MONROE, CT — A recent decision by the State’s Attorney to deny Monroe police detectives’ application for an arrest warrant in the brutal 1977 slaying of eight-year-old Renee Freer sparked disbelief, outrage and a deep sense of sadness among her family, friends and supporters.
“It’s hard to put into words the depth of heartbreak we feel today,” said Lisa Victoria, who was Freer’s first cousin. “After nearly five decades of waiting, hoping, praying, and believing that justice for Renee was possible, we are left devastated by the decision to deny an arrest warrant. The pain of knowing that the person responsible for brutally taking an innocent eight-year-old’s life has been identified, yet will face no consequences, is unbearable.”
After a neighborhood search on June 22, 1977, Freer’s lifeless body was found in a wooded area near her Williams Road home with a large rock beside her that police believe was the murder weapon.
Different detectives investigated the murder over the years, following up on every lead in an effort to find an elusive break in the case. Most recently, Lt. Kevin McKellick assigned Det. Jeff Marcel as the lead investigator.
Public interest in the case picked up momentum two years ago, when Erik Hanson, an author who grew up in Monroe, wrote the book, “Dead End Road,” and Kristen Seavey, an actress and true crime fan, featured the Freer case on her podcast, “Murder, She Told” — all in an effort to inspire potential witnesses to come forward.
On Oct. 20, 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.
Because of the court decisions, White said the Renee Freer case is officially closed.
“The attorney who wouldn’t move forward with this is a coward and should be ashamed of themselves,” Hanson said in a text. “As always, Renee and her family loses.”
Adored by her friends, who affectionately nicknamed her Giggles, many remember Renee Freer for her infectious laugh.
“Renee was not just my cousin, she was my friend,” Victoria said in an email to The Sun. “We were close in age, inseparable during family gatherings, sharing laughter and childhood secrets. Many of our older cousins remember her as the bright, joyful little girl she was, but for me, she was more than a memory, she was a part of my everyday life. Losing her shattered something that never healed.”
“What makes this moment even harder is that justice was within reach,” Victoria continued. “We believed that the truth, long buried, was finally ready to see the light. Yet here we are, denied again by a system that still protects the murderer instead of the innocent.”
‘A sucker punch’
Last Saturday morning, Freer’s cousin, John Wasik, and childhood friends Tawny Syrotiak and Mardi Kane met for an interview at Bill’s Drive-In on Monroe Turnpike.
“It’s like they took her all over again,” Syrotiak said of the decision to deny the arrest warrant. “It’s like the day I heard she was murdered all over again.”
Kane recalled first hearing the news of the State’s Attorney’s decision.
“I was devastated,” she said. “I had had so much hope for the first time since Erik wrote a book. And police said they had a suspect they were pursuing, I thought with the current laws, the statute of limitations wouldn’t be a factor. A juvenile can now be tried as an adult and in 1977 they couldn’t.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” Kane added. “Erik (Hanson) contacted me and I was in denial. I was just so sad all week and had trouble sleeping.”
“Even if they charged him, he never would have gone to prison,” Wasik said of the suspect. “I never cared about the conviction. I just wanted to get him in court, so everyone could see him for what he is. I don’t think he would confess, even on his deathbed, because it would shame his whole family.”
Now the case file will be open to public requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Though crime scene photos of Renee Freer’s body will never be released, Wasik said it could stir public outrage, adding he believes all the time that has passed has desensitized the public to the severity of the crime.
“I don’t like the idea of the files being open,” he said. “One thing I wouldn’t mind released is the photo and descriptions of that was done to her. She had no face left.”
Wasik expressed anger at the State’s Attorney, saying “the decision not to prosecute feels like a sucker punch out of the blue.”
“My cousin was horrifically murdered, and now it feels like she’s been spit on, that she has no value in the eyes of the law,” he said. “The guilty have more rights than the innocent who was victimized.”
But Wasik said he is grateful for the work of all of the current and former officers of the Monroe Police Department, as well as everyone else involved with the case, from other law enforcement agencies and firefighters who assisted in the search, to medical personnel.
“I thank Detective Jeff Marcel for his commitment to moving this case forward from a nearly five decade standstill,” he said. “What seemed an impossibility for most to imagine, I knew was a reality and he would move us to a conclusion. The laws failed Renee, not the police department.”
Wasik also thanked Chief White and Lt. McKellick for “not giving up and doing their very best to get justice for Renee.”
While appreciative of detectives’ dedication to the case, there is just one nagging question Syrotiak wants to ask police.
“How, after all these years, did you not know that the statute of limitations would not be a factor?” she said. “Why did you put all of us through this? Being so close and having a suspect and the State’s Attorney saying, ‘sorry, you’re too late.'”
The fight goes on
Syrotiak said it felt like her friend sat on a shelf for 46 years, before the public started paying attention to her case again.
“Her name is supposed to go on the shelf again?” Syrotiak said of Freer. “No. Her name is not going to go away. She’s going to be Renee for Change. We’re not going away for an antiquated law. All the newspaper articles say the case is closed. Well, it’s not. She’s still dead. The murderer is still free. She’s still murdered.”
Wasik said, “I am hoping for legal help to try to overturn this injustice and find a pathway to bring the suspect into criminal court. How would you feel if this was your own child, sibling or grandchild? This fight is not over.”
“I don’t consider it over yet, because I’m looking for other avenues,” Wasik said. “I’m hoping some lawyer can come in and challenge this, because this would be a landmark case.”
Freer’s supporters are trying to find a positive way to move forward.
Renee’s Law
Cindie Dnistrian, who lived on Renee Freer’s street, announced the Justice for Renee Freer Facebook Group’s mission to pass a proposal called Renee’s Law to channel their heartbreak into hope.
Renee’s Law seeks to:
- Stop the statute of limitations clock when the offender is a juvenile.
- Remove time limits for crimes that take a child’s life.
- Allow courts to recognize accountability even when the offender was under 14 at the time of the crime.
“This is not about vengeance,” the Justice for Renee Freer team said in a statement. “It’s about truth, fairness, and love for Renee and every innocent child who deserves a voice. We refuse to let Renee’s story end with silence. Her legacy will be one of change.”
“I’m willing to write legislators, law firms, possibly ‘Nancy Grace,'” Kane said. “I want to be respectful of Renee’s family, so however they want to proceed, I want to help.”
“We will not stop our fight,” Victoria said. “Our family and friends refuse to let Renee’s name fade into silence. In her memory, we are moving forward with Renee’s Law, a legislative effort to ensure that no other child’s murder is left unresolved and no family is left waiting half a century for justice that never comes. Renee’s name will stand for change, compassion and courage. It will be the legacy she deserves.”
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
I truly hope we can get the laws changed. Because I feel like this is just a slap in the face to Renee, her family and her friends.