4th Body In ‘Allenstown 4’ Bear Brook State Park Murder Case ID’d; Info Sought On Missing TX Mom

CONCORD, NH — A four-decade murder mystery has been solved in New Hampshire — but its resolution has led to more questions and another missing person case.

On Sunday, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office announced investigators had identified the last victim of the Allenstown 4 case, a woman and three children, who were found in barrels in Bear Brook State Park in 1985 and May 2000. The girl, previously identified as “the middle child,” is Rea Rasmussen, born in 1976, in Orange County, California. She was between 2 and 4 years old at the time of her death. Rea was the biological daughter of Terry Peder Rasmussen (also known as Robert T. Evans and “The Chameleon Killer”), a serial killer who died in prison in 2010, and a woman named Pepper Reed. Reed, who was born in 1952, was originally from Texas and has not been seen since the late 1970s.

The identities of the woman and girls — Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, and Sarah Lynn McWaters were released in June 2019 after a tip and an extensive investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, DNA testing, and outside organizations. They originated from a missing person investigation involving Denise Beaudin of Manchester. Beaudin went missing in 1981. Her body has never been found.

“This case has weighed on New Hampshire and the nation for decades,” Attorney General John Formella said. “With Rea Rasmussen’s identification, all four victims now have their names back. This development is the result of extraordinary perseverance by law enforcement, forensic experts, and our Cold Case Unit. Our commitment to uncovering the truth, no matter how long it takes, remains unwavering. We continue to seek answers about the disappearance of Pepper Reed.”

Also Read

• 3 Of 'Allenstown 4' In NH Bear Brook Park Murders Identified
• Online Post Leads To Bear Brook Park Murder Victims Being ID’d
• More Info Revealed About NH, CA Murderer Terry Peder Rasmussen
• 1981 Missing Person Case Possibly Connected to Other NH, California Murders
• Manchester Police, FBI Resume Search in 37-Year-Old Cold Case
• Convicted California Murderer Fingered in 'Allenstown 4' Deaths; Missing NH Woman Presumed Dead
• FBI, NHSP Searching Location For Woman Missing Since 1980
• NH Officials Ask Public to Help Find Woman Missing for 35 Years
• FBI Breaks Down Missing Person Investigation Scene
• NH Serial Killer Identified: AG
• Sidebar: A Revised Timeline Of The Life Of Terry Peder Rasmussen

Honeychurch and McWaters were discovered in 1985 while Vaughn and Rea Rasmussen were found in 2000. In 2017, one of the children was linked to Terry Rasmussen. He is believed to have killed all four sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s and placed them in the park.

“I first worked on this case many years ago, and even then, we hoped one day we would be able to give this child her name,” Senior Assistant Attorney General Benjamin J. Agati, Chief, New Hampshire Department of Justice Homicide Unit, said. “It is a testament to science, persistence, and teamwork that we have finally done that. It means a great deal — to all of us who have been part of this journey.”

The department said the discovery of Rea Rasmussen occurred after the Cold Case Unit partnered with the DNA Doe Project to reinvestigate her case using advanced genetic genealogy. During the “extensive DNA analysis and genealogical research,” she was identified and confirmed Sept. 5 through documentary records and testing.

“The Bear Brook case was one of the first major cases to demonstrate the potential of genetic genealogy in identifying victims and solving crimes,” Senior Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles, chief of the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit, said. “We hope this final identification provides a measure of closure, even as the investigation into Rasmussen’s full scope of crimes continues.”

The DNA Doe Project commended Firebird Forensics for working “tirelessly” on the case for years before state police began working with their org in January 2024. Updated bioinformatics generated a new DNA profile for Rea, which revealed that she was solely of European descent. It also provided an updated list of DNA matches, which researchers used to build her family tree.

“A team of expert investigative genetic genealogists was assigned to the case, but their research was complicated by a lack of DNA matches and a number of misattributed parentage events,” the org said in a post. “As a result, they had to build family trees many generations back in time to make connections, ultimately amassing a tree containing 25,000 people. Eventually, they were able to identify a couple born in the 1780s as likely ancestors of (Rea), and building out their descendants led to a family of interest.”

A 2005 obituary of one of the great-great-great-granddaughters of the couple stated she was survived by a daughter named Reed. But the trail for Reed ended when she disappeared from records in the 1970s.

Reed lived in Houston, TX, the org said, adding Terry Rasmussen lived in the city in the late 1970s, working for Brown & Root, a construction and engineering company. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, she was last seen around Christmas 1975 and was pregnant at the time with Terry Rasmussen’s child. After the holiday, they moved to California.

Investigators found additional connections between Reed and Rea’s ancestors — including DNA from Reed’s brother and confirmed Reed was her mother.

“To figure out the identity of our Jane Doe, we first had to find her mother,” Team Leader Matthew Waterfield said. “It took us almost 18 months to identify Pepper Reed, but once we knew her name, it led us right to her daughter.”

Minutes after identifying Reed as Rea’s mother, they found her birth record in California to a mother with the maiden name of Reed, the org said. While there were hundreds of girls with the surname of Rasmussen born in the mid-1970s in California, only one had the name Reed associated with it. A DNA Doe Project member traveled to California to obtain a copy of the birth certificate and found the parents were named Terry Rasmussen and Pepper Reed, proving Rea’s connection to them.

“For nearly 25 years, Rea’s story has been defined by tragedy, rather than her name,” Carol Schweitzer, the program manager of NCMEC’s Forensic Services Division, said. “This moment reflects years of persistence, innovation and collaboration across agencies who never gave up hope. Today, we can finally speak Rea’s name and provide long-awaited answers to her family and the community who has loved her.”

The NH AG’s Office said while the Allenstown 4 cases have been solved, the disappearance of Reed remains unresolved. Investigators are seeking information about her whereabouts and fate as well as Terry Rasmussen’s movements in New Hampshire, Arizona, California, Oregon, Virginia, and Texas, between 1974 and 1985.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the Cold Case Unit at 603-271-2663 or email coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 800-843-5678 or ncmectips@ncmec.org.

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