Lynn man’s 1993 disappearance remains a mystery for family, police

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the latest in a series about cold cases in the City of Lynn.LYNN – Edward Rivera vanished without a trace on Feb. 26, 1993.Some believe the 23-year-old Lynn Classical graduate went on vacation to Florida and never returned, while others think his life met a short and violent end.Police have been without leads in the disappearance for 18 years, baffling them and his close-knit family.Lynn Police Captain Mark O’Toole said Rivera was last seen on Feb. 26, but wasn’t reported missing until March 23. Little is known about him, aside from a few interviews conducted with his less-than-forthcoming friends.”The belief of most people, and I think his family as well, is that he left the area voluntarily,” O’Toole said. “But, 18 years later, he’s still missing.”Rivera’s brother Roswell said Edward had been living in a rented condo in Lynnfield before he disappeared and owned an auto body shop on Bennett Street in Lynn. Although he had a checkered past involving narcotics and various motor vehicle charges, Roswell said his brother was in the process of steering his life in a positive direction.”He was trying to do the right thing and this is what happened,” he said. “I don’t believe he is missing because he was really close with his family. He wouldn’t get up and leave like that.”There are several theories as to what happened to Rivera, but so far, none have been confirmed.Roswell said he heard one story that his brother had been approached by two imposing men dressed in suits while dining at Brother’s Deli and that he left willingly with them.”He supposedly said he was going to leave with those guys and that he would call his friends later on, but that was the last they heard or saw him,” he said. “Then, not too long after he disappeared, those friends went to his place and took out all of his stuff and gave us a hard time about it.”Roswell said his family hired a private investigator to figure out what happened, but nothing concrete came of it, except that his brother’s car had been impounded in New York and auctioned off.”We also heard that half of his body was found in New York and the other half in Florida,” he said. “But, I think that story was made up. The one that I think could have happened is that he was choked to death (at a home near Marian Gardens). I heard that from a friend that I ran into about three years ago.”Yet another theory is that Rivera went on vacation to Florida for a week and never returned, but O’Toole said he has been unable to look into that story with Florida police because an area of the state was not specified.”With most missing person cases, the people are eventually accounted for,” O’Toole said. “He (Rivera) could conceivably fall into the category where he doesn’t want to be found, but we at least want to crank up the heat on this case to try and pin down more definitive information on the case.”Despite the time that has passed, Rivera said his family hasn’t given up hope that one day Edward’s fate will be revealed.”It’s tough, especially around the holidays,” he said. “All of it is hard to believe because he didn’t have any enemies.”Anyone with information on this cold case is asked to call the police at 781-595-2000. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by texting the word tiplynn and the information to tip411 or 847411. In addition, tips can be submitted through the department’s website, www.lynnpolice.org and clicking on the submit tip icon.