Hunting for Susan Taraskiewicz’s killer 20 years later
Standing at the Revere auto shop where her daughter’s beaten and stabbed body was found in the trunk of her own car two decades ago, Marlene Taraskiewicz spoke directly to the people who can help solve the murder.
“You know who you are and it doesn’t matter where you are. Please come forward. Bring peace to my family and bring justice to Susan,” said Marlene Taraskiewicz.
Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the still unsolved murder of Susan Taraskiewicz, who was 27 and worked at Logan Airport as a baggage supervisor for Northwest Airlines.
She left the airport early Sept. 13 to pick up sandwiches for her and co-workers. Her beaten and stabbed body was found nearly two days later in the trunk of her Toyota at the Revere auto body shop where Wednesday her mother and authorities pleaded for more clues and announced that billboards seeking information were being put up.
Clear Channel Outdoors donated the billboards, which display a picture of Taraskiewicz, her car and a phone number for tips.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said authorities remain optimistic that they can solve the case despite the time that has passed. He said because Taraskiewicz was a local woman – living in Saugus, working at Logan and having many friends in the area – it is likely her killer was local, too.
“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,” Conley said. “Our best shot at solving Susan’s murder will be someone with direct knowledge of the person or persons who committed it.”
Conley said authorities have examined a credit card scam involving
Taraskiewicz’s coworkers as a potential avenue for the murder.
The scam involved other Northwest workers who were eventually arrested and sent to prison.
In
the weeks before Taraskiewicz’s death, other baggage handlers were
subpoenaed to testify about hundreds of stolen credit cards that were
shipped aboard Northwest flights and picked up from bags that arrived in
Boston.
During prior anniversaries of her daughter’s death, Marlene Taraskiewicz stood outside Logan holding handmade signs letting people know about her daughter’s death. She continued the vigil for 18 years, but last year decided not to go to Logan since Northwest no longer exists.
However, her passion to find her daughter’s killer hasn’t faded.
“She was a good girl. I will never give up. I will never go away,” she said yesterday.
She then walked over to a chain-link fence at the auto shop where she placed red and white carnations in memory of her daughter.
Anyone with information can call 617-727-8817
