The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office announced they identified the killer of Pembroke resident Virginia Hannon.
Listen to the press conference with Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, Retired Pembroke Police Chief Rick Wall, and Richard Hannon here:
For 37 years, the case was unsolved. Virginia Hannon, 59, was a beloved member of her family and worked as a cook at the Bryantville Elementary School. She was found bludgeoned and stabbed in her West Street home in Pembroke on February 13, 1984.
District Attorney Tim Cruz says in 2020, Pembroke Police received a tip from a man that led them to a suspect, 58-year-old Jesse Aylward. Aylward’s DNA was a match to a nylon stocking used to strangle Hannon, broken glass, and paper towels at the scene. Aylward died February 3, 2020 at Brockton Hospital.
“We have identified Virginia Hannon’s killer, and it is Jesse Aylward,” said Cruz. “We have exhausted all of the evidence that we currently have, and it all points in the direction of Jesse Aylward. I would like to commend all of the work of law enforcement in this case. From Chief [Rick] Wall, Detective Sergeant [Ted] Cain, the Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Crime Lab, the Pembroke Police, all for their diligent efforts pursuing the killer of Virginia Hannon all these years.”
Virginia Hannon. Photo courtesy of the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
Cruz was joined by members of the Hannon family, investigators, and the Pembroke Police Department at the Pembroke Town Hall.
“I would absolutely like to thank the police, Pembroke, State, the DA’s office for never giving up,” said Rich Hannon, Virginia’s nephew. “Hopefully people hearing this person, who he is, might be able to think back, something might shake loose in their head and say ‘I know that guy’ and give us a little bit more information on who he was, and why he was. Because it was senseless.”
He says Virginia was a great person, someone who was great with kids. Someone who was always happy. Family members felt there was a sense of justice.
They have never forgotten her, and they’re thankful for the support of investigators.
“These guys here stood up and spent all this time doing it,” said Rich Hannon. “I just want to say thank you.”
Cruz said Aylward had a criminal history, but his connection to Hannon is not currently known.
The tipster told Pembroke Police that Aylward confessed to a murder, a day after Aylward died at Brockton Hospital. Investigators preserved a DNA swab from the hospital. Detectives searched a Crescent Street home in Brockton where Aylward was believed to be living. A warrant was obtained for blood from and was processed at the State Police Crime Lab. The DNA profile was compared to crime scene evidence, and was a match.
Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs tested other items from the crime scene. On March 4, 2021, a last round of testing was completed.
Jesse Aylward. Photo courtesy of the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
“I’m so glad they finally have someone. Would I like to see him go in handcuffs? Yes, but for Virginia, there is a little bit of justice,” said Judy Hannon, Virginia’s niece by marriage. “I don’t think this is it. I think there’s more to the story, and we’re praying that people come forward with this information. Tell us the story – we deserve to know. She’s a person who’s life was taken so brutally. For what? What did they get out of that? I don’t understand. For what they did to her, I do feel like there’s more than one person. Just please tell us.”
Retired Pembroke Police Chief Rick Wall and Detective Sergeant Ted Cain have personal connections to the case. Cain was one of the first students at Bryantville Elementary School. Wall used to deliver newspapers to Hannon’s home. It’s a case they spent nearly 40 years working on.
“I stand here with the Hannon family, as we said we would. There’s a lot of questions that we still would like to answer,” said Wall. “We may never get all of the answers but we’re never going to stop looking for exactly what happened and be able to give them the truth.”
He credited Jake Burns, Trooper Michael DiMarzio, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague, and members of the State Police who have taken the lead on the case for the last five years.
“I’m just glad that we have at least a suspect that was identified through the DNA that was found in the house,” said Cain. “This is a good, positive step forward.”
Though Virginia Hannon’s killer has been identified, the case remains ongoing. Cruz says they’re willing to accept any information about the case moving forward.
“My condolences continue to go out to the Hannon family,” said Cruz. “I hope that today brings some small measure of justice to this case and to their ability to go forward with their lives.”
Anyone with information about the murder of Virginia Hannon, can contact State Police, Pembroke Police or email justice@pembrokepolice.org.
The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office has an Unsolved Homicide Unit dedicated to re-examining existing evidence and conduct further investigation using modern technologies and techniques.
Anyone with information about a homicide is urged to contact the hotline at 508-894-2584.
Virginia Hannon’s nephew, Rich Hannon said Virginia was someone who was always there to help. She’s a key part of their family who will not be forgotten. Photo credit: Lenny Rowe.
Retired Pembroke Police Chief Rick Wall delivered newspapers to Virginia Hannon when he was younger. He said they will not stop looking for answers. Photo credit: Lenny Rowe.
