A Serial Killer at 'Work'?
Gruesome murders in Brockton, Mass, USA & a series of rapes point to one suspect
Ashley Mylett (left) and Linda Schufeldt (right). Photos: Facebook
Warning: Some details contained in this newsletter are disturbing and may upset some readers.
When the dismembered body of 20-year-old Ashley Mylett was found in woods in December of 2014, it pointed to a sinister murderer. But after a second body was discovered near Ashley’s, that of Linda Schufeldt, it began to look more like the dumping ground of a serial killer. DNA tests revealed the perpetrator was linked to a series of brutal rapes against sex-workers in the city - however despite some significant work including a Parabon NanoLabs DNA phenotyping sketch - the cases have still not been solved. A recent arrest of a potential murderer who was caught in Delaware has drawn comparisons but there are no solid links as yet & the MOs seem dramatically different. I use the word work in the title in inverted commas because I hate to associate the word work with any act of killing.
Vulnerable Women
Ashley Mylett
20-year-old Ashley Mylett was born on the 20th November, 1994. When Ashley was three she began living with her grandparents, it’s not known the specific reason why she was living with her grandparents but she was brought up by them for a significant part of her life. Although she spent most of her time at her grandparents, she also went between their home in Holbrook, Mass, her mother’s and separately her father’s - juggling her upbringing between the three parties.
Nicole Slavin, Ashley’s mother, said that as a student she played soccer and softball, was “very smart and had tons of friends.” Perhaps there was a lack of stability in her life, or she fell under the influence of the wrong crowd but as she grew older, she began getting into trouble. In April 2011, at the age of sixteen, there is a record of her being listed as an endangered runaway/missing persons from Boston. Not much is known about this incident but Ashley began living mostly with her mother at the same age. After this, her grandparents, who had been her main caregivers between 3-16 years old, only saw her sporadically. She apparently took to using drugs and drifted away from the family, ending up in halfway houses in South Boston and Brockton, according to Barbara Mylett, her step-grandmother.
It’s clear Ashley struggled with addiction, Barbara said they were always worrying they were “going to get that call.” Ashley had a string of petty theft & drug-related arrests and charges - it seemed that in 2014 the troubles she faced began to escalate. In April 2014, eight months before her death, Mylett failed to appear in court on charges of conspiring with two other women to steal a woman’s pocketbook at Stop & Shop in Whitman, MA. She and the other women allegedly used the victim’s credit cards to buy more than $1,000 worth of products at Macy’s and Wal-Mart. At the time of her death, Barbara said, Ashley was “basically living on the street,” her mother Nicole had tried to get her to stay with her the last time they were together - four weeks prior to her death.
Linda Schufeldt
Not much is known about the early life of 50-year-old Linda Schufeldt who was born in Nebraska. She joined the U.S. Navy just out of high school and spent 4 years serving her country. After growing up between Nebraska and Colorado, she eventually left the service and settled in Massachusetts in the late 1980s - marrying a man from the state. The relationship didn’t last though and the two divorced, she remained in Massachusetts, moving to Quincy at the beginning of 2013.
Linda faced bouts of depression, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and was abused by some of her romantic partners. She had been homeless but at the time of her death she was settled in an apartment. She had also had some arrests for drug-possession and theft. During times of stability, she resumed her college studies in business and accounting, and tried to rebuild the relationship with her five children. Some of her children were taken away by the State and others were adopted out to other members of the family, although the details of this are thin on the ground. She was also said to be pursuing a role as substance abuse counselor, taking classes at a local university.
In a telephone interview with the Boston Herald, Carol Peters, Linda’s sister said, “We had a very bad childhood…there were seven of us kids.” Carol didn’t elaborate on the specifics of their bad childhood, but it’s clear from her interview (available here) the family was large, sprawling and as adults there wasn’t always contact between every member of the family.
Larry Schufeldt, Linda’s brother said he believes his sister had started using cocaine again.
These women were in vulnerable positions, and this killer took advantage of that knowing because by nature they were transient, not always accounted for - it would mean he may get away with it for longer. Erin O’Toole, former senior profiler for the FBI, said “With a killer, that’s why he will target women who are high-risk because they often go unreported for a long time. Their families don’t report them missing or they don’t regularly check in.”
