In 2021, two decades after her sister went missing, Heather Bish joined TikTok to share Molly’s story and generate tips. “It’s allowed me to like share my story and share Molly’s story and really just be honest,” she said. Heather posts often, urging anyone with information to speak up: “If you know something, please say something. The wait needs to be over.”
The last time anyone saw 16‑year‑old Molly Bish was the morning of June 27, 2000, when she left for her lifeguard job at Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts. She had been playing with Heather’s 11‑month‑old daughter moments earlier. Shortly after Molly arrived at the pond, beachgoers found her chair and belongings — including her shoes, a police radio, and an open first aid kit — but Molly was gone. Family members say Molly wouldn’t have left without her shoes.
Local police launched a search that grew into a State Police investigation. Detectives looked at family, friends and Molly’s boyfriend, Steven Lukas, who had been dating Molly for three months; Lukas was later cleared as a suspect. Investigators also focused on known sex offenders in the area. The family, who described Molly as an honor roll student, varsity athlete and lifeguard, rejected suggestions she had simply walked away or drowned.
Magi Bish, Molly’s mother, reported seeing a man sitting alone in a white car the morning before Molly disappeared. She remembered him smoking. A sketch based on Magi’s description was released along with a second, different sketch months later, and investigators received hundreds of tips. Several witnesses later reported seeing a white car near the pond on the day Molly went missing.
Three years after the disappearance, in May 2003, a hunter found remnants of a weathered blue bathing suit in the woods on Whiskey Hill, about five miles from Comins Pond. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Ann Marie Mires examined the scene and concluded the suit had been in the area roughly three years. Acting on the tip, authorities searched the area with grid searches, rakes and combs. DNA testing of the suit was initially inconclusive, but a subsequent search of Whiskey Hill produced human remains.
Over three weeks investigators recovered as many as 27 bones and a skull across 35 acres of forest. DNA and dental analysis confirmed the remains were Molly’s. Mires said the killer likely chose Whiskey Hill for its seclusion and familiarity, and suggested scavenging animals may have scattered the remains. The discovery ended uncertainty about Molly’s fate but intensified the hunt for her killer.
Early in the investigation, search dogs followed Molly’s scent from the pond up toward the nearby cemetery, supporting the theory that she had been taken from the pond area. Family members and reporters speculated the open first aid kit and other signs might indicate the abductor feigned injury to gain Molly’s help.
In May 2004, a grand jury convened; family members testified. The grand jury transcripts are sealed. Prosecutors later dismissed the grand jury in December 2006 without an indictment, disappointing the family. In 2007, Molly’s father, who had worked closely with police, suffered a stroke; Heather stepped in to keep pressure on investigators.
Over the years, multiple potential suspects surfaced. In 2008, Rodney Stanger — arrested in Florida for murdering his girlfriend — was flagged by someone who thought he resembled the early sketch and had ties to Comins Pond and the Whiskey Hill area. Massachusetts investigators interviewed Stanger in prison, executed search warrants at his residence in 2012, and submitted evidence for DNA testing, but officials say there was not enough evidence to name him an official suspect.
A tip in 2011 pointed to Gerald Battistoni, who reportedly had raped a woman in the woods where Molly’s remains were found; Battistoni died in prison in 2014. State Police say Battistoni, like others named over the years, had been on investigators’ radar.
In 2021, the Worcester District Attorney’s Office publicly named Francis “Frank” Sumner Sr. as the first official person of interest in the case. Sumner, a local auto repair shop owner who died in 2016, had an extensive criminal record including convictions for rape and kidnapping, was familiar with the area, and had been photographed smoking — matching aspects of the early sketch. Prosecutors said new information and “some dots that were connected” warranted naming him a person of interest.
Investigators hoped to compare Sumner’s DNA to samples collected from items tied to the case, but Sumner had been cremated and his DNA was not in the CODIS database. Authorities obtained DNA from his son, then incarcerated, and ran tests. Heather Bish says she was told the results were “inconclusive,” and the D.A.’s office has not publicly detailed the DNA findings. Prosecutors say DNA is only part of the puzzle and that they continue to test items and pursue investigative leads: “This isn’t just a DNA case,” D.A. Joe Early Jr. said. “We need a little bit more… to name a person as a defendant.”
The family has been vocal about frustrations with the pace and transparency of the investigation. Heather has used social media to keep the case in public view, pressing for information and accountability. State Police investigators acknowledge Heather’s advocacy; Lt. Shawn Murphy said Heather is a “fierce advocate” and that he welcomes being held accountable.
In March 2025, Detective Chelsea Safford was assigned to the Bish investigation. One of her first tasks was organizing over 80 boxes of accumulated case files and evidence. Safford says she’s combing past tips and reexamining evidence with fresh eyes, looking for the one person or piece of information that might have been overlooked: “I believe that that one more piece is out there… I just have to keep digging.” She has reviewed items stored in the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab’s DNA cold storage, including the bathing suit, cigarettes and other items taken from the scenes. Safford has focused on Molly’s backpack as a key item that could reveal more about the victim and the circumstances of her disappearance.
Detective Safford and the D.A.’s office say the case remains active. Safford told “48 Hours” she won’t stop: “When I dedicate myself to something I do not stop until it’s accomplished… None of us can bring Molly back, but the best thing I can do is find out what happened.”
On June 3, 2021, when the D.A.’s office named Sumner as a person of interest, family members hoped it would lead to justice. But with inconclusive DNA results and Sumner deceased, the family’s search continues. Heather says she still believes someone knows something and uses TikTok to amplify appeals for tips: “Somebody knows something, and somebody knows who killed Molly Bish. I will never give up… Molly deserves that justice.”
On June 27, 2025, the Bish family and friends gathered to mark 25 years since Molly’s death with a ceremony at the cemetery and a memorial in Warren. Magi Bish, Molly’s mother, said the family draws strength from Molly’s memory: “I believe Molly’s love and light have guided us through these 25 years… because of Molly we have conquered what evil could not… for love is much stronger.” The family continues to honor Molly and press for answers.
The case remains open. Anyone with information can contact the Molly Bish Tipline: 508‑453‑7575.
Produced by Chris Young Ritzen. Alicia Tejada is coordinating producer. Michael McHugh is producer‑editor. Marc Goldbaum is development producer. Michelle Harris is editor. Peter Schweitzer is senior producer. Nancy Kramer is executive story editor. Judy Tygard is executive producer.