The Hampden County DA says he has now officially closed the murder case of then 13 year old altar boy Danny Croteau of Chicopee. The DA says that the only man ever named as a suspect in the case, Father Richard Lavigne died last week, shortly after state investigators were going to present the case to a magistrate in order to obtain an arrest warrant. The DA the then priest was responsible for the death of the altar boy.
DA Anthony Gilluni told reporters:
“At the time of Danny’s death, Richard R. Lavigne, was a Roman Catholic priest and friend of the Croteau family. Lavigne was assigned to Saint Mary’s Parish in Springfield. Lavigne met the Croteau family in 1967, while he was assigned to the Croteaus’ parish, Saint Catherine of Sienna in Springfield. Danny was the youngest of five boys in the Croteau family. He and his brothers had served as altar boys at Saint Catherine’s, and assisted Lavigne at Mass. Lavigne also socialized with the Croteau family, and frequently took some of the Croteau boys, including Danny, on outings without their parents. Father Lavigne also maintained contact with Danny and his family after he was reassigned to St. Mary’s Parish in late June 1968, and continued to take the Croteau boys on trips. Lavigne also invited the boys, either together or alone, to stay overnight at his parents’ home in Chicopee, Massachusetts.”
"After Danny’s murder, Lavigne became a person of interest for investigators in the early stages of the investigation because of the inconsistent and unusual statements he had made to them in the days after the murder. Investigators also determined that initially he lied about the last time he had seen Danny, and witnesses disputed Lavigne’s claim that he was never alone with Danny. Lavigne was also observed alone at the river’s bank at approximately 4:30 p.m. on April 16, 1972. On April 17, 1972, a police report of Lavigne’s interview with investigators notes one question asked by Lavigne, “If a stone was used and thrown in the river, would blood still be on it?”"
The DA says that the case turned upon further review of forensic evidence was re-examined.
It was early in March that a series of interviews were conducted with Lavigne as he was a patient at a medical facility.
According to the DA---
‘During all of the interviews, Lavigne refused to specifically admit that he killed Danny Croteau, and at times, was cagey and evasive, continuing his long-running attempts to mislead and distract investigators. However, he made several statements to indicate that he was the last person to see Danny Croteau alive, that he brought him to the riverbank on April 14, 1972, that he physically assaulted him there, and after leaving Danny there and returning a short time later, that he saw Danny floating face down in the river. He stated further that he neither attempted to rescue him nor alert Danny’s parents or police of Danny’s whereabouts or condition. Police then discovered Danny’s remains the following day on April 15, 1972.”
(Picture Provided by Hampden County DA's Office)