What We Know
Police cordon off the area where the bodies are found. Photo: The Enterprise
Fall 2013: Two brutal rapes of sex-workers in Brockton are reported - the victims were violently assaulted, beaten and dumped on the side of the road, miles away from Brockton.
January 2014: A third sex-worker is raped with the same MO. DNA evidence is taken in each of the cases.
July 10th, 2014: Linda Schufeldt contacts the veterans welfare office for the last time.
July 13th, 2014: Linda’s siblings stop hearing from her, she sent text messages most days and the lack of communication is abrupt. Larry Schufeldt - Linda’s younger brother, thought that perhaps she just “needed time.” Linda is last seen at a pawn shop in Brockton (discovered after a receipt is found).
August 2014: After still not hearing from her, Larry contacts police to report her missing. Linda most recently lived in an apartment in Winter Street, Quincy. No sign of her activities past 13th July can be found.
Around December 3rd, 2014: Ashley Mylett’s mother hears from her daughter for the last time. She is not reported missing in the time between this and her body being found. She often went out-of-contact so this was not considered to be out of the ordinary.
December 28th, 2014: A man walking his dog finds Ashley’s dismembered remains in a wooded 20-acre plot of land off North Quincy Street and Wedgewood Road, a well-traveled route with a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall at the end. The man, known only as Peter, told The Enterprise in a Dec 30th 2014 interview: “I was cutting a path so I can walk the dog and I go hunting out here. I saw something pink. I thought it was a dead animal because there’s a lot of poaching back here or maybe insulation because it was pink and lot of people dump trash back here.” Realising what he has found he immediately calls the police.
December 28th, 2014: Police searching the area find Linda’s remains underneath Ashley’s. Linda had clearly been there longer and her body was mostly bones due to decomposition.
January 2015: Police receive information from State Police Crime Lab of a CODIS hit against the DNA taken from Ashley Mylett matching it to the three rapes. Although no DNA from Linda was retrieved her death is also linked to the same killer due to its location.
March 2015: Police release a composite sketch of the suspect but only appeal for information about the rapes, not publicly announcing his connections to the murders.
7th March, 2017: Police publicly announce they linked the earlier rapes to the murders, release a Parabon NanoLabs DNA phenotyping sketch. They appeal to the community for help.
November 2018: Investigators reveal they are working with Parabon further to find a genealogy link.
1st March, 2019: Police acknowledge they have received a number of calls linking the image of 32-year-old Louis D. Coleman III, to the phenotyping sketch after Ashley’s friend posts a comparison of Coleman’s mugshot with the sketch on her Facebook page. Coleman, who was arrested in Delaware, is charged with the murder of Jassy Correia kidnapped from Boston on a night out and found dead in the trunk of Coleman’s car. Police say they are investigating any possible links.
Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz announces the phenotyping sketch. Photo: Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise
The Aftermath
Both victims were well-loved but struggled with addiction and had somewhat lost their way. It’s important to remember that people turn into addicts for various reasons including possibly dealing with past trauma, lost purpose - but for whatever reason - fundamentally these were women who had the opportunity to make something of themselves, touch the world in a positive way and meant something to other people. And the man, in all likelihood a serial killer, is still out there free to harm more women who cross his path.
“So caring…call and text me every day to make sure I was okay.
She’s a wonderful, beautiful person…I know she lost her way a bit but she was so caring and I miss her a lot.” - Carol Peters, Linda Schufeldt’s sister.
Linda was a mother with five children, she had six siblings and they miss her. Around the time of her death she was keeping in more regular contact with her siblings, checking in with them on an almost daily basis.
“My mother was a caring and generous person…She had problems, regardless of this, no one deserves what happened to her and Ashley. What I want people to understand from all of this is that we are not taking mental health issues serious enough. Linda had a very rough childhood...This all could have been avoided.” - Chelsea Kaye, biological daughter of Linda Schufeldt.
Ashley’s mother and father have spoken sparingly in public about the loss of their daughter but her grandparents were more vocal in their grief.
“The walls are coming in on me. I try to drive and clear my head, but I just have to pull over. It’s too much.” - Ashley’s Grandfather Mark Mylett Sr, after hearing of her murder.
