On June 22, 1977, 8-year-old Renee Freer went outside to play after dinner and never came back home. Later that evening, police found her body in the woods near her house. She had been bludgeoned to death with a rock.
Renee Freer was a friendly, bubbly little girl with an infectious laugh, earning her the nickname of “Giggles” amongst her friends. She lived in a three-bedroom house in Monroe, Connecticut, with her mother, younger brother, and grandparents.
On the day she was killed, Renee took the bus home from school with a friend. The following day was their last day of school before summer break, and they were excited about upcoming summer activities.
After the school bus dropped Renee off, she spent some time with her family. Around 6:30 p.m., Renee went out to play. She was last seen at a neighbor’s house, asking for a friend who wasn’t home. Many other kids were playing outside at the time since it was a warm summer evening.
Renee’s mother went to the store to buy ingredients for cookies at around 7 p.m. Renee’s grandparents stayed at home. When Renee didn’t come home by 8 p.m., her mother began to worry.
She searched the area and even asked neighbors. About an hour later, she called the police to report her daughter missing.
Officers searched the area and found Renee’s body just after 10 p.m. She was in the woods behind her house. The collar of her shirt was torn, and she had scratches on her neck. She also suffered blunt force trauma to the head.
Near her body, there was a large rock covered in blood, which was believed to be the murder weapon. Traces of blood on leaves in the area indicated that Renee’s body had been dragged to the site. The police think she was killed between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m.
Her autopsy was done in a hospital because the medical examiner’s office was working on two other murders that occurred in Connecticut that day.
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After Renee’s murder, the town was on guard. Parents no longer allowed their kids to go outside without supervision.
The police have been investigating Renee’s case for almost 50 years, but they haven’t been able to turn up anything new. In recent years, the evidence was reexamined, leading the police to apply for an arrest warrant in July 2025.
However, the suspect was under the age of 14 at the time of the murder, so he could not be charged with murder or even manslaughter due to the state’s statute of limitations, which is five years.
Authorities believe that Renee’s murderer was someone she knew and urged the suspect and his family to come forward. Renee’s family thinks the same and refuses to give up their search for answers. Sadly, Renee’s mother died in 2020 without seeing her daughter’s killer brought to justice.
The state of Connecticut is offering a reward of $50,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Renee’s murderer.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the Monroe Police Department at 203-452-2831.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
