A woman's body is discovered by hunters In the fall of 1981, the life of a 22-year-old Caucasian female named Mary Harrison came to a tragic and mysterious end in the quiet woods of New Hampshire. Originally from Greenwich, Connecticut, Mary had relocated to the small community of Ashuelot, a village within the town of Winchester, with her husband, Walter Harrison. They lived on Broadbrook Road, and by all accounts, Mary was embracing her new life in the country, though she missed her family back home.
On October 15, 1981,
Walter Harrison reported his wife missing. He told authorities that he had last spoken to her two days prior, on October 13th. Walter worked in Connecticut during the week and returned to their New Hampshire home to find no sign of Mary. Initially, there was a suggestion by a police officer that she might have left voluntarily, perhaps with another man, a notion her family found difficult to believe. The search for Mary continued for two weeks, casting a shadow of concern over the small community.
The search concluded in the most devastating way on October 30, 1981, when a hunter discovered Mary's body in a wooded area off Monument Road in the neighboring town of Hinsdale. An autopsy would later reveal that she had died from a gunshot wound to the head, confirming the fears of a violent end. Her death was officially ruled a homicide, launching an investigation that would span decades and leave a family searching for answers.
In the years that followed, the investigation into Mary Harrison's murder remained active, with police exploring various leads, but no arrests were ever made. Authorities did question Walter Harrison, and he was aware that he was considered a suspect in his wife's death. However, he maintained his innocence and reportedly felt the initial investigation was not handled thoroughly. Walter Harrison later remarried and passed away years later, taking any potential secrets with him. The case of Mary Harrison's murder has since become a cold case, a lingering mystery in the annals of New Hampshire's unsolved crimes.
