SWAMPSCOTT — The body of Henry Bedard Jr., who was killed in 1974, was exhumed on Wednesday morning at Swampscott Cemetery for further investigation into his death.
Swampscott Police Department, officials from the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, Department of Public Works (DPW) workers, State Police, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner were all on the scene by 9 a.m., with police tents set up around the area as the DPW began exhuming the body.
In a press release, Swampscott Police confirmed an active investigation was underway in the cemetery.
“The Swampscott Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office are working on an ongoing investigation,” the release stated.
According to a statement made by Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker to WCVB, advances in technology prompted the request to exhume the body.
“There’s no significance to the date of today, but I would just suggest that the advances in technology and science, particularly with DNA, has led us to make the request for the court order of the exhumation,” Tucker said.
In a follow-up conversation with The Item, Tucker noted the request to exhume the body was made by his office along with State Police and Swampscott detectives. The body was exhumed and was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Boston.
Tucker added that the District Attorney’s office is requesting that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performs an updated autopsy in Bedard Jr’s body.
Bedard Jr. was last seen on Dec. 16, 1974 on Paradise Road after going Christmas shopping in Vinnin Square. His body was discovered in a wooded area of town the next day behind the present-day DPW building.
Police later discovered a bat lying close to the body with unique markings on the handle, but his killer has never been identified.
Bedard Jr. was a student-athlete at Swampscott High School who played Little League Baseball and Big Blue Football. He also worked at his father’s service station on High Street in Danvers.
“What happened to Henry has never left this town, and young or old, all of the community still talks about Henry and what happened on that fateful day,” Swampscott Chief of Police Ruben Quesada said.
This continues to be a developing story. The Item will update the story accordingly once more information has been released.
