Donor List for the $100,000 reward
S. Prestley Blake, co-founder of the Friendly Ice Cream Corp. $60,000
State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, Former State Rep. David H. Tuttle, R-Barre, State Rep. Reed V. Hillman, R-Sturbridge with Robert and Lani Ebersold of Chatham and an anonymous donor contributed the initial $40,000. (source MollyBish.com)
February 6, 2008
Man sues for Bish reward
Former police officer found bathing suit
By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
The former police officer who led investigators to a bathing suit believed to belong to Molly Anne Bish is suing former District Attorney John J. Conte and his successor over money offered as a reward in the case.
A lawyer for Timothy S. McGuigan of Rhode Island said he filed the suit against Mr. Conte and District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. in U.S. District Court in Boston on Friday.
Stephen B. Hrones said Mr. McGuigan is entitled to the $100,000 reward, a combination of funds pledged by state Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre; then-state Rep. David H. Tuttle of Barre; Republican Reed V. Hillman of Sturbridge, who was also a state representative when Miss Bish disappeared; Springfield’s S. Prestley Blake, co-founder of the Friendly Ice Cream Corp.; and an anonymous source.
Mr. Hrones said a poster distributed after Miss Bish disappeared from her lifeguard post in June 2000 offered the reward for “information leading to Molly.” Mr. McGuigan’s discovery, he said, sparked the search that eventually turned up the Warren lifeguard’s remains on a Palmer hillside in 2003.
“I feel we’ve got a solid case,” Mr. Hrones said, adding that the poster represents a contract that his client fulfilled
Man renews request for Bish reward
Bathing suit find is at issue; DA denies claim
By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
A former police officer who led investigators to a bathing suit not far from where the remains of Molly Anne Bish were found in 2003 has renewed his efforts to collect a $100,000 reward offered in the case.
Timothy S. McGuigan said he was hopeful that Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. might feel differently about the reward than his predecessor, John J. Conte.
But those hopes were dashed when Mr. Early said in a letter he would not turn over the money.
“Our understanding is that the reward was for information that led to the arrest and conviction of Molly Bish’s abductor and killer,” Timothy J. Connolly, a spokesman for Mr. Early, said this week.
In a letter last month to Mr. Early, Mr. McGuigan’s lawyer, Boston-based Stephen Hrones, asked the district attorney to reconsider his decision.
But Mr. Early, like Mr. Conte, contends that “no rational person would believe” that the reward was offered for “mere information.” During his tenure, Mr. Conte challenged Mr. McGuigan to share with the state police any information he might have. He said then that if the information led to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed Miss Bish, the reward would be handed over.
Mr. Hrones has charged that posters offering the reward were reworded after Mr. McGuigan’s discovery of the swimsuit and the subsequent discovery of Miss Bish’s remains on a Palmer hillside some three years after she disappeared from her lifeguard post at Comins Pond in Warren.
Investigators have said they believe Miss Bish was abducted and murdered. A lengthy grand jury investigation ended in December 2006 without any indictments being returned. Mr. McGuigan was one of dozens of witnesses questioned during that investigation.
Initially, he said, the posters printed by the Polly Klaas Foundation offered the funds for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the then 16-year-old’s disappearance. Later the posters indicated the reward would be provided in exchange for “information leading to Molly.”
Mr. Hrones said the posters are a contractual agreement and that his client provided such information but was not offered the reward and shortly after the grisly discovery, posters with the original language resurfaced.
The case will likely move to the courtroom as a “contract action” in the near future, Mr. Hrones said.
The $100,000 reward in the Bish case came from a combination of people who hoped it might push the case forward. State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, and then-state Rep. David H. Tuttle of Barre each pledged $5,000. Republican Reed V. Hillman of Sturbridge, the former head of the state police who was also a state representative when Miss Bish disappeared, committed $10,000 to the reward fund. Springfield’s S. Prestley Blake, co-founder of the Friendly Ice Cream Corp., pledged $60,000, and the remainder came from an anonymous source.
