Mary Jane Menard, a 40-year-old mother, was last seen on October 4, 2003. Although she resided in Waterbury, Connecticut, she was last seen in New Britain after reportedly going out to buy cigarettes. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as having long, wavy, blonde hair. She had several distinctive tattoos, including a rose on her right chest, a butterfly on her left shoulder blade, and a ladybug on her left ankle.
Her family reported her missing, noting that she had a history of alcoholism but had been sober for many years before her disappearance. There was concern that she may have relapsed and started using drugs, possibly influenced by pain medication for back surgeries she had undergone.
For years, her case remained a painful mystery for her loved ones, including her daughter who was serving overseas in the military at the time her mother vanished. A significant development in the case came in 2007 when skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area behind a strip mall on Hartford Road in New Britain. It would take several more years for forensic technology to provide definitive answers. In September 2014, those remains were positively identified as belonging to Mary Jane Menard.
The identification of Menard's remains brought a tragic resolution to her family's search. Her case was linked to the remains of two other women, Joyvaline Martinez and Diane Cusack, who were also found in the same area and had been reported missing in 2003. Investigators concluded that the deaths of all three women were homicides and believed them to be the victims of a serial killer. In response to these findings, law enforcement formed the Greater New Britain Serial Murder Task Force, comprising local, state, and federal agencies, to investigate the string of killings. A substantial reward was offered for information leading to the arrest of the individual responsible for these tragic deaths. The investigation pointed to a drifter with a criminal record, William Devin Howell, who was already incarcerated for the manslaughter of another woman who disappeared in 2003. Howell ultimately emerged as the prime suspect in the deaths of Menard and the other victims found in the New Britain area.Last Seen: Oct 4, 2003
