Serial Murders is defined as:
A series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always by one offender alone. The motives of serial killers can include anger, thrill-seeking, financial gain, and attention seeking. The murders may be attempted or completed in a similar fashion. The victims may have something in common, for example, demographic profile, appearance, gender or race
A series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always by one offender alone. The motives of serial killers can include anger, thrill-seeking, financial gain, and attention seeking. The murders may be attempted or completed in a similar fashion. The victims may have something in common, for example, demographic profile, appearance, gender or race
- Cult Murders
Cult Murders 1979-1980
Between October 1979 and February 1980 three (3) separate murders tied together by one man and one-woman Carl Drew and Robin Murphy. These murders became known as the "Fall River Cult Murders".
Between October 1979 and February 1980 three (3) separate murders tied together by one man and one-woman Carl Drew and Robin Murphy. These murders became known as the "Fall River Cult Murders".
Doreen Levesque (17)
Doreen was reported a runaway from New Bedford. On October 13, 1979, her body was discovered behind Diman Vocational High School in Fall River.
Her wrists were tied with fishing line, sexually tortured, stabbed in the head and had suffered multiple skull fractures. Police initially suspected one of her clients, since it was known she was engaged prostitution.
The Medical Examiner determined her injuries were caused by multiple people; physical evidence suggested a ritual killing.
Robin Murphy pleaded guilty of the murder of Doreen Levesque. Charges against another suspect, who Robin accused of doing the crime were dropped. Murphy later recanted her testimony.
Doreen was reported a runaway from New Bedford. On October 13, 1979, her body was discovered behind Diman Vocational High School in Fall River.
Her wrists were tied with fishing line, sexually tortured, stabbed in the head and had suffered multiple skull fractures. Police initially suspected one of her clients, since it was known she was engaged prostitution.
The Medical Examiner determined her injuries were caused by multiple people; physical evidence suggested a ritual killing.
Robin Murphy pleaded guilty of the murder of Doreen Levesque. Charges against another suspect, who Robin accused of doing the crime were dropped. Murphy later recanted her testimony.
Barbara Raposa (22)
On November 8, 1979, Barbara's boyfriend, Andre Maltais, files a missing person report with the Fall River Police Department.
On January 26, 1980, Barbara body was discovered in a wooded area off Jefferson Street, Fall River. She was discovered with hands bound behind her back, and her skull was crushed.
During the investigation of Barbara's death, Andre frequently spoke with police, provided information about a "satanic cult" and offered his assistance in helping solve Doreen Levesque's murder. Andre denied any knowledge of the crime, however, a few days later he contacted police after receiving very specific details of the murder in “a psychic dream.” Police brought Andre to the crime scene, allowing him to describe what he had seen in his “dream.” Andre gave specific details of the crime that weren't made public.
Andre was arrested on February 7, 1980, and charged with the murder of Barbara. He was convicted of 1st degree murder on January 30, 1981, and sentenced to life in prison. In 1998 Andre died in prison
On November 8, 1979, Barbara's boyfriend, Andre Maltais, files a missing person report with the Fall River Police Department.
On January 26, 1980, Barbara body was discovered in a wooded area off Jefferson Street, Fall River. She was discovered with hands bound behind her back, and her skull was crushed.
During the investigation of Barbara's death, Andre frequently spoke with police, provided information about a "satanic cult" and offered his assistance in helping solve Doreen Levesque's murder. Andre denied any knowledge of the crime, however, a few days later he contacted police after receiving very specific details of the murder in “a psychic dream.” Police brought Andre to the crime scene, allowing him to describe what he had seen in his “dream.” Andre gave specific details of the crime that weren't made public.
Andre was arrested on February 7, 1980, and charged with the murder of Barbara. He was convicted of 1st degree murder on January 30, 1981, and sentenced to life in prison. In 1998 Andre died in prison
Karen Marsden (20)
On April 30, 1980, a portion of a human skull was discovered in a wooded area known as "Family Beach" in Westport. A search of the area yielded numerous items of clothing, bloodstained rocks, and a clump of hair. The remains were later positively identified as Karen Marsden.
From February to November 1979 Karen Marden had worked as a prostitute for Carl Drew. In the summer months Karen met Robin Murphy, who was also acquainted with Carl Drew.
Karen claimed Carl Drew organized his prostitution ring and ruled with an iron fist.
In 1981 Carl Drew was convicted of 1st degree murder in death of Karen Marsden and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
On April 30, 1980, a portion of a human skull was discovered in a wooded area known as "Family Beach" in Westport. A search of the area yielded numerous items of clothing, bloodstained rocks, and a clump of hair. The remains were later positively identified as Karen Marsden.
From February to November 1979 Karen Marden had worked as a prostitute for Carl Drew. In the summer months Karen met Robin Murphy, who was also acquainted with Carl Drew.
Karen claimed Carl Drew organized his prostitution ring and ruled with an iron fist.
