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After four decades of heartbreak and unanswered questions, justice may finally be within reach for the family of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco. Prosecutors say DNA solves cold case in the 1984 murder of the Long Island teen, leading to the arrest of 63-year-old Walmart employee Richard Bilodeau.

According to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, Bilodeau was charged Wednesday with murder after DNA evidence connected him to the brutal slaying that horrified the quiet community of Lynbrook, New York.

“This case haunted Long Island for decades,” Donnelly said. “But science and DNA evidence don’t lie. When you have a 100% match, we got the guy.”

The Night Theresa Disappeared

On November 10, 1984, Fusco left her job at the Hot Skates roller rink in tears after being fired. She never made it home. Nearly a month later, on December 5, her body was discovered “buried beneath leaves in a wooded area” just blocks away, Donnelly said.

Police at the time determined that Fusco had been raped, beaten, and strangled, her death sending shockwaves through the suburban community.

Her father, Thomas Fusco, said he never lost hope that justice would come:

“I never gave up hope. I always had faith in the system,” he said. “For me, hearing that there was someone who took my daughter’s life will bring closure to me and my family.”

Wrongful Convictions and a Painful Past

In 1986, three men — John Restivo, Dennis Halstead, and John Kogut — were wrongfully convicted of Fusco’s murder. They each spent up to 18 years in prison before being exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003. The trio later won a $43 million settlement for wrongful prosecution, a verdict upheld on appeal.

Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt noted that investigators have now used modern forensic tools to definitively connect Bilodeau to the crime scene.

“The DNA was taken from a vaginal swab,” Rosenblatt told the court. “When questioned, the defendant denied knowing her. When told when the crime occurred, he said, ‘Yeah, people got away with murder back then.’”

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DNA Solves Cold Case: A Straw Solved the Mystery

The case broke wide open in February 2025 when investigators followed Bilodeau to a Tropical Smoothie near his Suffolk County home. After he tossed his drink cup, police retrieved it — and the DNA on the straw matched genetic evidence collected from the teen’s body.

“He was 24 years old at the time of the murder,” Donnelly said. “He lived with his grandparents just a mile from Hot Skates.”

Bilodeau has pleaded not guilty, and his defense attorney Daniel Russo insists his client is innocent.

A Family’s Emotional Relief

Outside the courthouse, Thomas Fusco embraced relatives and reflected on the long journey for justice.

“Now you go home and enjoy the rest of your life. Enjoy your daughter,” he whispered to a family member.

“She lives in my heart,” he added. “I only loved her and miss her.”

For the Fusco family — and the community that never forgot — this long-awaited arrest is a reminder that even after 40 years, DNA can rewrite history and restore faith in justice.

Related Links:

• Newsday: Theresa Fusco Cold Case
• Breakthrough in Long Island cold case as cops arrest alleged killer of 16-year-old girl after 40 years