The video above is from June 2025.
MONROE, Conn. (WTNH) — The investigation into the 1977 death of an 8-year-old girl in Monroe is now closed, according to police.
Renee Freer was killed on June 22, 1977, in the woods behind her home.
The Monroe Police Department stated that, since then, it has conducted an extensive investigation into the case, including a full-scale re-examination of the evidence using new advancements in technology, re-analyzing statements and re-interviewing several people.
On July 11, 2025, the police department submitted a juvenile arrest warrant to the state’s attorney’s office, believing they had sufficient probable cause to support the arrest of a suspect for first-degree manslaughter.
On Sept. 18, police said the state’s attorney declined the arrest warrant due to the “expiration of the statute of limitations and the age of the suspect at the time of the alleged offense.”
Police said the prosecution of manslaughter is subject to a five-year statute of limitations and that the state’s attorney considered a murder charge based on the brutality of the crime. The law in effect at the time, however, bars a murder prosecution based on the age of the suspect, police said.
In 1977, Connecticut General Statutes stated a juvenile charged with murder could only be transferred to the regular criminal docket if they were at least 14 years old, but that wasn’t the case in Freer’s death.
Police said many people associated with the case have died or memories have faded, further complicating the investigation.
In a statement, Monroe Police Chief Keith White police said they understand “this murder has had a tremendous impact on Renee’s family, friends, the citizens of Monroe and beyond, and all the officers involved in the investigation of this case over the decades.”
“Given the current status of the investigation and the conclusive opinion of the State’s Attorney, this case has regretfully been marked as closed,” White said.
“The Monroe Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to all the agencies that have supported this investigation over the decades, including but not limited to the Connecticut State Police, FBI Connecticut, FBI Quantico, the Connecticut State Forensics Laboratory, the Connecticut Cold Case Unit and the Connecticut State’s Attorney’s Office,” White’s statement said.