In 1981 Carl Drew was convicted of 1st degree murder in death of Karen Marsden and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Robin Murphy
Robin was both a prostitute and an aspiring pimp, Robin was a tough street kid who was described as possessing a high degree of intelligence and a domineering personality. In the days after the arrest Andre Maltais, Robin Murphy contacted police and offered to testify against Andre as a witness to the murder. Robin claimed to have been present for the killing of Doreen and agreed to turn state’s evidence in that case. In exchange for her cooperation, she brokered a plea deal which placed her in protective custody and granted immunity in both murders. Murphy had testified that Andre had killed Barbara Rapoza after discovering her cheating on him with another man. Murphy also testified she was present on the night of the murder.
According to her initial statement, Robin heard no screams and claimed to see nothing. Robin told police that she wasn’t even certain that Doreen Levesque had been murdered until she saw it in the newspapers a few days later. In time, her story evolved to include various details and Satanic embellishments, all of which slipped her mind during the initial interview.
As part of her witness protection agreement in the Doreen Raposa's case, Robin was relocated to Dallas, Texas. Following the accusations that connected her to Karen Marsden’s murder, a warrant was issued for her arrest, and she was immediately brought back to Fall River. Carl Drew and Carl Davis were also arrested.
During her interrogation, Robin told police “Everything” (she would continually change throughout trial and be recanted during parole hearings). Robin testified that Karen Marsden had become too much of a liability, since she was a witness to the killing of Doreen Levesque and rumored to have gone to the police. Carl Drew along with Carl Davis, forced Murphy to take part in the murder as an act of loyalty to the cult.
Robin was sent to prison in January 1981 and remained there until paroled on May 3, 2004. On July 19, 2011, Robin was arrested for probation violation in Revere. Robin was in the presence of a convicted felon who also was in possession of heroin, a violation of her parole conditions.
On October 18, 2012, the Probation Board revoked her probation, and she was remanded back to prison for five (5) years.
On March 8, 2022, Robin appeared before the parole board again seeking to be released. During the hearing, she told the parole board that she lied about her involvement in the killings in order to ensure that Carl Drew and Andre Maltais went to prison.
On March 13 2024, The parole board approved her release to a long-term residential program.
Carl Drew
Carl Drew, originally from New Hampshire, was unknown to the local authorities, He was a pimp with a violent reputation who ran his business out of the Bedford Street. Drew eventually and found his place among Fall River’s criminal underground, keeping company with bikers, drug addicts and prostitutes.
Carl Drew would go down as the guiding hand of the ‘Fall River Cult Murders.’ He also had a felony record with past convictions for assault, weapons possession and armed robbery. Robin Murphy’s testimony painted him as a violent killer and the jury was inclined to agree. Additional testimony came from his ex-girlfriend, Leah Johnson, who claimed that Drew admitted to her that he had killed a girl along with Davis, Murphy and another woman (presumably Carol Fletcher) while under the influence of drugs, and that he allegedly gave Johnson a diamond ring that belonged to Karen Marsden.
Drew was convicted in the first-degree murder of Karen Marsden on March 13, 1981, was sentenced to life imprison with no possibility of parole. He has filed numerous appeals over the years seeking a new trial. His most recent, and final, was denied in 2006.
Maureen "Sonny" Sparda
Soon after the death of Karen Marsden, a woman named Maureen (“Sonny”) Sparda contacted police and named Robin Murphy as Karen’s killer. Sonny was a former prostitute who lived in the Harbor Terrace housing projects near Fall River’s waterfront. She hosted a number of Satanic gatherings in her apartment and acted as something of a den mother figure to the young prostitutes, runaways and drug-users who hung out there. She was also Robin's ex-lover. According to her, Robin had admitted to the murder during a phone conversation.
Carol Fletcher
Carol claimed that Robin Murphy and Carl Drew were responsible for the murder of Karen Marsden. Carl Drew’s friend Carl Davis was also present. Carol claimed she drove the group out to the secluded wooded area where the Satanic sacrifice took place.
Carl Davis
The case against Carl Davis fell apart completely. He never stood trial for his alleged role in the abduction and ritual slaughter of Karen Marsden. However, the following year he was arrested for assaulting Sonny Sparda with a deadly weapon. Allegedly, Davis beat the three-month pregnant Sparda and stabbed her in the head with a knife because she had information implicating both him and Robin Murphy (and absolving Drew) in Karen Marsden’s murder. He served seven years in jail and died in 2000 of a drug overdose.
Conclusion
The more bizarre claims made during the ‘Fall River Cult Murder’ investigations are works of fiction.
As expected, the court trials of Andy Maltias, Carl Drew, Robin Murphy and Carl Davis were a media circus. Headlines screamed of Satanic rites, sexual torture and cult murder. The public, in turn, remained unconvinced that these individuals had acted alone. Many believed that these four individuals were only the tip of the iceberg, and a dangerous cult was still active in the area, providing for urban legends in the years that followed.
