BOSTON — Five women disappeared from Worcester, Massachusetts, between 2002 and 2007, prompting concerns that an unidentified serial killer may be responsible for their deaths.
No arrests have been made in connection with these cases over the past two decades. The case has left families seeking closure and justice for their loved ones.
One of the five women, Wendy Morello, was found murdered in York, Maine, in 2004. Investigators believe Morello’s killing is connected to the disappearances of the four other women from the Main South section of Worcester.
The remains of the other victims were found outside the city in Hudson, Marlboro, and Rutland, Mass., and in York, Maine. All of the women dealt with substance abuse and prostitution.
Amanda Montalvo, Morello’s daughter, has waited for justice since her mother was found murdered. Montalvo first spoke publicly to Boston 25’s Bob Ward the day after identifying her mother’s body in 2004. “We’re hoping for some kind of closure and justice and just to bring light to all the other victims out there,” Montalvo said. Recently, she sat down with Ward again, adding, “I just want closure. I want to be able to, not just for me, but for her too.”
James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University criminologist and co-author of “Extreme Killing, Understanding Serial and Mass Murder,” has studied serial killers for more than 45 years.
Fox noted the commonalities among the victims. “The victims are all from the same area, same occupation, same body type and same ethnicity,” Fox said. “That suggests heavily that they are killed by the same individual.”
Fox believes the Worcester killer was likely motivated by power and control. “It’s almost certain that it’s an individual who’s a sexual sadist who gets pleasure,” Fox said. “Not just out of sexual arousal, but dominating and maybe torturing his victims.”
Authorities have identified Alex Scesny as a person of interest in the unsolved Worcester cases. Scesny has a criminal history involving violence against women. Scesny was convicted in 2012 for the killing of a Fitchburg woman in 1996, following a DNA match.
“He’s a person of interest in these cases,” said Det. Jay Magarian, a Worcester Police homicide detective. “And his status now is he’s incarcerated.”
Worcester Police homicide detectives are still reviewing the cases and searching for answers. “Nothing is off the table,” Magarian said. “When we investigate cases like this, we look at all avenues, all aspects. Nothing is off the table.”
The families of all five victims continue to struggle with the pain of these unsolved killings.
Leo “Butch” Lavallee, Morello’s father, expressed his anger over the lack of resolution. “Yeah, yeah, it makes me angry. It makes me very angry. But I don’t try to live with it every single day,” Lavallee said.
Montalvo continues to hold onto hope for an eventual resolution. “Just keep hoping and praying that one day we’ll get an answer and we’ll all be able to put it to rest,” Montalvo said.
Anyone with information regarding these cases is asked to contact the Worcester Police Unresolved Homicide Unit at 508.799.8688, or Massachusetts state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s office at 508.453.7589.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