Ashley was by all accounts a warm, loving person. Her childhood friend Amber Hersey-Smith has a poignant reminder why Ashley’s life mattered as much as anyone else’s:
“I want people to look at Ashley and realize stuff like this can happen to anyone. Ashley was shy, but getting to know her, she was fun and outgoing. Ashley wasn’t just an addict or a prostitute; she was a daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, but most importantly, a human being whose dignity needs to be restored.”
Ashley Mylett and her friend Amber Hersey-Smith as youngsters. Photo: Facebook
Evidence
As always, please see our ‘evidence board’ for a collection of information, links and references as well as the evidence known, theories and images.
How Were They Killed?
Unfortunately the manner of their deaths is vague - the office of the chief medical examiner found they died of “homicidal violence of unknown type.’’ Oddly, I did find this video from the Holbrook Community Access & Media as part of a 2016 Addiction Awareness PSA paying tribute to those who were lost to addiction. Ashley is listed in the video alongside a possible relative Kerri Mylett (around 2:40). I’m unsure why she is listed, as they are victims who have died of their addictions but, despite the way she actually died, without her addiction she would most likely not have fallen prey to such a killer so it is a fitting tribute.
Where Were They Killed?
Brockton, MA has a population of about 95,000 and sits about 30 minutes by car south of Boston. Brockton has a somewhat rough & ready reputation and the violent crime rate is 167% higher than the MA average, 149% higher than when paralleled to the national average however the overall crime rate in Brockton is only 9% higher than the national average. It’s safe to say Brockton has a significant underbelly with most crimes being related to violence & drugs. The downtown area of Brockton is likely where the victims would have been stalked and found being the location of most sex-work activity.
Unfortunately, it is not known where either victim actually died. It is fairly safe to assume they were not killed at the location they were found due to the proximity to houses and the fact that that Ashley’s body was cleanly dismembered. The site behind 283 North Quincy St had all the hallmarks of a dumping ground rather than the scene of murder, the ground surrounding the bodies has briar patches, downed tree branches and a stone wall. Again, given the dismemberment the killer would have to have somewhere he/they feel safe away from others.
Witnesses
Due to the lives of the victims it has been difficult to determine proper timelines of their movements and therefore witnesses have appeared to be thin on the ground. However, the police have not released much information around any tips they have received around sightings. Peter, the local man who discovered Ashley’s body and ultimately Linda’s said of the discovery in his Enterprise interview: “When I saw it, I didn’t want to stay around here that long because there was no rot to it. It was all chopped up, you could see the limbs, how nice and neat they were cut…The guy that put it there put a fold-up chair on it and then put a bunch of wood on it so you can’t see it from the main path.”
It is not known if the two victims knew each other or the rape victims. Linda had turned to sex-work when she needed money to feed her addiction her sister said. No one has publicly acknowledged if Ashley took up sex-work but it has been implied. Both however were known to be around the streets.
Profiling
The Enterprise interviewed three ex-FBI agents who specialized in criminal profiling and all agreed that it was a man who killed the women and disposed of their bodies in the same place because he was knowledgeable and comfortable with the area. They think the perpetrator is local. One of the profilers mentioned he thought that the suspect could be slightly older, or is at least experienced with violent crime.
The perpetrator’s choice of victim is also key the said, the fact that these women lived fairly high-risk lifestyle is key to the type of suspect. The profilers believe the man may have known the women or come into contact with them previously without harming them - they did not view him as a threat.
They suggest he may have done this before, has ‘familiarity’ with bodies. He is likely to be of a similar socioeconomic background as his victims. And appears to be a regular, normal guy, with not much out of the ordinary about him. They also speculate that he may not be that intelligent and could potentially be considered sloppy.
Forensics/Material
Ashley: The DNA police have used to link her killer to the rapes was taken from Ashley’s body. She had been dismembered and a foot, a calf, part of an arm – were the first parts to be found, they were cleanly cut and had appeared to have been put there recently.
Linda: Linda’s remains were skeletal and no DNA was found on the body. She was last in contact with family in July 2014. She was identified through dental records. A receipt is said to have been found that links Linda to her last known sighting at a pawn shop in Brockton.
