Decades-Old Cold Case Cracked: Man Charged in 1984 Murder of New York Teen Theresa Fusco
MINEOLA, NY – A Long Island man has been arrested and charged with the 1984 murder of 19-year-old Theresa Fusco, Nassau County authorities announced today. Robert Bilodeau,now 61,was arraigned and held without bail following a breakthrough in the cold case linked to DNA evidence recovered from a discarded straw.
the arrest brings a new growth to a case that gripped long Island and led to the wrongful conviction of three men who spent years in prison before being exonerated in 2003. Those men subsequently sued for wrongful imprisonment,with two awarded $18 million each.
According to prosecutors, Bilodeau was 23 and living with his grandparents at the time of fusco’s disappearance and death. Investigators began monitoring Bilodeau last year after developing “multiple investigative leads.” The crucial evidence emerged in February 2024, when investigators recovered a glass and straw Bilodeau allegedly used at a smoothie shop in Suffolk County. DNA extracted from the straw matched a sample taken from Fusco’s body in 1984.
“The past has not been forgotten,” Nassau County Prosecutor Anne Donnelly stated at a news conference. “we will never stop fighting for the victims. My office is determined to get justice for Theresa and her family.”
During the arraignment,Deputy Prosecutor Jared Rosenblatt recounted a chilling statement allegedly made by Bilodeau when confronted by investigators. “Yes, in those days people got away with murder,” Bilodeau reportedly said.Rosenblatt responded in court, “Well, mr. Bilodeau, it is indeed 2025 and your time has come.”
Fusco’s murder gained notoriety in 1984, occurring around the same time as the disappearances of two other teenage girls in the same area. Kelly Morrissey, 15, vanished in early 1984 and remains missing. The body of Jacqueline Martarella, 19, was discovered the following year on a golf course.
The original examination was marred by misconduct, as revealed in lawsuits filed by the wrongly convicted men. A federal jury found that the lead detective on the case had falsified hair evidence and withheld crucial information from prosecutors. DNA testing unavailable at the time of the initial investigation ultimately proved their innocence and linked Morrissey’s death to another perpetrator.
Thomas fusco, Theresa’s father, was present at the arraignment and expressed a mix of emotions. “It’s heartbreaking to relive my daughter’s death ‘over and over again,’ but expressed hope that the arrest would mark the ’end’ of this terrible experience,” he said, holding a photograph of his daughter. “I loved her and I miss her. She lives in my heart, as you can see. I never lost hope. I’ve always had faith in the system.”
Bilodeau’s attorney, Jason Russo, declined to comment, stating he had recently been assigned to the case.
If convicted, Bilodeau faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. The case remains ongoing.