Alphabet Murderer

Serial Killer

The Alphabet Murderer: The Unsolved Double Initial Murders of Rochester

The name "Alphabet Murderer," also commonly called the "Double Initial Killer," refers to the unidentified person or persons suspected of murdering three young girls in the Rochester, New York, area between November 1971 and November 1973. The victims were Carmen Colón, Wanda Walkowicz and Michelle Maenza. Each girl was only ten or eleven years old, each had a first and last name beginning with the same letter, and each was abducted from Rochester before being sexually assaulted and strangled. The case became especially notorious because the locations where the victims' bodies were recovered also appeared to continue the alliterative pattern: Carmen Colón was found in the Riga area near Churchville, Wanda Walkowicz was found in Webster, and Michelle Maenza was found in Macedon. This apparent pattern produced the "Alphabet Murders" nickname. However, it is important to distinguish the popular theory from the official status of the investigation. New York State Police have stated that the three homicides have never been officially proven to be connected. No person has ever been convicted of any of the three murders, and the possibility that more than one offender was responsible has never been eliminated.

Confirmed Victims Associated With the Alphabet Murders

• Carmen Colón — Age 10. Killed November 16, 1971; her body was recovered on November 18, 1971. Carmen disappeared from Rochester, New York, while on an errand to a pharmacy. Her body was discovered in a rural gully off Stearns Road in the Town of Riga, near Churchville in Monroe County. She had been sexually assaulted and manually strangled.
• Wanda Lee Walkowicz — Age 11. Killed April 2, 1973; her body was recovered on April 3, 1973. Wanda disappeared while returning home from a neighborhood delicatessen in Rochester. A New York State Trooper found her body the following morning near State Route 104 in Webster, New York. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled with a ligature.
• Michelle Maenza — Age 11. Killed November 26, 1973; her body was recovered on November 28, 1973. Michelle disappeared after leaving school in Rochester and was seen in the company of an unidentified man later that afternoon. Her body was found in a roadside ditch near Eddy Road in Macedon, Wayne County, New York. She had been sexually assaulted, beaten and strangled with a ligature.

The Murder of Carmen Colón

Ten-year-old Carmen Colón disappeared on November 16, 1971, after being sent to a pharmacy in Rochester's Bull's Head neighborhood. Carmen lived with her grandparents and was familiar with the area. She entered the pharmacy to collect a prescription for her family, but the prescription was not yet ready. Witnesses remembered Carmen leaving the store hurriedly. She was subsequently seen entering or approaching a vehicle near the pharmacy. Not long afterward, motorists traveling on Interstate 490 encountered an alarming scene. A young girl matching Carmen's description was seen along the highway, partially undressed and apparently attempting to escape from a vehicle. She waved toward passing traffic as though seeking help while a vehicle maneuvered near her. Witness accounts later indicated that the child was caught or led back toward the vehicle. Despite the number of motorists who reportedly witnessed some portion of the incident, authorities were not immediately notified in time to save her. Two days later, on November 18, two teenagers riding bicycles discovered Carmen's body in a gully along a rural road in the Town of Riga, near Churchville. Her coat was located separately in a nearby culvert, while additional clothing was found later near the highway. The autopsy determined that Carmen had been sexually assaulted and manually strangled. She had also suffered injuries including fractures to her skull and a vertebra. Carmen's murder created outrage throughout the Rochester area. Investigators questioned numerous people, established tip lines and publicized rewards. Large billboards were eventually erected asking the public for information about her killer. Despite an enormous amount of attention, the homicide remained unsolved. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Carmen Colon Age: (10), Date of Death: 1971-11-16

Alphabet murders - Wikipedia