Episode 47 | Holly Piirainen Cold Case Mystery, Sturbridge, Mass with journalist Rich Price

Updated: Oct 13, 2023

Episode 47: Holly Piirainen Cold Case Mystery 30 Years Later, Sturbridge, Massachusetts with journalist Rich Price

Thirty years ago today, 10-year-old Holly Piirainen was enjoying a lazy summer day with her family at their vacation cottage in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. What should have been an innocent visit with a litter of puppies nearby turned into a decades-long nightmare for her family.

Holly disappeared. The only trace of her was one red sneaker. She would be found two and a half months later in the nearby town of Brimfield, in the next county over.

As we revisit the details of Holly's case, there are a great many mysteries still. I speak to journalist and former editor of Grafton News, Holly's hometown paper, Rich Price about his journey into the intricate details of her disappearance, the potential suspects in her abduction and murder, and his relationship with the Piirainen family members.

In our exploration of Holly's case, we take a moment to appreciate the distinctive beauty of Massachusetts and New England. I share details about local landmarks in the areas relative to Holly's case.

Please share any information you have, overheard, or may have remembered:
our help is needed to solve her case

Call 413-505-5993

or the State Police Unresolved Cases Unit at 855-627-6583

OR text the word SOLVE to 274637

Hampden District Attorney releases evidence in Holly Piirainen homicide investigation; calls on the public for help

Listen: Holly's Been Taken
a podcast about Holly Piirainen's disappearance and murder, by Rich Price

More at HelpHolly.com

Photos of Holly over her short ten years: school photos, with family members, Dad Rick with his sister the day after Holly went missing, Her mother Christina, Dad Rick, and grandmother Maureen whose house they were staying when Holly was taken, where she was laid to rest in Grafton, Mass, the "Boston" tshirt that was introduced by the DA as being found near where her remains were located, the wooded area where holly was found in Brimfield off Five Bridges Road, the billboard that was seen on Route 93 in Medford asking for information on her case. There is a $30,000 reward offered by Holly’s family for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Holly’s killer