Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Billerica Acting Chief Troy Opland and Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney have confirmed that the remains located Wednesday in the Concord River in Billerica have been positively identified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as Judith Chartier, who had been missing since June 5, 1982. The identification was made through dental records. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Dr. James T. Pokines, a Forensic Anthropologist, will be working with the District Attorney’s Office to reconstruct the remains in an attempt to determine a cause of death.
On November 2, 2021, investigators recovered the 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger that Ms. Chartier was driving on the day that she disappeared. During a subsequent search of the same area, divers were able to recover human remains and personal items including a work identification badge, clothing and a small purse or wallet.
The items were located in about 10 feet of water, 15 to 20 yards from the shore. As part of its ongoing commitment to these cases the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Cold Case unit, created by District Attorney Ryan in 2019, in partnership with the Chelmsford and Billerica Police and Massachusetts State Police utilized sonar technology this week to return to an area of the river located about a mile from the Chartier home.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit, Billerica Police, Chelmsford Police, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Dive Team. Particular thanks are extended to Bruce Stebbins and Hans Hug of Sonar Search and Recovery, civilian experts who utilized Edgetech Sonar System to locate the vehicle and whose assistance was critical to the investigation.
Republished courtesy of the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.