Teen Disappears While On Lifeguard Duty And Is Found Dead In The Woods: Now Authorities Have Named A Person Of Interest 21 Years Later
Warren, Massachusetts. 16-year-old Molly Anne Bish got a job as a lifeguard at Comins Pond during the summer of 2000.
On June 27th, 2000, Molly’s mom Magi packed her a lunch then drove her over to the pond so she could start her shift.
It was a little before 10 in the morning when Magi drove away, thinking she would be back in a few hours to pick her daughter up.
When local parents started showing up at the pond with their children for swim lessons that day, they were shocked to see that there was not a lifeguard on duty.
Molly wasn’t sitting in the lifeguard chair, and she wasn’t on the beach…
…But all of her belongings were still there.
Molly had left her sandals, her beach chair, her water bottle, her towel, her whistle, her first aid kit, and her police radio behind. But where did Molly go?
It was a question that took 3 long years to answer.
Facebook; pictured above is Molly Bish
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The day that Molly vanished, her mom Magi had noticed a man in the parking lot of the pond. He was just sitting there in a white-colored car and she thought his behavior was suspicious.
That wasn’t the only time Magi had seen this man though; he was also in the parking lot the day before.
The Warren Police Department started investigating Molly’s disappearance, and even though they had chased down leads and investigated suspects, they weren’t any closer to finding her, or that man in the white car to question him.
3 years after Molly went missing, they sadly found her remains in the woods close to the pond she had been lifeguarding.
Molly remains were just a mile and a half away from her family’s own home, and only 26 of her bones could be recovered from those woods.
“As the investigation continued a citizen who was hunting in the bordering Town of Palmer Massachusetts in the late fall of 2002 noticed a piece of fabric that appeared to be similar to the bathing suit worn by Molly on the day of her disappearance,” the Warren Police Department explained.
“In May of 2003, this hunter relayed the details of his earlier discovery to another person who notified police investigators.”
“A massive search began on May 12th, 2003, and the area was searched daily by over 200 searchers by hand in a shoulder to shoulder fashion covering an extensive section of very difficult terrain in Palmer known as Whiskey Hill.”
“On June 3rd, 2003, remains were found in this area and thought to be those of Molly. After sending these remains for forensic analysis it was determined the remains were, in fact, those of Molly Bish.”
Facebook; pictured above is Molly with her sister Heather
While authorities still worked to track down Molly’s killer, her family took out ads, offered tips leading to her killer, and created the Molly Bish Foundation to honor her legacy.
One of the main initiatives of the foundation has been to encourage Massachusetts residents to call their local legislators and request that they pass S1595.
S1595 is an act that would allow law enforcement to run DNA and look for potential familial matches.
This means authorities could try to match DNA left at crime scenes to living family members in an attempt to hone in on the person who has committed a crime.
In Molly’s case, her sister Heather recently revealed on TikTok that they do have a “small sample” of DNA and they are being “very careful how it’s used up.”
If S1595 gets passed, Molly’s family could be so much closer to finding out who killed her.
Just 4 days ago, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office named a person of interest in Molly’s case.
Facebook; pictured above is a flyer for Molly
It’s now nearly 21 years since Molly disappeared, and authorities are hoping that someone might see the following information and know something that helps crack Molly’s case.
“Francis “Frank” P. Sumner Sr. has been named a person of interest in the murder of Molly Bish, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. announced today,” the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office wrote in a statement.
“Sumner, who died in 2016, is being investigated in the 2000 murder of the 16-year-old after investigators recently received new information.”
“Sumner, born in 1945, was active in the Central Massachusetts area from 1960 through 2016. He was known to operate auto repair shops in the Spencer, Leicester and Worcester areas. Sumner lived in Spencer prior to his death.”
Authorities are particularly interested in any information related to Frank’s “employment practices/personnel, associates, vehicles, travel and any known habits.”
If you have any information on Molly’s case, you can call 508-453-7575 and remain anonymous.
Below are photos of Frank, as provided by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
Below is a statement from Molly’s family her sister Heather posted to Facebook following the announcement of a person of interest in her case:
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