Abduction in a Supermarket Car Park
On 19 October 1997, 13-year-old Maryann Measles was snatched from a car park at the Big Y supermarket in New Milford, Connecticut, while her mother Cindi was inside doing the weekly food shop. The abduction was not by a stranger but by individuals Maryann considered friends. Ronald Rajcok, 24, pulled up beside her, flung open the car door, and forcibly dragged her into his Pontiac Trans Am.
The Assault and Murder
Rajcok drove to a lay-by on River Road near the Housatonic River, where seven others were waiting: Alan Walter, 19; Keith Foster, 21; Deaneric Dupas; Dorothy Hallas; Maggie Bennett; June Segar; and Jeffrey Boyette. They subjected Maryann to repeated rape by Walter, Foster, and Dupas, along with physical and verbal abuse. According to Tales From The Underworld, Maryann fought back but had her arms twisted. The assault culminated in Walter holding her head under the shallow water of the Housatonic River for several minutes until she drowned. Her body was wrapped in a blanket, secured with chains and a padlock, weighed down with a cinder block, and discarded in the river.
Background and Prior Abuse
By early October 1997, Maryann had told her mother that Alan Walter and Keith Foster had been assaulting her. Cindi filed a statutory rape report against Walter at the New Milford Police Department, intending to add Foster later. This angered Walter, Foster, and other girls in the group, some of whose boyfriends had been involved with Maryann. The group ostracised and threatened her. Days before her disappearance, three group members confronted Maryann at the New Milford Town Green in a minivan, hurling insults and threats.
The Investigation and Discovery of Remains
After Maryann vanished, police initially treated it as a runaway case, but Cindi insisted otherwise. Officers dedicated 700 hours to the investigation, conducting over 80 interviews and pursuing 60 leads. On 15 July 1998, a boater discovered Maryann's remains in Lake Lillinonah in Bridgewater, wrapped in a blanket and weighted with chains. Dental records confirmed her identity, and a post-mortem ruled death by asphyxiation, classified as homicide.
Arrests and Convictions
In October 2002, arrest warrants were issued for eight individuals. Seven were arrested in Connecticut; Jeffrey Boyette was arrested in Texas and extradited. Some accepted plea deals; others went to trial. Alan Walter pleaded guilty to felony murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, and tampering with evidence, receiving a life sentence. Keith Foster rejected a deal, was convicted, and sentenced to 110 years, the harshest penalty in the case. Others received sentences ranging from 19 to 50 years. Cindi Measles told the Associated Press, "I think they should die for what they did."
Legacy and Memorial
On 19 October 2023, the 26th anniversary of Maryann's disappearance, her family held a candlelight memorial on the Town Green in New Milford to honour her memory. The case remains a stark reminder of the dangers of grooming and the failings of initial police responses.
