Corley featured on ‘Cold Case Cards’
BELLINGHAM – Theresa Corley of Bellingham, who was murdered more than 40 years ago, is featured in a deck of playing cards with information about Massachusetts cold cases that will be distributed at the Norfolk County Correctional Center.
Norfolk County Sheriff Jerry P. McDermott was joined Tuesday by District $ttorney Michael :. Morrissey and police chiefs from across the county at the Norfolk County Correctional Center today to announce the launch of the “Mass Most :anted” playing cards in the jail.
Based upon success in other states, decks of playing cards feature those displayed on the “Mass Most :anted” list, which is assembled by the Metropolitan Law Inforcement Council.
On each playing card is the is the picture of someone
in the Commonwealth who is either missing, the victim of an unsolved crime, or wanted. In addition, their name, gender, age, geographical information, and details of their occurrence are featured. The cards have been made available to the inmates at the county’s jail in Dedham and can be used during recreation time.
A blown up version of Corley’s card was on display at last week’s press conference.
In December of 1978, 19-yearold Corley left a party at a bar when police say she was picked up by a group of men and allegedly sexually assaulted. Corley was apparently seen hitch hiking but she never returned home. Her body was found in a ditch along Interstate 495 several days later. The identity of her killer or killers remains a mystery 40 years later.
Corley’s murder remains the subject of an intensive investigation by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police.
“We knew this was in the works, but didn’t know that the cards were released until today,” said Corley’s sister, Gerri Houde of Bellingham. “This is a positive step because it keeps her name out there and more public awareness. Any exposure is good exposure and the Corley family is grateful to have support and the knowledge that people are working hard to find justice for Theresa.”
“These playing cards serve as another tool for law enforcement officials to explore ways to find information about unsolved cases,” said Sheriff McDermott. “We owe it to the families in Norfolk County and across the Commonwealth to try new and innovative approaches to help bring home their loved ones and create some closure.”
Pawtucket police put out a deck of similar playing card last year with an unsolved case on each card. This past July, they arrested the first suspect in one of the cases: the 1988 killing of a 10-year-old girl who was last seen alive at a corner store in Pawtucket, where her mother had sent her for milk.
Pawtucket Police Detective Susan Cormier is the founder of the Rhode Island Cold Case Task Force and the lead on the a cold case unit that introduced the deck of 52 playing cards in Rhode Island.
Cormier said that she has worked with the Massachusetts State Police since last January in creating a deck of playing cards following the release of the Rhode Island Cold Case Playing Cards.
“I have been working closely with them since January to assist them in putting together a deck like we did here in Rhode Island. Members of the Massachusetts State Police also attended a couple of our Rhode Island Cold Case Task Force meetings to see what exactly it is that we do so the they could possibly do something similar in the future,” Cormier said.
“With regard to the tips and leads generated here in Rhode Island, I can say that it has been extremely successful,” Cormier said. “There have been no shortage of calls, emails, letters, and messages with new tips/leads on our cases. I am very pleased with the response we have received.”
Cormier further said there is “always the possibility of me doing a second edition of the deck,” although that may not be for another year. “We have been very successful with the first edition and are very busy following up all of the leads we currently have. Fifty-two cases is quite a bit to work on right now. The second edition could possibly include solved cases and/or new victims being added. Time will tell.”
Morrissey says he hopes the “Mass Most Wanted” cards will have similar success in Massachusetts.
“Not everyone consistently sees traditional media, so even cases that have had substantial press attention will benefit from finding new ways to spread information,” he said. “Other jurisdictions have had success gaining information and solving cases through these cards. We are pleased to see several of our cases here and hope this helps.”
This isn’t the first time authorities have put the Corley case in the public eye.
Last year, Clear Channel Outdoor Boston donated digital billboard space on Route 140 in Franklin with an image from Corley’s Bellingham High School senior class photo session. The billboard was erected next to the former Ficco’s Bowladrome on East Central Street (Route 140) near the Wrentham town line to alert the public that solving Corley’s murder remains a top priority.