Robin was both a prostitute and an aspiring pimp, Robin was a tough street kid who was described as possessing a high degree of intelligence and a domineering personality. In the days after the arrest Andre Maltais, Robin Murphy contacted police and offered to testify against Andre as a witness to the murder. Robin claimed to have been present for the killing of Doreen and agreed to turn state’s evidence in that case. In exchange for her cooperation, she brokered a plea deal which placed her in protective custody and granted immunity in both murders. Murphy had testified that Andre had killed Barbara Rapoza after discovering her cheating on him with another man. Murphy also testified she was present on the night of the murder.
According to her initial statement, Robin heard no screams and claimed to see nothing. Robin told police that she wasn’t even certain that Doreen Levesque had been murdered until she saw it in the newspapers a few days later. In time, her story evolved to include various details and Satanic embellishments, all of which slipped her mind during the initial interview.
As part of her witness protection agreement in the Doreen Raposa's case, Robin was relocated to Dallas, Texas. Following the accusations that connected her to Karen Marsden’s murder, a warrant was issued for her arrest, and she was immediately brought back to Fall River. Carl Drew and Carl Davis were also arrested.
During her interrogation, Robin told police “Everything” (she would continually change throughout trial and be recanted during parole hearings). Robin testified that Karen Marsden had become too much of a liability, since she was a witness to the killing of Doreen Levesque and rumored to have gone to the police. Carl Drew along with Carl Davis, forced Murphy to take part in the murder as an act of loyalty to the cult.
Robin was sent to prison in January 1981 and remained there until paroled on May 3, 2004. On July 19, 2011, Robin was arrested for probation violation in Revere. Robin was in the presence of a convicted felon who also was in possession of heroin, a violation of her parole conditions.
On October 18, 2012, the Probation Board revoked her probation, and she was remanded back to prison for five (5) years.
On March 8, 2022, Robin appeared before the parole board again seeking to be released. During the hearing, she told the parole board that she lied about her involvement in the killings in order to ensure that Carl Drew and Andre Maltais went to prison.
On March 13 2024, The parole board approved her release to a long-term residential program.
Carl Drew
Carl Drew, originally from New Hampshire, was unknown to the local authorities, He was a pimp with a violent reputation who ran his business out of the Bedford Street. Drew eventually and found his place among Fall River’s criminal underground, keeping company with bikers, drug addicts and prostitutes.
Carl Drew would go down as the guiding hand of the ‘Fall River Cult Murders.’ He also had a felony record with past convictions for assault, weapons possession and armed robbery. Robin Murphy’s testimony painted him as a violent killer and the jury was inclined to agree. Additional testimony came from his ex-girlfriend, Leah Johnson, who claimed that Drew admitted to her that he had killed a girl along with Davis, Murphy and another woman (presumably Carol Fletcher) while under the influence of drugs, and that he allegedly gave Johnson a diamond ring that belonged to Karen Marsden.
Drew was convicted in the first-degree murder of Karen Marsden on March 13, 1981, was sentenced to life imprison with no possibility of parole. He has filed numerous appeals over the years seeking a new trial. His most recent, and final, was denied in 2006.
Maureen "Sonny" Sparda
Soon after the death of Karen Marsden, a woman named Maureen (“Sonny”) Sparda contacted police and named Robin Murphy as Karen’s killer. Sonny was a former prostitute who lived in the Harbor Terrace housing projects near Fall River’s waterfront. She hosted a number of Satanic gatherings in her apartment and acted as something of a den mother figure to the young prostitutes, runaways and drug-users who hung out there. She was also Robin's ex-lover. According to her, Robin had admitted to the murder during a phone conversation.
Carol Fletcher
Carol claimed that Robin Murphy and Carl Drew were responsible for the murder of Karen Marsden. Carl Drew’s friend Carl Davis was also present. Carol claimed she drove the group out to the secluded wooded area where the Satanic sacrifice took place.
Carl Davis
The case against Carl Davis fell apart completely. He never stood trial for his alleged role in the abduction and ritual slaughter of Karen Marsden. However, the following year he was arrested for assaulting Sonny Sparda with a deadly weapon. Allegedly, Davis beat the three-month pregnant Sparda and stabbed her in the head with a knife because she had information implicating both him and Robin Murphy (and absolving Drew) in Karen Marsden’s murder. He served seven years in jail and died in 2000 of a drug overdose.
Conclusion
The more bizarre claims made during the ‘Fall River Cult Murder’ investigations are works of fiction.
As expected, the court trials of Andy Maltias, Carl Drew, Robin Murphy and Carl Davis were a media circus. Headlines screamed of Satanic rites, sexual torture and cult murder. The public, in turn, remained unconvinced that these individuals had acted alone. Many believed that these four individuals were only the tip of the iceberg, and a dangerous cult was still active in the area, providing for urban legends in the years that followed.