A man is discovered murdered on a beach in New Castle, NH On a cold February morning in 1993, the quiet, seaside town of New Castle, New Hampshire, was disturbed by a grim discovery. The body of 59-year-old David Pickett, a male resident known for his solitary walks, was found on a beach. His death was not from natural causes; he had been violently killed, sustaining slashes to his throat and a stab wound in his back. An autopsy would later confirm that the cause of death was a homicide.
Pickett was found wearing beige clothing and a reflective jacket, but his boots were placed neatly beside his body.
The initial investigation into David Pickett's murder sent shockwaves through the small community, where many residents, including the Pickett family, had deep roots. State Police treated the case as a homicide from the outset, sealing off the beach to search for evidence while the U.S. Coast Guard searched the nearby waters. Investigators also searched Pickett's apartment, which was located across the street from the town hall where he often parked his car. Despite these efforts, the case grew cold, and for years, no arrests were made, leaving the violent death of David Pickett an unsolved mystery.
Suspicion, however, began to focus on a member of Pickett's own family: his brother, Robert Pickett. The two brothers reportedly had a strained relationship, and in the weeks leading up to David's death, tensions had escalated over the family home they co-owned. David had expressed his intention to force the sale of the property. While no criminal charges were ever filed against Robert Pickett, his sister, Mary Hopwood, was convinced of his guilt. In a civil lawsuit, she sought to prevent Robert from inheriting his share of David's estate, based on the legal principle that a killer should not profit from their crime. The case remains officially unsolved, a dark chapter in the history of the small New England town.
