Episode 62 | Justice For Beth Brodie, Crime of the Hometown Kind, Groveland, Massachusetts with Beth's brother, Sean Aylward

Case Update: Beth Brodie's story. Crime of the Hometown Kind, Groveland, Massachusetts, with Beth's brother, Sean Aylward.

Beth's killer is up for parole in May.

CALL TO ACTION below....

I first shared Beth's story in the spring of 2021 in episode 16. I am from the small town of Groveland, Massachusetts, Beth and I went to the same school, walked those same halls. What happened to her stayed with me. I think of her every time I drive through my old hometown, about her family, and how they had to drive by the house where she took her last breath on November 18, 1992 when she was just 15 years old. Her murder shattered the small town, it was the first homicide there in over twenty years. On October 31, 1973, Groveland police officer Charles W. "Billy" Blaisdell, 31, shot and killed Daniel Franzone, Jr, 21, of Newburyport, his estranged wife's new love interest in front of five of their six children. Oddly, that officer lived on the same street my family lived on.Beth's killer was a teenager, someone who she had been friendly with for a short time and whose feelings she did not share. Teenage love, for lack of a better term, is fleeting.He had left Groveland and moved to Peabody. Learning that Beth did not return his affection, he decided to act in a brutal and merciless way. There was no evidence of abuse between the two teenagers. Beth's family knew of nothing that could have led to what happened to Beth that day. The boy had been around the Brodie home and acted in what was best described as shy around adults.A friend of Beth shared stories about the actions of the boy who killed her, that it was rumored (my words, not theirs) that he had been known to spike drinks of girls, put some kind of drug. What kind is not clear.The more I learn about this person, this teen killer, the more upsetting it is. Why do boys and men get to decide the fate of women in this way? Through violence. Why do they get to snuff out a young life. There is a lot to be said about this.Now, 30 years later, Beth's killer, is seeking parole with a hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 16, 2024. Once again, Beth's entire family is facing the prospect of this man being released. It is retraumatizing to a family who has had to live with the reality of their child being violently taken from them.

Your help is needed! Call to action:

Letter writing campaign: To the parole board, to Governor Healey, letters to the Editor of local publications. Let them know you support the Brodie family and oppose the release of Richard C. Baldwin, currently housed at Old Colony Correctional Center in Bridgewater, Mass.

Support and follow Justice for Beth Brodie #justiceforbethbrodie

Share posts about the upcoming parole hearing of Beth's murderer

In the spirit of community and advocacy, I extend an invitation to join the collective effort to honor Beth's legacy as we prepare for the upcoming parole hearing. Your voice matters, whether it's through writing heartfelt letters, amplifying our message on social media, or simply being present to stand with a family. Beth's story is not over.