We often hear about the long arm of the law. And the arrest of Norman Pike in San Francisco on charges stemming from the 1976 Pike Funeral Home murder last week gives new meaning to that term, considering he had been living in California under the alias of Dan Franklin.
But the charges filed against the now 52-year-old Pike — grandson of the funeral home's late owner — and 54-year-old Kevin Ireland of Gloucester in the slaying of funeral home office manager Eleanor Wadsworth 33 years ago speak to much more than that.
It's important to note that these are only charges at this point — that Ireland is just being arraigned here this morning, that Pike/Franklin is fighting extradition from California, and that both are far from being convicted. But the arrests speak volumes about the work of interim Police Chief Michael Lane — who was still the lieutenant of the GPD's detectives last year when he sought to reopen this unsolved case — and of both Gloucester Detective Steve Mizzoni and state trooper Joshua Ulrich, who teamed up to find, revisit and interview people who had always been listed as witnesses or may have otherwise known something about the crime so many years ago.
Lane, Mizzoni, Ulrich and everyone else involved in this investigation deserve praise for their efforts, and our entire community's thanks for reminding us all that long arm of the law comes with equally long memories and a longstanding commitment to never give up in the search for the truth — and justice.
Our congratulations go out to everyone who has played a role in this probe. We'd like to think that, after 33 years, they've helped give Ms. Wadsworth and her family a long-deserved peace — and a renewed sense that those who horribly took her life will not get away with her murder.
