In the autumn of 1973, 19-year-old April Fells was happily planning her future. A resident of Springfield Gardens in Queens, New York, she was engaged to be married to her fiancé, Gerald Parish. Neighbors in her community remembered her as a friendly, though somewhat shy, young woman on the cusp of a new life. That life was stolen from her in a brutal act of violence that has remained a mystery for over five decades, leaving her family and community with unanswered questions and unresolved grief.
On the evening of Tuesday, November 6, 1973, April said goodbye to her fiancé in Manhattan and began her journey home. Parish last saw her at about 8:15 p.m. as she entered the BMT subway at Union Square. She took the train to Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, where she boarded a bus for the final leg of her trip. The bus driver later recalled dropping her off at her stop at the intersection of 146th Drive and Guy R.
Brewer Boulevard, then known as New York Boulevard, around 10:50 p.m. She was just a few hundred yards from the safety of her house at 179-17 146th Drive, but she never arrived.
Two days later, on November 8, April’s body was discovered in a weed-choked, overgrown vacant lot behind a property at 178-27 146th Drive. The discovery sent a shockwave through the neighborhood, which residents said had several such abandoned lots that felt unsafe at night. She was found lying face down, wearing a red blouse but nude from the waist down. Her blue jeans and flowered underwear were lying nearby. The scene told a story of a terrifying final few moments.
An autopsy performed by the Medical Examiner's office confirmed the violent nature of her death. April had been sexually assaulted, strangled, and stabbed three times in the back. There were also scratches on her body, suggesting she had fought for her life. The medical examiner estimated she had been deceased for approximately 48 hours before her body was found, placing her time of death on the night she disappeared while walking home.
The New York City Police Department launched a homicide investigation, but the case quickly grew cold. No suspects were ever publicly named, and no arrests have ever been made in connection with April's murder. The community was shaken by the crime, with friends and neighbors expressing sadness, but also a grim lack of surprise, citing ongoing concerns about safety and crime in the area, which was known as a meeting place for drug users.
Over the years, April's case has remained open but inactive, one of countless cold cases in the city's files. The trail of her killer vanished into the night, leaving investigators with little to go on. As of early 2026, her homicide is still officially unsolved, a painful open wound for those who knew and loved her. There is no information publicly available about whether forensic evidence, such as DNA, was collected or has been re-examined using modern technology that was unavailable in 1973.
The murder of April Fells is a haunting reminder of a life cut short and a promise unfulfilled. A young woman, just moments from her front door, was violently taken from her family and fiancé. Decades have passed, but the quest for justice continues. Anyone with information about the rape and murder of April Fells is urged to contact the NYPD's 116th Precinct.
