Bear Brook Murders: From Barrels to Serial Killer

In November 1985, a boy kicking over a barrel in Bear Brook State Park, New Hampshire, uncovered the remains of two victims—beginning one of America's most haunting unsolved cases. Thirty-two years later, genetic genealogy identified the killer: Terry Peder Rasmussen, a man who had evaded justice under at least five aliases.

The discovery that November morning shocked investigators. Inside the corroded barrel were the partial remains of what would later be identified as Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch and her daughter Marie Elizabeth Vaughn. A second barrel, discovered fifteen years later in May 2000 roughly 100 meters from the first location, contained more remains—including another of Honeychurch's daughters, Sarah Lynn McWaters. The fourth victim, a child named Rea Rasmussen, was identified as recently as September 2025.

For years, the case went cold. Investigators had no leads and no clear suspects. The victims' identities remained unknown for decades, and the public had little to go on. But in 2017, investigators turned to a then-emerging investigative tool: genetic genealogy. This technique—matching DNA from crime scenes against genealogical databases—had never before been used to identify a criminal suspect in America. The Bear Brook case would become the landmark case that proved its power.

Through DNA analysis and Y-DNA testing, investigators identified Terry Peder Rasmussen as the primary suspect. Rasmussen, who lived from 1943 to 2010, was known to have used multiple aliases including "Bob Evans." DNA evidence confirmed he was the biological father of victim Rea Rasmussen. A crucial breakthrough came when one of Rasmussen's children from his first marriage provided a confirmation DNA sample that matched evidence from the case.

Rasmussen had already been convicted and imprisoned for the 2002 murder of Eunsoon Jun, his then-wife. He died in prison in 2010—seven years before genetic genealogy would finally expose his identity to the world. The confirmation that he was responsible for the Bear Brook murders transformed the case from a cold-case mystery into a stark reminder of serial murder's reality.

Investigators believe Rasmussen was responsible for at least five homicides, and possibly more. Among his known victims was Denise Beaudin, a girlfriend who disappeared in 1981. The full scope of his crimes may never be completely understood, as authorities continue investigating his connections to other disappearances and deaths across multiple states and decades.

The Bear Brook murders case became pivotal in criminal investigation history. It demonstrated how modern genetic genealogy could crack cases that traditional detective work could not solve, even after three decades. The identification of the victims—Marlyse, Marie, Sarah, and Rea—and the confirmation of their killer gave families answers they had long been denied. For law enforcement, it opened a new chapter in how serial killers could be tracked and identified.

Today, the case stands as both a triumph of forensic innovation and a sobering testament to the dangers posed by serial killers who operate under assumed identities. Terry Peder Rasmussen, the "Chameleon Killer," may have died in prison before justice could formally be served for the Bear Brook murders, but the identification of his victims—and confirmation of his guilt—provided closure that had seemed impossible just years before.

**Sources:**

https://www.kriminyt.dk/murderpedia/sager/bear-brook-mordene-fra-tndefund-til-seriemorderens-identitet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Brook_murders

https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2019-06-05/three-bear-brook-murder-victims-identified-citizen-sleuth-genetic-genealogy-provide-key-clues

https://articles.listnr.com/crime/who-was-responsible-for-the-bear-brook-murders/

https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2025/the-little-girl-in-the-barrel-a-bear-brook-mystery-solved