MONROE, CT — Detectives worked diligently to solve the brutal murder of Renee Freer and bring closure to her family, ever since the 8-year-old’s lifeless body was found in a wooded area near her Williams Road home on June 22, 1977. The case picked up momentum in the public eye over the past two years, before coming to a grinding halt.
On Monday, Monroe Police Chief Keith White issued a press release saying police identified a suspect and applied for a juvenile arrest warrant for manslaughter in the first degree on July 11 of this year, based on what they believed to be sufficient probable cause — only for the warrant to be denied.
“On September 18th, 2025, after careful consideration, the State’s Attorney declined to approve the arrest warrant for manslaughter due to the expiration of the statute of limitations and the age of the suspect at the time of the alleged offense,” White said.
“Specifically, we were informed that the manslaughter prosecution is subject to a five-year statute of limitations, rendering it time-barred since 1977,” White said. “The State’s Attorney further considered a murder prosecution based on the brutality of the crime. However, the law in effect at the time of the crime bars a murder prosecution based on the age of the suspect.”
At the time of the crime, under Connecticut General Statutes, a juvenile charged with murder could only be transferred to the regular criminal docket of the Superior Court provided the juvenile suspect was at least 14-years-old when the murder was committed, according to the press release.
“The Monroe Police Department understands that this murder has had a tremendous impact on Renee’s family, friends, the citizens of Monroe and beyond, and all the officers involved in the investigation of this case over the decades,” White said. “Nonetheless, given the current status of the investigation and the conclusive opinion of the State’s Attorney, this case has regretfully been marked as closed.”
In recent years, Monroe detectives have done a full-scale re-examination of the evidence in the Freer case, using new advancements in technology, re-analyzing statements and re-interviewing several individuals with knowledge of the case, according to White.
“In the past 48 years, many people associated with the case have passed away or memories have faded, further complicating the investigation,” White said.
White said the Monroe Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to all the agencies that have supported this investigation over the decades, including but not limited to the Connecticut State Police, FBI Connecticut, FBI Quantico, the Connecticut State Forensics Laboratory, the Connecticut Cold Case Unit, and the Connecticut State’s Attorney Office.
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I’m disgusted that there is a statute of limitations on manslaughter.
This travesty will not stand !!! Too many innocent people were harried and hounded to the brink during the police investigation. They had their reputations ruined. They were discriminated against in all kinds of ways. They were ostracized, denied job opportunities, told that they were no longer welcome in many places and made to live their lives under dark clouds of suspicion for literally decades. And now comes the crowning insult: being told that a CHILD KILLER has more rights than they do and will have his identity kept secret. HOGWASH !!!
So the tragic sadness of a little girl’s murder ends due to a statute of limitations on manslaughter? Where is the justice for Renee Freer, her family and friends in this preposterous decision? Unbelievable!