In the early 1970s, the city of Rochester, New York, was rocked by a string of horrifying child murders that remain unsolved to this day. The cases became known as the Alphabet Murders, not just because of their brutality, but because each victim’s first and last names began with the same letter, and all were found in towns that matched their initials.
What looked like a creepy coincidence soon unraveled into one of the darkest cold cases in New York history—three young girls, all abducted, assaulted, and murdered in a disturbingly similar fashion.
To this day, no one has been held accountable.
The Victims
1. Carmen Colón
(Age 10)
- Disappeared: November 16, 1971
- Found: Two days later, 12 miles away in Churchville, NY
- Cause of death: Strangulation
- Last seen: Running from a pharmacy; several motorists saw her being chased on the highway
- Details: Her coat was found near her body; she had been sexually assaulted
2. Wanda Walkowicz
(Age 11)
- Disappeared: April 2, 1973, after grocery shopping
- Found: Next day in Webster, NY—on a roadside embankment
- Cause of death: Strangulation
- Last seen: Carrying groceries home; several people saw her talking to a man in a car
- Details: Groceries were missing; signs of sexual assault present
3. Michelle Maenza
(Age 11)
- Disappeared: November 26, 1973
- Found: Two days later in Macedon, NY
- Cause of death: Strangulation
- Last seen: Walking home from school; witnesses saw her forced into a beige vehicle
- Details: Extensive physical trauma; clothing was in disarray
All three girls were:
- Young
- Brunette
- From poor or working-class families
- Abducted in broad daylight
- Murdered and dumped within 48 hours
The shared initials were hard to ignore. So were the matching M.O.s.
The Pattern That Haunted Investigators
The “double initial” aspect of the murders (e.g., Carmen Colón, found in Churchville) immediately stood out. Police, the media, and the public wondered: was the killer deliberately choosing victims based on their names?
Was this some sort of ritualistic or compulsive pattern?
Even more disturbing: all three victims were discovered in locations that began with the same letter as their names—Churchville, Webster, and Macedon.
While this could be a chilling coincidence, it was enough for the media to dub the killer: The Alphabet Murderer.
The Suspects
Over the years, several men have been investigated—but none have been definitively tied to the crimes.
1. Miguel Colón (Carmen’s Uncle)
- Fled to Puerto Rico after her murder
- Owned a car matching witness descriptions
- Returned years later and committed suicide
- No forensic evidence ever linked him to the case
2. Dennis Termini
- Known as the “Garage Rapist” in Rochester
- Raped over a dozen women in the early ‘70s
- Killed himself during a police standoff in 1974
- DNA ruled him out for at least one of the victims
3. Kenneth Bianchi (One of the Hillside Stranglers)
- Lived in Rochester during the time of the murders
- Worked as an ice cream vendor
- Later convicted of multiple murders in California
- Denied involvement, and no direct evidence linked him to the Alphabet Murders
To date, no suspect has been charged for the crimes.
Theories and Speculation
- Serial killer with OCD tendencies: Some believe the initials and location choices point to a ritualistic compulsion.
- Police or authority figure: The abductions were carried out in broad daylight, with little struggle—suggesting a figure the girls might have trusted.
- Multiple killers: Others theorize that the crimes may not be connected at all—that the double initials are a chilling coincidence, not a pattern.
Despite multiple task forces, renewed investigations, and public appeals for information, the case remains open.
Lingering Questions
- Why would the killer target girls with double initials?
- Was it a taunt, a signature, or a coincidence?
- Could modern DNA analysis finally break the case?
Several of the original investigators have passed away. But the victims’ families—and those who remember Rochester’s darkest days—still hold onto hope for answers.
For more cases like this, explore our archive. SinisterArchive.com—where the legends are real.