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What happened to Holly Piirainen? This cold case has taken investigators down many dark and twisted paths, including multiple suspects, ties to an unsolved murder—to exhuming a letter buried in a coffin.

On a humid August morning in 1993, ten-year-old Holly Piirainen vanished from a quiet neighborhood in Sturbridge, Massachusetts after walking with her little brother to see a litter of collie puppies.

Moments later, the only sign of Holly was her lost sneaker discovered along the edge of a dirt road—an image that would haunt an entire state.

In this episode, former prosecutor Margaret McLean revisits the day Holly disappeared: a summer morning boat ride on South Pond, laughter with her family at her grandparents’ cottage, and a five-minute walk that ended in tragedy.

Through interviews, police reports, and eyewitness accounts—including the chilling sighting of a man in a brown pickup truck—Margaret unpacks how a peaceful community became ground zero for one of New England’s most disturbing unsolved crimes.

👉 What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The timeline of Holly’s last morning—breakfast, boat ride, and the walk to see the puppies
  
  
• How her brother’s discovery of a single sneaker caused police to suspect a kidnapping and mobilize a massive search effort
  
  
• Exclusive analysis of police theories about the abduction scene
  
  
• Investigators' analysis and conclusions drawn from the girls who saw the “man in the truck”
  
  
• The race against time in the first critical hours of a child abduction with an FBI agent’s input
• The mysterious suspect pulled over nearby—and later caught surfing porn in a library
  
  This is a story of innocence lost, a predator lurking in the woods, and a family’s thirty-year fight for justice.
• 🎧 Subscribe to It’s A Crime with Margaret McLean for Episode 2 —
  “Skeleton in the Woods” — where new suspects emerge, a disturbing letter is unearthed, and long-hidden secrets finally rise to the surface.
• https://itsacrimemedia.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@Itsacrimemedia

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The defense insists that their client Karen Read was framed for a murder she did not commit. They argue that she did not strike her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV and leave him there to die all alone in a blizzard. Instead, they claim something sinister happened to John inside 34 Fairview in Canton, Massachusetts, the home of a fellow Boston Police Officer. They suggest he was beaten inside the house, attacked by a dog, and left outside to die. But how do they explain the debris field of broken taillight and glass near his body? The pieces of taillight match Karen's Lexus. Was there enough time and opportunity for a corrupt state trooper to smash out the taillight and secretly plant the evidence at the scene to frame her? Join former prosecutor Margaret McLean and author Kevin Lenihan for an enlightening discussion and timeline.

#KarenReadTrian #KarenRead #crime #trials

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Jurors must decide whether the defendant, Karen Read, struck her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV, leaving him to die in a blizzard. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan called a new witness to explain the timeline of events down to the second. The data from Karen's Lexus and John O'Keefe's phone have been analyzed and correlated. What are the results? Is this the nail in the coffin for the prosecution? Or will the defense destroy their new theory in cross-examination? The prosecution has also produced stunning new evidence on how John died with the testimony of a renowned brain surgeon. How will the defense cast doubt on this witness? Has their conspiracy theory been foiled?

#KarenReadTrial #Karen Read #trial #HankBrennan

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The retrial of Karen Read is more heated and twisted than ever before! Join criminal defense attorney Michael Rusconi and your host former prosecutor Margaret McLean as they analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecution's case. Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan is leading the charge against Karen Read with her own TV interviews! Hear how she challenges a key prosecution witness. Did Read admit that she hit her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe? How many witnesses heard her incriminating statements and are they credible? Are witnesses conspiring to protect a politically connected police officer and his family? Or is the defense spinning an intricate tale to save their client?

#KarenRead #KarenRead #trial

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The retrial of #karenread is off to a dramatic start! Join former Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Jack Lu and your host Margaret McLean as they dissect and analyze both sides in this spectacular trial! You will receive the best trial analysis out there with these seasoned experts. How will the opening statements be scored? Which side is winning and why? What mistakes have the lawyers made and where do they shine. The big question: will the defendant Karen Read be convicted of second degree murder, manslaughter, or leaving the scene? Or will the defense reveal a dark law enforcement coverup?

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It's time for the sensational murder retrial of Karen Read, and here's the latest news. Find out why District Attorney Michael Morrissey hired a new special prosecutor: criminal defense lawyer Hank Brennan. He defended Whitey Bulger and now he's going to be prosecuting Karen Read. What can we anticipate from him? Joining me for this episode is Jerry Thornton, who worked in the court system for thirty years, and blogs about the case for Barstool Sports. We'll be discussing what to expect this time: conspiracy theories, police coverups, witness intimidation, dueling experts, weird butt dials in the middle of the night, mysterious scratches, and much, much more. Will justice for the victim Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe prevail? What will happen to Karen Read?

#buzzsprout #karenreadtrial #hankbrennan #johnokeefe

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Sandra's family is enraged at the blatant level of corruption within the justice system. It appeared as if Sandra would never get the justice she deserved. The state was going to let crooked police officer Matthew Farwell off the hook with no criminal charges. It was time to stand up for Sandra and go on the offensive. Find out what the family did to fight for justice. Why did the FBI get involved? Hear all about the federal investigation and resulting federal grand jury probe. Will Farwell finally be arrested on federal charges? Could he ultimately get the death penalty?

#crime #canton #sandrabirchmore #justiceforsandrabirchmore #KarenRead #buzzsprout #truecrime #investigations #lawenforcementcoverup #forensics #suicide #legalanalyst #commonwealthofmassachusetts #policeexplorerprogram #matthewfarwell #canine #massachusetts #nicoleparker #nicoleparkerfoxnews #grandjury #FBI

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Evidence is building against Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell in the Sandra Birchmore homicide investigation. Crime scene forensics point to a struggle and strangulation at the hands of another. But there's even more. Farwell is unraveling. Delve into the psychology of a criminal mind. Find out what the Massachusetts State Police, the State Medical Examiner, and the Norfolk County District Attorney decide to do with Sandra's case. Will a homicide be covered up?

#crime #canton #sandrabirchmore #justiceforsandrabirchmore #KarenRead #buzzsprout #truecrime #investigations #lawenforcementcoverup #forensics #suicide #legalanalyst #commonwealthofmassachusetts #policeexplorerprogram #matthewfarwell #canine #massachusetts #nicoleparker #nicoleparkerfoxnews