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WILTON, Conn. More than 40 years ago, 10-year-old Mary K. Mount disappeared from her New Canaan neighborhood, sparking a massive manhunt throughout Fairfield County that ended tragically in Wilton.
About three weeks after she was last seen in New Canaan's Kiwanis Park, two teenagers searching for a fishing spot near the South Norwalk Reservoir discovered Mary's body in a pine grove off Old Huckleberry Road.
No one has ever been charged in Mary's disappearance and death. "There was a lengthy investigation involving the New Canaan Police, Wilton Police and the state police," said Wilton Police Lt. Donald Wakeman. "But it remains an unsolved case."
According to a United Press International story from June 18, 1969, investigators first assumed Mary's disappearance was a kidnapping. Her father, Joseph Mount, was the manager of IBM's data processing headquarters in White Plains, N.Y.
But that changed after the two fishermen discovered Mary's remains. She had been beaten to death with a rock and dumped in the woods just like two other young girls who had also disappeared in late May 1969. Dawn Cave, 14, of Bethany, and Diane Toney, 11, of New Haven, also went missing and were found under similar circumstances. Although it appeared a serial killer targeting young girls was roaming Southern Connecticut, it would take another four deaths before police had a suspect.
In September 1970, 5-year-old Jennifer Noon disappeared in New Haven as she walked home from school. Her body was discovered eight days later in a wooded area of Hamden. She, too, had been beaten to death with rocks.
Then, according to a Hartford Courant article from April 8, 2000, police shifted the focus to truck driver Harold Meade, who in 1972 had been convicted of killing three mentally disabled individuals in New Haven. Investigators discovered the three victims in a wooded area. All three had been beaten to death with rocks.
During the New Haven police interrogation of Meade about the triple homicide at West Rock Park, officers asked whether he also killed Mary. He said only that he didn't remember, the Courant reported.
Police never charged Meade in any of the four killings. He died Dec. 9, 2007.
Do you know of any other unsolved crimes or mysteries in Wilton? Leave a comment below. Like TheDailyWilton.com on Facebook.
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