Mr. McGuigan worked as a North Brookfield police officer and was writing a book about the case of Holly Piirainen who disappeared from Sturbridge 14 years ago. Her remains were found in Brimfield weeks later and that case remains unsolved.
He and Hardwick hunter Ricky Boudreau were discussing the Piirainen and Bish cases in the spring of 2003 when Mr. Boudreau mentioned seeing a blue bathing suit the previous fall in a wooded area at the Ware, Warren and Palmer town lines known as Whiskey Hill.
He did not realize the significance of what he’d found, thinking a lifeguard would have had an orange bathing suit. The suit he had seen was blue.
The two went back to the area, found the suit and alerted state police who collected it the following day. A subsequent search turned up several bones which, using DNA, were determined to be the remains of Miss Bish.
Mr. McGuigan said he would have provided the information regardless of whether a reward was offered and that he hopes the Bish family has received some comfort in being able to bury Miss Bish. He said his battle is with the district attorneys who have denied his request, and his lawyer agrees.
“Even though our client deserves this money, they don’t want to pay it,” Mr. Hrones said. “They want to hold it in reserve to give it to the person who gives the information that leads to the person responsible. They don’t appreciate what Tim did, and this has nothing to do with the Bishes.”
October 31, 2006
District attorney disputes claim
By LORI STABILE, lstabile@repub.com
Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte said he is not interested in "playing some sort of childish cat and mouse game" with an Auburn man who believes he is entitled to reward money in the case of slain Warren lifeguard Molly Anne Bish.
"A young girl has been killed, and her killer remains at large," Conte wrote in a letter dated yesterday to Timothy S. McGuigan's Boston lawyer, Stephen B. Hrones.
"I am interested in bringing this killer to justice. If you and your clients share that interest, the state police will gladly take any information you have," Conte continued.
"If that information leads to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator, then I will gladly provide you and your clients with the reward money."
Three years ago, McGuigan, a former police Sturbridge and North Brookfield officer, led police to a remote area, about five miles from Warren's Comins Pond, where Bish was last seen, to a bathing suit belonging to the teenager. That clue led to the discovery of her remains in a wooded area in Palmer. Bish disappeared from her lifeguard post in June 2000.
Hrones last week said that a lawsuit may be filed against Conte for the $100,000 reward money, because, he said, his client provided key information about the unsolved slaying of the 16-year-old.
Hrones wrote a letter dated Sept. 25 to Conte asking that McGuigan receive the money, to avoid a lawsuit.
Hrones has said Conte issued an initial reward flier, saying the money would go to anyone providing information that led to an arrest and conviction. Then, Hrones said, a second flier was issued, saying leading information was being sought in the case.
Hrones claimed the first flier was reissued, after McGuigan found leading information. Hrones said Conte and his client have had a long history of conflict and that when it appeared McGuigan qualified for the reward, the initial flier was reissued.
Conte, who could not be reached for additional comment beyond the letter, wrote that the reward claim "is frivolous and demonstrates a very misguided view of the facts and the law."
"You contend that I am somehow responsible for a reward flier produced by the Polly Klass Foundation. I cannot vouch for what others put on reward fliers, milk cartons, billboards, or television shows. I also do not understand your theory that the language used in someone else's reward flier 'replaced' an earlier offer announced by me in a press release," Conte wrote.
"He was very much involved in that flier," Hrones said yesterday about Conte. "(Conte) said we're only this in for free publicity. Give me a break. Tim deserves this. ... (Conte) criticized me for not waiting for a response. We waited a month and no response."
McGuigan said last week that he has finished a manuscript about the Bish case and the 1993 slaying of 10-year-old Holly Piirainen of Grafton. Holly disappeared in 1993 while visiting her grandparents in Sturbridge.
Fight brews over Bish reward: Tipster wants $100G, family still seeks killer
(John Bish admits poster was changed after remains located)
By
Shaun Tolson, Boston Herald
All Timothy McGuigan says he wants is to clear his name.
