Small Western Massachusetts Town Searched for Remains of Victims of Child Serial Killer

Massachusetts is a wonderful place to live. From Cape Cod beaches, to the Boston city skyline to the mountains of the Berkshires, families across the state love to call Massachusetts home.

A job market, excellent healthcare, strong public schools system and lower than  average crime rates are just some of the factors that keep folks in the Bay State. Safety is a top priority for so many families and Massachusetts consistently ranks as one of the safest states in the country.

While Massachusetts is generally very safe, there are always some extenuating circumstances. There is perhaps no time in recent Massachusetts history that was more terrifying for parents, than Berkshire County in the early 1990s. It was during that time that now jailed child serial killer Lewis Lent and his reign of terror cloaked the small western Massachusetts towns of the Berkshires.

Lent, was a handyman who lived in the small city of North Adams, who was eventually convicted of adducting and murdering three children and is suspected in many more. Jimmy Bernardo of Pittsfield, MA, Sara Ann Wood of Frankfort, NY both 12 years of age, and 16 year old James Lusher were all killed by Lent between 1990 and 1993.

While Lent is serving life in prison, the bodies of Wood and Lusher have never been found. Investigators believe Lent is withholding information on the locations of those and other victims. Since his time incarcerated, Lent has provided information to law enforcement about the locations of victims, yet none have been recovered. Lent previously told Massachusetts State Police that Lusher's remains were located at Greenwater Pond in Becket, but several searches of the area have proven unsuccessful.

Earlier this week, residents of the small town of Lanesboro, MA were reminded of Lent's reign of terror when investigators began searching a property on Summer Street in connection to the unsolved crimes allegedly committed by Lent.

The Lanesboro property was were in 1994, police found and began questioning Lent in connection with his attempted kidnapping of 12-year-old Rebecca Savarese.

According to the Berkshire Eagle, Law enforcement worked for about 12 hours Tuesday, searching the grounds of the property and the hill out back. Investigators eventually focused on the basement, where they police have used ground-penetrating radar to search for "anomalies" in the floors and walls.

Police didn't find any new evidence during the day-long search

Law enforcement bodies are in regular communication regarding the unsolved crimes to have allegedly been committed by Lewis Lent. Today’s search is a part of an ongoing effort to solve cases involving missing children that may have been among Lent’s victims. Law enforcement in both Massachusetts and New York are dedicated to bringing justice for the children who remain missing and will continue to investigate all leads until their cases have been solved.

Berkshire County District Attorney's Office