Harold W. Meade

Serial Killer

Harold W. Meade: The West Rock Park Murders and Connecticut's Unsolved Child Killings

Overview

Harold W. Meade III was an American murderer who was convicted of killing three vulnerable young people in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1970. He later became a suspect in several additional bludgeoning deaths, including the unsolved murders of four young girls and a woman killed more than two decades later. Although Meade was never legally classified as a serial killer through additional convictions, investigators and crime writers have repeatedly described him as a suspected serial killer because of the number of cases associated with him and the similarities among the attacks. The three murders for which Meade was convicted occurred during a single brutal attack in West Rock Park. The victims were residents of the New Haven Regional Center and had intellectual or developmental disabilities. They were taken to a secluded area and repeatedly struck in the head with a large, hard object. Two died at the scene, while the third survived for more than two weeks before dying from his injuries. The extreme violence of the crime, combined with Meade's suspected connections to other rock-bludgeoning murders, caused investigators to examine his movements throughout southern Connecticut.

Background and Employment

Meade was raised in Connecticut, where his father operated a gas station in Bethany. As an adult, Meade held several jobs that allowed him to travel through different communities. He worked at various times as a truck driver, milkman, gas station attendant and ice cream vendor. Some investigators later considered his employment important because it may have given him familiarity with neighborhoods where children disappeared. Meade married and had children. To people who encountered him casually, he did not necessarily appear unusual or threatening. However, investigators examining unsolved homicides began noticing that he had lived, worked or traveled near several locations connected to murdered girls. Witness accounts also placed men resembling him near certain victims shortly before their disappearances. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Sandra Hedler Age: (15), Date of Death: 1970-08-12

Suspected Victims:

Diane Toney Age: (11), Date of Death: 1969-05-18

Mary Katherine Mount Age: (10), Date of Death: 1969-05-27

Dawn Cave Age: (10), Date of Death: 1969-05-29

Jennifer Noon Age: (5), Date of Death: 1970-09-29

Linda Rayner Age: (43), Date of Death: 1992-06-26

Harold Meade - Wikipedia