Skeletal remains are found in a remote wooded area off Kettle Rock Road in Epsom, NH In the autumn of 1993, a grim discovery was made in a secluded wooded area off Kettle Rock Road in Epsom, New Hampshire. On October 24, the skeletal remains of a young man were found, bringing a tragic end to a months-long mystery. The remains were later identified as those of 25-year-old Jerry Riley, a male resident of Manchester. An autopsy would reveal a violent end to his life; he had been killed by a single gunshot wound to the head.
The condition of his remains suggested that his death had occurred two to three months before his body was found, placing the approximate time of his murder in the summer of that year. His death was officially ruled a homicide.
Investigators piecing together the final months of Jerry's life learned that he had been employed at a Chinese restaurant in Bedford. His former boss described him as a likable and polite young man who was initially a good worker. However, in the months leading up to his disappearance, his work habits had reportedly declined. He was sometimes late or would call out from his shifts, leading his employer to suspect he might be struggling with a drinking problem due to a life of frequent partying. After being suspended twice, Jerry informed his boss that he had found a new job in Concord and quit. He was last seen by his former employer in July of 1993. When his body was discovered, his pockets had been turned inside out, suggesting that robbery might have been a motive, or that the perpetrator was trying to conceal his identity.
Despite the passage of time, the murder of Jerry Riley remains an unsolved case. Law enforcement officials have not publicly identified any suspects in connection with his death, and no arrests have ever been made. The case is now considered a cold case, one of many that continue to perplex investigators in New Hampshire. The circumstances surrounding his final days and the identity of the person or people responsible for his untimely death are still unknown, leaving a lingering sense of injustice for a young life cut short. The New Hampshire Department of Justice continues to list the case as an open investigation, hoping that one day new information will come to light and bring closure to this long-standing mystery.