McGuigan, a former North Brookfield and Sturbridge police officer, was responsible for leading authorities to the tattered remains of Molly Bish’s bathing suit, which led to the discovery of the Warren lifeguard’s remains three years ago. Now McGuigan is planning to sue Worcester District Attorney John Conte for the $100,000 reward offered in the case.
“Let’s go to court; let’s set the record straight,” McGuigan said. “Whether I get the money or not is secondary.”
According to McGuigan, Conte treated him as a suspect in the highly publicized murder case, even though the prosecutor knew his whereabouts at the time of the 16-year-old’s disappearance.
“I was frustrated because I didn’t see it (the case) moving forward and didn’t see people taking the information seriously,” McGuigan said. “I was told to back off, that it wasn’t my jurisdiction.”
McGuigan, who now works as a security guard, said Molly’s father, John Bish, acknowledged that he was unable to publicly thank him for fear of risking Conte’s wrath.
“I think the Bishes are in a very difficult situation,” he said.
But John Bish denied ever making such a statement.
“Right now, we’re more frustrated and disappointed with Mr. McGuigan and view his actions as being not genuine,” Bish said. “The reward he is seeking is not for finding Molly. She was literally brought home bone by bone.”
Bish explained that at the beginning of the search the reward posters covered a broad area because there was still some hope that Molly would be found alive. Once her remains were found, however, the parameters of the reward changed to find her killer.
“My family would stand on the mountaintops of Warren to declare that these people, including Mr. McGuigan should get it (the money). But we’re not there yet,” Bish said. “It would be most unfortunate if that reward money is dispersed when we need it for the purpose of finding who murdered Molly and bringing him to justice.”
Application for payment offered on Molly Bish Reward Poster time line.
March 27, 2006, public record request inquiring actual requirement for payment of $100,000 dollar reward as listed on poster, no poster enclosed.
April 18, 2006, District Attorney John Conte's office replies with press release dated October 30, 2000
June 21, 2006, public record request with copy of revised reward poster enclosed. Poster states revised March 2001.
July 10, 2006, District Attorney John Conte's office replies that the money was offered by the Polly Klaas foundation, not by this office. Accordingly, I suggest that you direct your inquiry to the Polly Klaas foundation.
August 7, 2006, letter sent to Polly Klaas foundation seeking steps required to collect reward.
September 12, 2006, Polly Klaas foundation replies This reward in fact was not offered by the Polly Klaas Foundation. Polly Klaas Foundation worked with the Bish family, Sergeant McCuwen with the Warren Police Department and Detective Lieutenant Moore.
letter sent to District Attorney John Conte by Boston Attorney Stephen Hrones requesting reward payment.Ex-officer may sue Bish DA
By CHRIS HAMEL, The Springfield Republican chamel@repub.com
An Auburn man who played a key role in the investigation of the slaying of Warren lifeguard Molly A. Bish may file a lawsuit against Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte seeking reward money in the case, his lawyer said yesterday.
Stephen B. Hrones of Boston, who represents Timothy S. McGuigan, a former police officer in North Brookfield, Hardwick, Monson and Sturbridge, said Conte has been contacted in writing, although no suit has yet been lodged.
Hrones contends that McGuigan was instrumental in the investigation of the still-unsolved slaying and merits the posted reward of $100,000.
Hrones said Conte issued an initial reward flier, saying the reward would go to anyone providing information that led to an arrest and conviction. But Hrones said a second flier was posted saying "leading" information was being sought in the case.
Hrones said the initial flier was reissued after his client found leading evidence. He said Conte and McGuigan had a "long history of conflict" and that when it appeared McGuigan qualified for the reward, the initial flier was reissued.
"We sent a letter to Conte," Hrones said. "We're not overly optimistic. We're prepared to file suit. We wanted to give him a chance to accept an agreement."
McGuigan, a private investigator who was researching a book about the Bish case and the 1993 slaying of 10-year-old Holly Piirainen of Grafton, in 2003 led police to a remote area about five miles from Comins Pond and near the Palmer line, and a bathing suit there that belonged to the teenager. The finding led to the discovery of Bish's remains.
