By Times Staff
More than 33 years after her murder in the former Pike's Funeral Home on Middle Street, Gloucester and Mass. State Police believe they've arrested Eleanor Wadsworth's killers.
And one of the suspects is the grandson of the former funeral home's owner.
Wadsworth, a Gloucester resident who was 65 and worked at the funeral home at the time, was beaten, and shot multiple times on the third floor of Pike's Funeral Home in Gloucester where she lived and worked.
Now, Gloucester and State Police detectives have announced the arrest of two men for the Dec. 2, 1976 slaying — former Gloucester resident Norman Pike, 52, who now lives in San Francisco and is a grandson of the funeral home owner; and Kevin Ireland, 54, of Oak Street in Gloucester. The accused killers would have been 19 and 21 at the time of the murder.
Pike was arrested at his home last Monday by San Francisco, Gloucester and Massachusetts State Police, according to an announcement from the Essex County District Attorney's Office. Pike had fled the Gloucester area a few days after the murder, authorities said.
Pike, who was using the alias Dan Franklin, is being held without bail as a fugitive from justice in California. He has refused to waive rendition, so the Essex District Attorney's Office will employ a Governor's Warrant to bring him back to Massachusetts, a process that can take up to 90 days, the DA's office said.
Ireland was arrested this afternoon following a brief interview at the Gloucester Police Station. He will be arraigned on Monday, March 15, in Gloucester District Court.
According to police, Pike and Ireland and another man were allegedly robbing the safe in the third floor office of the funeral home when the victim walked in and was murdered. A third suspect in this case has since died, police said.
In March of last year, Gloucester Police Chief Michael Lane — who was a detective lieutenant at the time, re-opened the case. Upon his promotion to chief, he assigned the investigation to Gloucester Police Detective Steve Mizzoni.
Mizzoni, along with State Police Trooper Joshua Ulrich from the District Attorney's Office, re-interviewed several witnesses who had been questioned more than 30 years ago. As a result of those interviews, investigators were able to obtain arrest warrants for Pike and Ireland, the DA's office said in a prepared statement.
"This case is a perfect reminder of the fact that although cases may be considered 'cold,' they are never closed until an arrest is made and conviction is secured," said District Attorney Blodgett, who praised the tenacity of the investigators, and credited Chief Lane for pursuing the case.
"The Gloucester Police Department under the leadership of Chief Lane does an outstanding job for our city, and I'm very gratified that after all these years justice is in sight for the victim's family," said Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk.
"Detective Mizzoni and Trooper Ulrich did an excellent job investigating this case," Lane said in a prepared statement. "Their relentless pursuit of justice, and 'never say quit' attitudes made justice possible for the victim's family. Both men are credits to their respective agencies."
Known as “Elee,” Wadsworth, 65, was the secretary at the funeral home and at times lived at the Middle Street house. ost theories of the crime suggested she either walked in on the three men during the break-in or was forced to open the safe, according to police reports at the time.
Wadsworth was found by Harold Pike, the owner, lying on the floor beaten and shot several times in the head.
The fact that the killers had known where the safe was and that there was cash in it while nothing else in the building was disturbed led police to suspect that the killers included someone who knew the business.
Despite that, there were never any arrests in the case or chief suspects announced.
Dennis Daulton, the employee who had been working with Harold Pike at the funeral home the day of the murder, yesterday welcomed news of the arrests.
“This is a tremendous relief for me,” Daulton said when reached by phone yesterday. “I wish Harold Pike had lived to see this. It has been a horrific thing for many years, and to have it solved is incredible for the community.”
We will update this story as more information becomes available. For more coverage, look to tomorrow's print and online editions of the Gloucester Daily Times and gloucestertimes.com.
