Man Indicted in 1986 Murder of Massachusetts College Student

Police in Essex County, Massachusetts, have indicted John Carey for the 1986 strangulation murder of 20-year-old college student Claire Gravel.

On June 29, 1986, Gravel, a student at Salem State, spent the night out at a local pub with members of her softball team. She was last seen alive when she was dropped off at her apartment at 1:30 a.m. Three men found her body the next day in the woods in Beverly, Massachusetts, per CBS.

In the following years, police interviewed dozens of witnesses and possible persons of interest. In 2012, physical evidence found on Gravel’s clothing underwent DNA testing.

Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett called the evidence recovered from Gravel’s clothing as “instrumental in solving this case.” He also these findings will provide some answers to her family.

A grand jury indicted 63-year-old John Carey with first-degree murder Wednesday morning. Carey is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for attempted murder. In 2008, Carey was convicted after he attempted to strangle another Massachusetts woman to death.