On a summer evening in August of 1979, the life of 20-year-old Marie Iannuzzi was tragically cut short. The young woman, a female, had attended a wedding on August 11, 1979, where she was seen with her boyfriend, David Doyle, and another acquaintance, Leonard Paradiso. After getting into an argument with Doyle, Iannuzzi was later seen at a bar in East Boston. It was from this bar that she was last seen leaving with Paradiso.
The following day, on August 12, 1979, her body was discovered discarded on the banks of the Pine River in Essex County. She had been strangled with her own black scarf, which was found double-knotted around her neck.
The initial investigation into Marie's murder considered two primary suspects: her boyfriend, David Doyle, who had a known history of a violent relationship with her, and Leonard Paradiso. For a time, the case grew cold with no arrests made. The investigation gained new momentum in February 1981 when Trooper Andrew Palombo was assigned to the unresolved case. A significant turn of events occurred in January 1982 when an anonymous caller contacted the Saugus police, alleging that Leonard Paradiso was responsible for Marie Iannuzzi's murder. This tip, which also linked Paradiso to the disappearance of another woman, Joan Webster, intensified the focus on him as the primary suspect.
Following the anonymous tip, a grand jury was convened in March 1982 to investigate Marie Iannuzzi's murder, with Leonard Paradiso as the target. On June 28, 1982, the grand jury handed down an indictment against Paradiso for the murder of Marie Iannuzzi. He was arrested on July 6, 1982. The trial began on July 9, 1984, and on July 22, 1984, the jury found Leonard Paradiso guilty of second-degree murder and assault with intent to rape. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Despite Paradiso's conviction, questions surrounding the investigation and the potential involvement of the initial suspect, David Doyle, have been raised over the years. Leonard Paradiso died in prison from cancer on February 27, 2008.
