Case overview
Between November 1971 and November 1973, three girls were found dead in Rochester, New York, each killed after being abducted from their neighborhoods. Carmen Colon, Wanda Walkowicz, and Michelle Maenza shared a pattern that defined the investigation: their first and last names began with the same letter, and their bodies were discovered in towns matching those initials. No one has ever been charged.
The victims and the timeline
Carmen Colon, 10, disappeared on November 16, 1971, after leaving her home in the North Street area of Rochester. Two days later, her body was found in Churchville, roughly 12 miles west. She had been raped and strangled. Witnesses reported seeing her with an unidentified man near a vehicle shortly before she vanished.
Wanda Walkowicz, 11, was last seen on April 2, 1973, walking home from an errand in the same area where Carmen had lived. Her body was discovered the next day in Webster, a suburb east of Rochester. She had been sexually assaulted and asphyxiated. Investigators noted the geographic pattern immediately, but no suspect emerged.
Michelle Maenza, 11, disappeared on November 26, 1973, after getting off a school bus in the Winton Road neighborhood. Her body was found two days later in Macedon. The cause of death was asphyxiation. Like the others, she had been sexually assaulted.
What investigators documented
Rochester police, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Police coordinated a task force that interviewed hundreds of potential witnesses and pursued dozens of leads. Investigators focused on the alliterative pattern connecting the victims’ names to the dump sites, though they acknowledged publicly that the connection could have been coincidental or deliberate misdirection.
Physical evidence was limited. Forensic technology in the early 1970s did not allow for DNA analysis. Investigators worked primarily with witness descriptions, tire impressions, and autopsy findings. No usable fingerprints were recovered from any of the crime scenes. Witness accounts described a white male in his 20s or 30s driving a vehicle near the abduction sites, but descriptions varied.
The task force examined whether the cases were connected to other unsolved child murders in upstate New York during the same period. No definitive links were established, though investigators acknowledged similarities in victim profile and method.
Suspect scrutiny over five decades
Kenneth Bianchi, one of the Hillside Stranglers, grew up in Rochester and was living in the area during the murders. He was questioned multiple times but never charged. Investigators noted his history of violent behavior and proximity to the crimes, but no physical evidence connected him to the victims.
Joseph Naso, a photographer convicted in 2013 of murdering four women in California during the 1970s and 1990s, also became a subject of interest. Naso’s victims were found in locations that matched their initials, a pattern strikingly similar to the Alphabet Murders. Investigators in Rochester reviewed his background and timeline, but no charges were filed. Naso has denied involvement.
In 2007, Dennis Termini, a Rochester firefighter who died in 2014, was named by investigators as a person of interest. Termini had no prior criminal record, but a confidential informant alleged he had confessed to the murders years earlier. Investigators conducted DNA testing on evidence preserved from the crime scenes, but results were inconclusive. Termini was never charged, and his family maintains he was not involved.
Miguel Colon, Carmen’s uncle, was investigated after her death. He had been in contact with Carmen on the day she disappeared and was questioned extensively. Detectives administered a polygraph exam, which he passed. He was not charged, and no evidence linked him to Wanda or Michelle.
The evidence that remains
Monroe County authorities have retained physical evidence from all three cases, including clothing, autopsy samples, and materials collected from the dump sites. Advances in forensic DNA analysis have allowed investigators to re-examine some items, but no matches have been found in national databases.
In 2011, the Rochester Police Department announced it was conducting a cold case review using updated DNA technology. Investigators confirmed that biological evidence existed but did not disclose whether it was sufficient for comparison or whether any profiles had been developed. The review did not result in charges.
Witness testimony has been revisited. Several individuals reported seeing a beige or tan vehicle near the abduction sites, and at least two witnesses described a man with dark hair in his late 20s. Composite sketches were created in the 1970s, but no suspect was positively identified from the drawings.
What the record shows about investigative challenges
The case suffered from jurisdictional complexity, with multiple agencies handling evidence and interviews across several municipalities. Communication gaps between departments in the 1970s meant some leads were not fully coordinated. Later reviews identified missed opportunities in the early investigation, including delays in processing crime scene evidence and incomplete follow-up on witness reports.
Investigators also faced public pressure and media scrutiny that intensified after the third murder. The alliterative pattern drew national attention, and theories ranged from a single offender to multiple unrelated killers. The task force addressed these theories publicly but emphasized that evidence, not speculation, would guide the investigation.
The families and the unresolved question
The families of Carmen Colon, Wanda Walkowicz, and Michelle Maenza have continued to advocate for answers. In interviews over the decades, relatives have expressed frustration with the lack of resolution and hope that advances in forensic science will eventually identify the person responsible.
The case remains open. The Rochester Police Department has stated that new tips are still investigated, and evidence is periodically re-evaluated as technology improves. No statute of limitations applies to homicide in New York, meaning charges can be filed at any time if sufficient evidence emerges.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “The Alphabet Killer” (Investigation Discovery)
- Documentary: “Unsolved Mysteries: The Alphabet Murders” (Netflix)
- Book: “The Alphabet Killer” by Cheri Farnsworth
- Podcast: “The Alphabet Murders” (“True Crime Garage”)
