BOSTON, Sept. 12, 2012–Suffolk County District Attorney today delivered the following remarks at 281 Lee Burbank Highway in Revere, where the remains of 27-year-old Susan Taraskiewicz were found 20 years earlier:

“Good morning.  As you know, we’re here today to discuss the 1992 homicide of Susan Taraskiewicz, and before we begin, I’d like to introduce Susan’s mother, Marlene, who has lived with the pain of Susan’s murder for 20 years.  Her persistence and commitment to seeing justice done in this case has been an inspiration to everyone in my office.  She has never, ever given up hope that it will be solved and that her daughter’s killer or killers will one day be held accountable.

“I would also like to introduce Major Frank Hughes of the Massachusetts State Police, who is standing in for Colonel Timothy Alben.  I’d like to thank them and State Police as a whole for their commitment to this investigation during the past two decades.  Since day one, State Police have provided tremendous assistance in the form of uniformed troopers, crime scene technicians, forensic analysts, and other specialized units.  They’re a fully invested partner agency.

“I’d also like to recognize Chief Joseph Cafarelli of the Revere Police Department, whose officers first responded to this area 20 years ago and made the discovery that brings us here today.  And please welcome also Stephen Ross, president of Clear Channel Outdoor’s Boston division.  Clear Channel will be providing three billboards asking for the public’s help in this investigation.

“Twenty years ago tomorrow morning, Susan Taraskiewicz, age 27, left her job at what was then Northwest Airlines to buy lunch for her co-workers at a sandwich shop not far from here.  She never returned.

“Instead, her remains were found the next day in the trunk of her Toyota Tercel.  She had been beaten and stabbed to death in a crime of terrible brutality.  Her car was here in this location, then known as Bravo Automotive, when Revere Police were called to the lot and secured the crime scene.

“Since that day, investigators have pursued countless leads in an effort to find the truth.  They’ve explored many different theories and considered many potential suspects.  They haven’t stopped yet and they won’t stop while the case remains open, for one simple reason: Each of us here believes this case can be solved.

“Investigators believe, and I believe, that our best shot at solving Susan’s murder will be someone with direct knowledge of the person or person who committed it.  But we still hold out hope that someone out there has a key piece of evidence without realizing its importance.  Maybe they saw her between the time she left Logan and was discovered here.  Maybe they saw someone else driving her car.  In any case, Clear Channel Outdoor has provided three digital billboards with a number to call for anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

“But dozens of police investigators and homicide prosecutors have carried this case through the years, and the consensus among all of them is that someone knows who killed Susan.  We believe very strongly that someone out there has personal knowledge that could close this case.  Someone has the ability to end half a lifetime of waiting and wondering for Susan’s family and loved ones.  Someone can help us find justice for an innocent woman murdered 20 years ago.

“Susan lived in Saugus.  She was a local young woman.  She had a local job with local friends and co-workers.  She drove these local streets to work and back.  It stands to reason that the person or persons who killed her may have been local as well, with friends or girlfriends who still live in the area.  And we hope that someday very soon, these streets and the people who walk them will unlock the mystery of Susan’s death and share a secret kept too long.”