Brade
Rhode Island authorities recently initiated a search for clandestine graves following viral social media rumors alleging the presence of a New England serial killer. The rumors gained traction after eight bodies were discovered across Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts between March and April, sparking widespread fear and speculation on platforms like Facebook and TikTok. Despite the hysteria, local and state police have not established any connections between the deaths, and it remains unclear how many, if any, were homicides.
The Narragansett Police Department became involved after concerning posts surfaced in a private Facebook group originally titled “New England Serial Killer.” The group, which has over 65,300 members, was rebranded due to Facebook’s policies. An anonymous member recently claimed that multiple bodies were buried in the Black Point area of Scarborough Beach, prompting an investigation.
According to Detective Sergeant Brent Kuzman, the post appeared to be a hoax. “It looked like someone was trying to get a rise. He referenced Rick Rolling the group, and one of his poems spelled out the word ‘hoax’ if you took the first letters of each paragraph,” Kuzman told Fox News Digital. Despite suspicions, the department conducted searches on Monday and Tuesday with cadaver dogs, which yielded no results.
The Narragansett Police confirmed in a Facebook post that detectives, accompanied by two Rhode Island State Police cadaver K9s, thoroughly searched the area and found no evidence of clandestine graves. The department also consulted with the FBI regarding the matter.
While the investigation consumed resources, Kuzman emphasized the importance of due diligence. “You can look at it as a waste of resources, but we were making sure it was completely not true. It’s like responding to a fire alarm at a high school—you always gotta do it,” he said.
Over the past two months, human remains have been discovered in New Haven, Norwalk, Groton, and Killingly, Connecticut; Foster, Rhode Island; and Framingham, Plymouth, and Springfield, Massachusetts. Some social media users have speculated that these findings, particularly those involving female victims, could indicate a serial killer. However, law enforcement has not confirmed any connections between the cases.
The Facebook group has seen a surge in membership, adding over 15,000 new members in recent weeks. Kuzman noted that confirmation bias may be influencing members’ perceptions, leading them to draw connections between unrelated incidents.
Searches for “New England serial killer” on Google spiked around April 7, according to data from the search engine.
[Source: Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com)
