The New Bedford Murders and the Search for Justice

By Marcas O'Kelly

The New Bedford Murders and the Search for Justice

In 1988, the bodies of young women began appearing along the highways of southeastern Massachusetts. All were heroin-addicted prostitutes from New Bedford's Weld Square. All had been strangled and dumped like trash in wooded areas. By April 1989, nine women were confirmed dead and two more had vanished without a trace.

Despite an intensive investigation, the New Bedford Highway Murders remain unsolved nearly four decades later. Two primary suspects emerged: Kenneth Ponte, a respected attorney with disturbing connections to multiple victims, and Anthony DeGrazia, a violent predator who attacked the same population. Ponte was indicted but never tried. DeGrazia died under mysterious circumstances ruled both suicide and homicide.

This meticulously researched account chronicles the victims' lives beyond their struggles, the geographic patterns that reveal the killer's methods, the flawed investigation that let a murderer escape justice, and the families still seeking answers. From the economic devastation that created hunting grounds for a predator to cutting-edge DNA technology that may finally solve the case, The Highway Killer is the definitive account of one of America's most haunting unsolved serial murder cases.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GJRLX8RM
• ISBN13: 9798232856090
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Silverback Books
• Length: 540 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"