‘Human remains’ found near Taylor Swift’s beachside mansion reigniting ‘serial killer’ fears after 12 bodies discovered
FEARS of a serial killer have spiraled after the discovery of a possible human leg near Taylor Swift’s beachside mansion.
The suspected human bone was found washed up in Rhode Island, and it's the 13th body found in the region in three months.
Investigators in the town of Westerly, in southwest Rhode Island, are currently awaiting official confirmation of the identity of the remains.
The gruesome find came after cops were called to the ritzy Watch Hill neighborhood at about 9:30 am on Wednesday to reports that a likely human leg bone had been found, local NBC affiliate reported
The remains have since been transferred to the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office, said the Westerly Police Department Detective Division.
Taylor Day, a Westerly resident, said she saw three police cars and a medical examiner "pulling in behind me."
Day said, “It was probably a couple football fields away from Taylor Swift’s house and the Ocean House.
"I would never expect anything like that — especially not in Watch Hill.”
She added, “It kind of alarmed me, and it was just something very out of the ordinary for Westerly."
Police do not suspect foul play, but Day said she would "definitely disagree with that."
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"I think finding a leg is very suspicious,” she said.
LOCALS VIGILANT
Day said that such unproven claims were unsettling for her and other residents.
She said she had "immediately" thought about "all the theories that are being thrown around."
Day said she was taking extra precautions, including being "more aware of my surroundings.
"I don’t go places that are kind of dim or where I could be alone. Just trying to stay out in public and be vigilant.”
THIRTEEN BODIES IN THREE MONTHS
Mystery surrounds the latest discovery after 12 remains were found in 11 cities and towns across three states, reported .
New England 'serial killer' fears
Speculation has been growing about a possible serial killer hunting victims in New England - but investigators have squashed such claims.
Timeline of bodies:
- March 6: Paige Fannon, 35, from New York, was found in New Haven
- March 6: A hunter discovered human remains in a wooded part of Plymouth, Massachusetts
- March 19: The body of a woman believed to be 40-60 years old is found in a suitcase in Groton, Massachusetts
- March 21: Denise Leary, 59, is found dead in New Haven, Connecticut
- March 25: Michele Romano, 56, is found in Rhode Island months after she went missing
- April 9: Unidentified remains were found in Connecticut
- April 10: Unidentified remains were found in Massachusetts
- April 21: Unidentified remains were found in the Seekonk River in Pawtucket by a boater
- April 22: Meggan Meredith died after being found "unresponsive" near a bike path - Springfield police are treating her death as a homicide
- April 23: The bodies of two men were discovered in the woods near a Walmart in Salem, Massachusetts
- May 14: Likely human remains were found washed up in Rhode Island
The remains have been found in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts over a period of several months this year.
It has reignited fears that a serial killer is lurking in New England.
The multiple deaths have sparked a Facebook conspiracy group, titled “New England Serial Killer,” which has attracted tens of thousands of members.
It was created to discuss any possible killer - although cops have dismissed such claims as mere “internet rumor."
PREVIOUS VICTIMS
Officials in New England had discovered a body behind a school in Massachusetts in late April and had suspected foul play, reported.
Stephan Myers, 39, was found fatally shot behind Bristol Plymouth High School in Taunton, Massachusetts, at a construction site, said the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.
Myers was the 12th body to have been found since February in the New England area - before the possible human leg bone washed up near Swift's home in Rhode Island.
The U.S. Sun has contacted the singer's representative, and the Westerly police for comment.
Prior to these grim discoveries, detectives found the body of Paige Fannon, 35, in the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut, in early March.
And on March 6, a human skull was found in a wooded area in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The remains of missing 59-year-old Denise Leary were discovered by residents clearing brush in New Haven on March 21 - but investigators have ruled out foul play.
The body of Meggan Meridith, 45, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was found on March 22.
POLICE URGE CALM
However, police departments have denied connections between any of the cases, despite allegations shared by internet sleuths.
Police Chief Karl Jacobson told of Leary's death, “It is not looking like a murder and certainly not looking like a serial killer," New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson told of Leary's death.
He also urged wannabe sleuths against traumatizing relatives of those found dead.
"Just be careful, because I think it has a potential to taint investigations," Jacobson said.
“We don’t want to rehash the death of Miss Leary or any of the other deaths continuously over and over again in the media, because that is trauma to the families and we do want to get answers to them as quick as possible."
Laurie Kramer, a Northeastern University professor of applied psychology, told Northeastern Global News said she understood the escalation of such rumors.
“When people have beliefs that they feel very strongly about and that are being responded to with some pushback, then those beliefs can become even more strongly held,” Kramer said.
“Maybe it will turn out to be one perpetrator. But whatever is discovered, people are going to need evidence to accept it."
NO PATTERN
But James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University criminologist, told the uni paper he couldn't see any obvious connection between the deaths.
He said of the discovery of the remains, "There’s no pattern to the dump sites.
“A lot of serial killers will have a particular dump site where they dispose of their bodies.
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“It’s much safer for them to kill in a place where they know the terrain.
"Plus they tend to have jobs and families, which means they kill part time — literally, they have some free time to kill. And in general they can’t spend weeks and months traveling around finding victims.”