Very little else has been released about any items found. Undoubtedly the DNA is the most important piece of evidence the investigators have and has allowed them to create the Phenotype sketch. They will obviously also be able to eliminate or include any potential suspects, which could prove crucial. In November 2018, it was revealed Plymouth County DA Tim Cruz was using DNA genealogical analysis, the same process used to capture the Golden State Killer, to find the killer. So far, no public progress has been shared on this.
Suspects
In October 2015 an initial composite sketch of a potential witness was released in relation just to the rapes, investigators were obviously holding back the association with the murders at this time. Investigators said the man was in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, weighed 180 pounds, and possibly drove a dark blue or black sports car. The composite appears to be of a light-skinned male with more caucasian features than that of the Phenotype sketch.
In March 2017 police release the Parabon Phenotype sketch prompting some calls and information but no publicly named suspects. It is believed the suspect could be from the Cape Verdean community.
Phenotype sketch of the suspect. Photo: Parabon Nanolabs Inc.
Police are now investigating 32-year-old Louis D. Coleman III. Coleman. Coleman came to attention after he was arrested for the murder of Jassy Correia, a 23-year-old mother, last seen on 24th February, 2019. Amber Hersey-Smith, one of Ashley’s friends posted the mugshot of Coleman on her Facebook alongside the Phenotype sketch - remarking on the similarities, others joined in and agreed. Police are now investigating the possibility of any connections. Coleman of Providence, RI kidnapped Jassy in Boston, MA outside a nightclub and was reported to have driven her back to his apartment. He proceeded to go on the run with her body in his trunk, he was finally apprehended in Delaware. Read a timeline of the heartbreaking Jassy Correia case.
It would be an amazing result if it turns out that Coleman is the serial killer & rapist. However I’m reserving judgement until DNA definitively links him. Sometimes it is human nature to want to believe there can only be one monster out there committing similar crimes within one area, the reality is likely different. Below are my main reservations regarding Coleman as the Brockton Beast:
From records it appears Coleman spent most of 2013 & 2014 in California. Of course this doesn’t rule him out but possibly less likely.
Jassy Correia does not fit the Brockton Beast’s victim profile, she was constantly in touch with family and friends. In fact she was on a night out with friends when she encountered Coleman. She did not appear to be a sex worker. Of course it could be that he changed his MO slightly but this not that common. Mary Ellen O’Toole, one of the former senior profiler’s engaged by The Enterprise said of the Brokton Beast’s profile: “He wouldn’t just interact with these two women then totally go to another kind of victim.”
Coleman seemed unprepared for his murder of Correia, only buying materials after the fact, one would imagine the Brockton Beast would potentially carry a ‘kill kit’. Coleman used materials from his own apartment (sofa cover) to wrap her body. When he was stopped by the police Coleman stated words to the effect, ‘She’s in the trunk.’ The way he has committed his crime has a whiff of mental breakdown/snap killing.
He bears some similarity to the phenotype sketch but it isn’t that similar.
There doesn’t appear to be any immediate connection between Coleman and Brockton, MA - though it’s not far fetched to believe he has been there being that it is only a 45 minute drive from Providence.
A few glaring traits that seem not to fit in regards to the experts potential profile. He isn’t necessarily of the same socioeconomic background, it appears by all reports that Coleman is well-educated and does not appear to be associated with drugs in any heavy way. He has had one prior interaction with police where he called them because he claimed someone was repeatedly knocking on his door and would not say who they were, leaving him to feel scared to leave his apartment. Of course serial killers do often kill across races but the Brockton Beast’s known murder victims are both white while Jassy was mixed-African American.
I’d be delighted to be proven wrong and that Coleman and the Brockton Beast are one and the same but I wait with bated breath on any hard evidence.
Remaining Questions
Has the perpetrator stopped killing or left the area? Have his circumstances changed in the intervening timeframe?
Were the women known to each other and/or any of the rape victims?
What were the women doing in the time between what we know about where they were and when they were found? Where are the witnesses? Those in the street community that may have spent time with them in this period?
If you have any information or evidence that may lead to the capture of the Brockton Beast please contact the Mass State Police at +1 (508) 894-2584.
If you don’t feel comfortable you can also contact us on tips@unsolvednews.co - you can also contact us with any case you would like to see us cover or general feedback.