Bish disappeared from her lifeguard post at the pond in June 2000. McGuigan was on duty with North Brookfield police the day of her disappearance. Piirainen disappeared while visiting her grandparents in Sturbridge. Her remains were found in 1993 in Brimfield.
McGuigan, who now works as a truck driver, said yesterday he did not seek the reward earlier because he was intimidated by Conte, a claim that Hrones also cited on his client's behalf. "I was intimidated by the DA," McGuigan said. "He's a very powerful man."
McGuigan said he has finished his manuscript, which is with an agent but unpublished at this time.
Award in Bish case sought
Man led police to swimsuit site
By Kim
Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
An Auburn man plans to sue Worcester District Attorney
John J. Conte in an effort to claim the $100,000 reward offered in the Molly
Anne Bish case.
Timothy S. McGuigan, a former police officer who led police to a bathing
suit on a remote Palmer hillside that prompted the 2003 search that turned
up the Warren lifeguard’s remains, has hired a lawyer to collect the money.
“The reward was never the driving cause behind my commitment,” Mr. McGuigan
said, adding that part of the reason he is seeking the money is to clear his
name. He believes he was treated as a suspect in the case and wants the
district attorney to acknowledge that he is innocent, he said.
“The DA not only has an obligation to prosecute, he has an obligation to
exonerate, and he had evidence that I was in a cruiser in North Brookfield
working when Molly disappeared,” Mr. McGuigan said. “But he never put that
out there and this continues to come up.”
Boston-based lawyer Stephen B. Hrones said a poster advertising the reward
was changed in the months after Miss Bish disappeared in June 2000.
Initially, the poster offered money in exchange for information leading to
the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the then 16-year-old’s
disappearance.
Later, the poster was changed and offered the reward for “information
leading to Molly,” Mr. Hrones said. He charged that the language was
switched back to the original reading after Mr. McGuigan became involved in
the case in 2003.
“It is our position that there was a contract that was accepted by Tim,” Mr.
Hrones said. “When they realized Tim might qualify (for the reward), they
changed it.”
The posters were made by the Polly Klaas Foundation, a California group that
helps families of missing children. The revision using broader language was
sent out in March 2001, the foundation said in a letter to Mary T. Jean of
Leominster.
It said the revised information was approved by the Bish family. The Warren
police and detectives attached to Mr. Conte’s office also worked with the
Polly Klaas Foundation, the letter says.
Ms. Jean runs
www.conte2006.com, a Web site that posts
information often critical of Mr. Conte. Mr. McGuigan has penned articles
for the site criticizing the district attorney and his work on the Bish
case.
Yesterday, Mr. McGuigan said he spent a great deal of time investigating the
disappearance and murder of Holly Piirainen, a 10-year-old abducted in
Sturbridge in 1993. Her remains were found several weeks later in Brimfield.
The case remains unsolved.
In a way, he said, he was obsessed with the Piirainen case when he worked as
a police officer in North Brookfield and later in Sturbridge. He began
writing a book about his experiences, and in 2003 shared part of the story
of Miss Bish with Hardwick hunter Ricky Boudreau, who recalled finding a
swimsuit on Whiskey Hill the previous fall.
The two went back to the site and found the suit, which matched a
description of the one Miss Bish was wearing when she vanished. They alerted
state police, who, after an extensive search, found skeletal remains that
DNA evidence showed were those of Miss Bish.
Mr. Conte has said investigators believe Miss Bish was abducted from her
lifeguard post at Comins Pond in Warren and murdered. They have long sought
to speak with a man seen at the pond by Magdalen M. Bish the day before her
daughter disappeared, but the mysterious stranger in a white car has never
been found.
A lengthy grand jury investigation into the case, which included testimony
from Mr. McGuigan, has not brought any arrests.
