The Final Piece: Decades-Long Bear Brook Murders Mystery Solved with Identification of Erica Marie Brand

A nearly four-decade-long veil of mystery has finally lifted, revealing the full scope of one of New Hampshire's most chilling cold cases: the Bear Brook Murders. Authorities have announced the identification of the fourth and final victim, Erica Marie Brand, bringing a poignant, long-awaited resolution to a saga that has haunted investigators and the public alike since the grim discoveries began in 1985.

Erica Marie Brand, born in Manchester, Connecticut, in 1969, now has her name back, severing her from the moniker of "Allenstown Jane Doe #2." Her identification means that all four victims found in two barrels in Allenstown, New Hampshire, have been given their identities, each piece of the puzzle meticulously assembled through the relentless efforts of law enforcement and groundbreaking advancements in forensic genetic genealogy.

The tragic narrative of the Bear Brook Murders began to unfold in November 1985 when a hunter stumbled upon a 55-gallon barrel containing the bodies of an adult woman and a young girl.

Fifteen years later, in May 2000, another barrel was found nearby, revealing the remains of two more young girls. For decades, these victims remained unnamed, their stories silenced by a brutal killer and the passage of time.

Through persistent investigation and the revolutionary application of DNA technology, the first breakthroughs emerged.

The adult woman was identified as Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, born in 1954. One of the girls from the first barrel was her daughter, Marie Elizabeth Vaughan, born in 1971. The second barrel yielded the identity of Sarah Lynn McWaters, born in 1978. It was also discovered that Sarah was the biological daughter of the man responsible for their horrific deaths: Terry Peder Rasmussen.

Rasmussen, a drifter and serial killer who operated under various aliases like Bob Evans and Robert Waldron, was eventually identified as the perpetrator.

He had a relationship with Marlyse Honeychurch, and was the biological father of Sarah Lynn McWaters. He died in prison in 2010, having committed other murders, but the full extent of his victims remained a puzzle, especially the identity of the fourth young girl. Erica Marie Brand's connection to Rasmussen remains under investigation, but authorities believe she was likely another one of his victims, possibly a girlfriend or acquaintance he met around the time of the other disappearances.

The identification of Erica Marie Brand, 39 years after the first gruesome discovery, underscores the transformative power of modern forensics.

Thanks to techniques like genetic genealogy, which compares unknown DNA profiles to public genealogy databases to find relatives, cold cases that once seemed insurmountable are now yielding answers. This meticulous work by the New Hampshire State Police, the FBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the Doe Project, among others, ensures that no victim is truly forgotten.

While the identification brings a measure of closure to a deeply disturbing chapter in New Hampshire's history, it also serves as a stark reminder of the lives tragically cut short.

For the families of Marlyse, Marie, Sarah, and now Erica, the knowledge of their loved ones' identities offers a pathway to mourning and remembrance, finally allowing them to rest in peace. The Bear Brook Murders case, once a symbol of enduring mystery, now stands as a testament to unwavering dedication in the pursuit of justice, even across decades.