Police have made a chilling discovery just steps from Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island mansion - which has deepened public fears that a serial killer may be operating across New England.
On Wednesday morning (May 14), police in Westerly, Rhode Island, were called to Everett Avenue in the Watch Hill neighborhood — just 0.3 miles from Swift’s luxurious estate — after reports of possible remains.
Upon arrival, officers found what appeared to be a human leg bone, Page Six reports.
The remains were immediately collected and transported to the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office for further analysis. The Westerly Police Department Detective Division is currently leading the investigation.
The unsettling find is only the latest in a troubling series of human remains and bodies uncovered across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island in recent months—raising widespread concerns that a serial killer, possibly targeting women, is at large.
Taylor Day, a Westerly resident, happened to be driving by as police arrived on the scene.
“It’s just something very out of the ordinary for Westerly,” she told NBC10. “I would never expect anything like that — especially not in Watch Hill.”
Though police have stated no foul play is suspected, Day was unconvinced. “Finding a leg is very suspicious,” she said, adding, “My mind immediately went to all the theories that are being thrown around. I’m more aware of my surroundings. I don’t go places that are kind of dim or where I could be alone. Just trying to stay out in public and be vigilant.”
Her concerns reflect a broader unease across New England.
The leg bone is believed to be the 13th grim discovery since March, when the body of 35-year-old Paige Aliehs Fannon was pulled from the Norwalk River on March 6. Just two weeks later, 59-year-old Denise Leary was found dead in a wooded area behind Rock Creek Road on March 20. Then on March 25, Michele Romano, 56, was discovered in another wooded area off Plainfield Pike.
Most recently, the body of Stephan Myers, 39, was found behind Bristol Plymouth High School in Taunton, Massachusetts, on April 30. Authorities determined Myers died from a gunshot wound at a nearby construction site. They confirmed he had no connection to the school.
Additional remains have been uncovered in Plymouth, Framingham, Killingly, New Haven, and Foster — some decomposed, some inside a suitcase — each case adding to the tension and speculation among residents.
Despite the mounting pattern, police continue to push back on claims of a serial killer.
“While online conversations around these incidents continue to grow, we urge the public to be mindful of the role that social media can play in spreading fear or misinformation,” Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni said in a previous statement. “Unverified claims can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture.”
And Connecticut State Police have maintained: “There is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public.”
Former Washington D.C. homicide detective Ted Williams said investigators are still in the early stages of determining whether the cases are linked. “They are primarily at the preliminary stages of gathering evidence at each one of these death scenes to try to establish a nexus between those scenes and a single individual or individuals,” he explained to Fox News.
Peter Valentin, Chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven, noted that the details remain “curious,” particularly in some of the more recent cases. “I am curious about what was recovered around the body,” he said. “There might have been paraphernalia suggestive of activity that is deemphasizing homicide (perhaps incorrectly) to the investigators.”
Social media has only added to the anxiety. A Facebook group initially titled “New England Serial Killer” amassed more than 65,000 members before being renamed, while Google searches for “New England serial killer” spiked in April.
Still, law enforcement officials urge caution. “Internet rumors are just that,” said Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh. Former FBI instructor Scott Duffey echoed the sentiment: “Don’t let your guard down. Be aware of your surroundings... someone looking to take advantage of a vulnerable situation will do so.”
As autopsies and investigations continue, officials stress that each case should be handled with care and objectivity, even as the public wrestles with fear and uncertainty.