The $100,000 reward in the Bish case came from a combination of people who
hoped it might push the case forward. State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre,
and then-state Rep. David H. Tuttle of Barre each pledged $5,000. Republican
Reed V. Hillman of Sturbridge, who was also a state representative when Miss
Bish disappeared, committed $10,000 to the reward fund. Springfield’s S.
Prestley Blake, co-founder of the Friendly Ice Cream Corp., pledged $60,000,
and the remainder came from an anonymous source.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Conte said yesterday he had received the letter from
Mr. Hrones asking that the reward be turned over to Mr. McGuigan.
“He is going to respond to it soon,” Elizabeth A. Stammo said.
The Bish family was not aware of Mr. McGuigan’s request for the reward. John
J. Bish declined to comment last night.
Mr. McGuigan would not say what he plans to do with the money if it is
awarded to him.
“I guess I would say I have no comment on that,” Mr. McGuigan, a divorced
father of three children, said. “But I’ll do the right thing.”
WARREN - The anonymous donor who pledged $60,000 to the reward fund set up to find the abductor of Molly Ann Bish has gone public.
S. Prestley Blake, co-founder of the Friendly Ice Cream Corp., admitted yesterday that he was the generous donor who pushed the reward fund up to $100,000 on Oct. 30. Bish disappeared from Comins Pond on June 27.
"The whole point is to get this guy and discourage anyone else from doing it," said Blake, 86, from his home in Somers, Conn. "I truly hope I will have to cough up that money on the conviction of that guy."Bish was 16 when she disappeared from the pond as she was about to begin her lifeguard duties that morning. State police detectives assigned to Worcester County District Attorney John J. Conte's office are still investigating her disappearance and believe she was abducted. Investigators are still searching for a man in a white car seen at the pond parking lot by Bish's mother the day before Molly disappeared.
"It started with my trip through Warren," Blake said. "I happened to be coming through the town. There were eight television trucks there. I took more than the average interest in it. I get very upset at people hurting other people."Blake said he has never met the Bish family and has never contributed to a reward fund before.
"This is $100,000," he said. "It will make somebody squeal. Somebody knows the guy who did it. For a certain amount of money they'll turn on anybody."That is exactly what Conte is hoping happens. So far, it hasn't.
"We did get some calls, but so far they have not proved to be germane," Conte said. "It's at $100,000 at the present time. All of these donations came right out of the blue. We haven't solicited anything. It's a huge reward for a case like this. I think at some point it's going to make a difference."As for Blake's generosity, Conte still can't believe it.
"I think he must have to be one outstanding person to come out with this reward. It's really a tribute to man's humanity," he said.State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, state Rep. David H. Tuttle, R-Barre, state Rep. Reed V. Hillman, R-Sturbridge, Robert and Lani Ebersold of Chatham and an anonymous donor contributed the initial $40,000.
Conte still has detectives working the case and interviews with suspects are ongoing. The investigation will be aided soon when Gov. A. Paul Cellucci signs a supplemental budget on Tuesday that will include $250,000 for overtime for Conte's department."That will help us a great deal," Conte said. "It will allow us to put much more manpower and time into the things we have to do. The trail is not cold."
Anyone with information on Molly's disappearance should call 1-800-808-9677.
October 31, 2000
WARREN - The reward to help find the abductor of missing teenager Molly Ann Bish swelled to $100,000 yesterday after an anonymous donor from the Springfield area pledged $60,000 to the fund.
The donor made the reward by contacting the Union-News and providing a signed letter of guarantee to Worcester County District Attorney John J. Conte."The hope is that the reward money will bring her back," the anonymous donor said. "My objective is to get Molly Bish back and to discourage any further crimes of this type."
The reward fund previously stood at $40,000, with the first contributions coming just days after Bish disappeared on the morning of June 27 from Comins Pond. Bish was 16 years old when she was reported missing just minutes after her mother, Magdalen Bish, dropped her off for lifeguard duty at the popular town swimming hole."Something like this could very well help us," Conte said yesterday after announcing the new donation. "We're just very, very grateful. I think it's going to help. It's a substantial sum of money. We've had situations in the past where it has been helpful in our investigations."
