A man is found on the side of a road in Indian Purchase
On a spring day in 1988, the quiet woods of Indian Purchase, just outside of Millinocket, Maine, became the scene of a mystery that would endure for decades. On May 7th, a 26-year-old Caucasian male named Barry Pulkkinen was discovered injured and abandoned on the side of a road. The exact circumstances of how he came to be there were unclear, but it was evident he was in critical condition.
Emergency services were called, and Pulkkinen was rushed to a nearby hospital before being transferred to Maine Medical Center. For five days, medical staff fought to save his life, but his injuries proved to be too severe. On May 12, 1988, Barry Pulkkinen succumbed to his wounds, and a case that began as a medical emergency soon turned into a homicide investigation.
The Maine State Police took the lead in the inquiry, working to piece together the final hours of Pulkkinen's life. The medical examiner's determination that his death was a homicide confirmed that he was the victim of foul play. However, details about the specific cause of death were not widely publicized, leaving the community to wonder about the nature of the violence that had befallen the young man.
Despite the efforts of law enforcement, the investigation into Barry Pulkkinen's death grew cold. Over the years, his case has remained open, a persistent and somber reminder of an unsolved crime in the northern woods of Maine. No suspects have ever been publicly named, and no arrests have been made in connection with his death. The passage of time has not brought answers to his family or the community, and the question of who was responsible for the death of Barry Pulkkinen remains unanswered.
