut from Lynn could have done it. I never got anything that would kind to seem to have any credence to it."
I comment with the hope that shedding any insight can help this get resolved to provide some level of closure for Henry's family. RIP Henry.
some believe he came upon a group of people that were already there.
Unfortunately too many unknowns. Wooden bats were fairly cheap back then. They could have been carrying it around finding it somewhere, it could have been found in the woods, kids routinely played pick-up baseball in the park across the street maybe it was found laying around and picked up there....The problem with that theory is the bat. Was the bat just there?
It is a cold case, never solved in a very small town so i have to go with the theory that the suspect(s) were not 15 and not in any way associated with Henrys friends or with swampscott high school but lived very close to the scene so it would be a wooded place to go to smoke a joint, pass a bottle around or whatever. the bat, i have no good idea but possibly as these people were walking up there the bat was conveniently out in the open and someone grabbed it. it is said that Henry was 5'4 130pds, not an imposing intimidating person. logic and pre meditation theories havnt solved the case so maybe the truth isnt very logical at all? i think the fact that henrys wallet was found separate from his body is the biggest clue.
It was out of his way but it was a popular meeting place so it is possible he went up there to meet someone for a friendly reason.Good comments and things to consider.
Sounds reasonable to me that since it is not solved, there are not any good suspects, it's a small town, then they were probably Not associated with Henry's friends or Swampscott High. Though I feel they must have been kids/college age as adults would not go there and they had to also be very local as if you did not live nearby you would go somewhere else to smoke a joint. This is not easy to get to and is still very small and could be seen entering, unless you lived right there.
The only problem with them not being known to Henry is why did Henry go up there that afternoon? It was out of his way.
Why?I've often wondered if the police ever surveilled the cemetery Henry is buried in on birthdays, anniversaries etc?
older kids who lived close by would still use it as a hang out or meeting place themselves. butterfly said he was told by his friend that they were 18-20. if one person is 20 then maybe he has a friend who is a little older than him. now you have the possibility of someone in there early 20's being the killer???Good comments and things to consider.
Sounds reasonable to me that since it is not solved, there are not any good suspects, it's a small town, then they were probably Not associated with Henry's friends or Swampscott High. Though I feel they must have been kids/college age as adults would not go there and they had to also be very local as if you did not live nearby you would go somewhere else to smoke a joint. This is not easy to get to and is still very small and could be seen entering, unless you lived right there.
The only problem with them not being known to Henry is why did Henry go up there that afternoon? It was out of his way.
does anyone know exactly how close to the end of the dead tracks his body was found? was this in view of the major street the dpw is on or is it furthur down the path?
Theories like some hobo came down the track and killed him. A nut from Lynn could have done it