Conte's office still has eight state police detectives working the case. More than 6,000 tips have been reported and detectives continue to interview suspects.Less than two weeks ago, Conte's office impounded a white car in the Warren area. Tests on that car are ongoing, Conte said. Magdalen Bish saw a man in a white car in the parking lot of the beach the day before her daughter disappeared. Detectives have been searching for that man and the white car for four months now.
"We've been getting calls right along," Conte said. "Something like this will give us additional leads. Here we are on the 126th day and the intensity is still here. The trail is not getting cold."When told of the news yesterday, Magdalen Bish began to cry.
"I can't believe it," she said. "That's remarkable. That person will be in our prayers tonight."News of the reward brings new hope, she said.
"If we could just get that one piece. I pray every time there's an increase," Magdalen Bish said. "When I hear this I feel more blessed that people are trying to bring some closure for us. There's a possibility somebody may have some information that will bring it to a close."The Bishes have been active in spreading Molly Ann's story, including being featured on national television shows and taking part in several local events that tout fingerprinting kits for children. The family will be featured on "The Early Show" on CBS with Bryant Gumbel today at 7:40 a.m. Two weeks ago, the family was featured on the Sally Jesse Raphael television show.
Anyone with information on Bish's disappearance is asked to call (800) 808-9677 September 21, 2000
WARREN - Worcester County District Attorney John J. Conte says a growing reward fund for the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the June 27 abduction of Molly Bish has not yet had a major impact on the investigation.
"The added attention it has given us is beneficial," Conte said yesterday. "Each case is different. Sometimes a reward helps. In other situations, as has happened in the Molly Bish case, the calls we get, people aren't interested in the reward. That doesn't mean sometime along the line something couldn't happen."Last week, state Rep. Reed V. Hillman, R-Sturbridge, added $10,000 to the reward fund. A few days later, Robert and Lani Ebersold of Chatham pledged another $10,000. Just after 17-year-old Bish disappeared from her lifeguard duties at Comins Pond here, an anonymous donor gave $10,000 to the fund and state Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, and state Rep. David H. Tuttle, R-Barre, donated $5,000 each to the fund. The reward now stands at $40,000.
"We did get additional calls last week," Conte said. "I don't really think it was a result of the money. The fact that other people were willing to give $10,000 adds an intensity to it."Unlike the other donors, the Ebersolds don't know the Bish family, who live in West Warren. They just wanted to help.
"We just would like to see if adding some money to it will get other people to add money to it," Robert Ebersold said last week. "Maybe the price will make the difference."So far, that hasn't happened. And, Conte said his office is not soliciting funds for the reward. "That's just not our function," he said.
Hillman said he donated $10,000 for two reasons."Sometimes it's the money on the table that brings them forward," said Hillman, who used to head the Massachusetts State Police. "I also hoped to liven up public interest again."
"I'm confident it will be solved," he said. "They have a great team of detectives working on it. We want the guy who abducted Molly Bish behind bars."In the meantime, the number of state police detectives investigating the case has been cut down to about eight. At the end of August, 10 or 12 detectives were working on the case. At the height of the investigation, 25 detectives worked around the clock.
Conte said the number of investigators has dwindled because detectives have been taken off overtime as his office waits to see whether the Legislature will approve $350,000 in additional funds for his overtime account. The account was drained because of the Bish investigation and other investigations his office handled this summer.Detectives have received more than 6,000 tips in the Bish case. On Saturday, the nationally syndicated television show "America's Most Wanted" broadcast Bish's disappearance for the second time. The 43-second spot brought in 14 more tips, which Conte said his investigators are still investigating.
"We're close and far," Conte answered when asked if his investigators were close to solving the case. "We need that break."People are still being interviewed regarding Bish's disappearance, Conte said. And, detectives are still sorting through the tips and putting them in a computer database. Conte said he hopes to get some volunteers to update the database.
Anyone with information about Bish's disappearance should call 1-800-808-9677.
