Only questions remain in the murder of a NY teen, found close to her home\n
In the spring of 1984, fourteen-year-old Laura Parker was navigating life as a freshman at Lindenhurst High School on Long Island, New York. She was a member of the school's chorus and a softball player. On what seemed to be an ordinary day, May 23, 1984, Laura attended school but vanished after the last bell, never making it to her after-school softball practice. When she failed to return to her Lindenhurst home that evening, her parents grew worried, as this was out of character for the teenager who had no history of running away.
The initial response from law enforcement was to classify Laura as a juvenile runaway. This direction was influenced by several local youths who reported seeing her in the area after she was reported missing. These reports led the police and even the FBI, who were briefly involved, to believe that Laura had left of her own accord. Consequently, the active search for her was scaled back, leaving her distraught parents to spearhead the efforts to find their daughter, a search that would stretch through the summer.
Months later, on September 10, 1984, a grim discovery was made. Three young boys playing in a wooded area off North Monroe Street, just a couple of miles from Laura's home, stumbled upon a local hangout spot known as 'The Hut.' While cleaning out a hole in the ground, they found a rug. When they lifted it, they uncovered human remains. Dental records would later confirm the fears of the Parker family; the remains were those of their missing daughter, Laura. She was found wearing the same clothes she had on the day she disappeared.
The investigation into Laura Parker's death was fraught with difficulties. Due to the severe decomposition of her body, an exact cause of death could not be determined by the autopsy, though the circumstances strongly suggested foul play. Her body was found lying face down with one arm behind her back, leading some to suspect she may have been suffocated. Despite the suspicion of homicide, no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with her death. The case grew cold, leaving a lasting wound in the Lindenhurst community and a family forever searching for answers that have never come.
