The Chilling Story Of Harold W. Meade: Connecticut’s Most Mysterious Suspected Serial Killer
Discover the shocking crimes linked to Harold W. Meade, a convicted killer and suspected serial murderer in Connecticut. Learn about the tragic victims, hidden clues, and chilling unsolved cases that followed him until his death in prison.
Jul 21, 202556.5K Shares764.6K Views Harold W. Meadewas born in 1948and grew up in Bethany, Connecticut, where his father owned a gas station. Meade later worked in various jobs, including truck driver, milkman, and ice cream vendor. As a young adult, he married his first wife, Donna, and they had two children together. Meade appeared to live a normal, working-class life before the violent crimes he would commit in 1970. On August 12, 1970, Harold W. Meade bludgeoned three developmentally disabled individuals, Sandra Hedler (15), Donna Schlitter (23), and William White (20), to death using a rock in West Rock Park, New Haven, Connecticut. Two of the victims were found behind a ventilator shaft, while William White was discovered alive and died in a hospital seventeen days later. Witnesses saw a blue car near the scene, and police linked it to Meade. He was arrested on December 11, 1970, and in 1972 pleaded guilty to three counts of second degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Meade is also suspected in the abductions and murders of at least four young girls in southern Connecticut between 1969 and 1970. These include 11 year old Diane Toney, 10 year old Mary Katherine Mount, 14 year old Dawn Cave, and 5 year old Jennifer Noon. All were found in wooded areas, battered with stones, and left in remote locations. Witnesses placed Meade near several of the crime scenes, and his work routes matched areas where victims were last seen. Prosecutors never charged him for these crimes because of a plea agreement: once he confessed to the three confirmed murders, authorities agreed not to bring additional charges.
In June 1992, Meade was on a weekend prison furlough and stayed at a cabin near Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut. On June 26, 1992, 43 year old Linda Rayner was found in a remote area of the park, her skull crushed with a rock. Although no charges were filed, Meade was suspected due to his presence at the scene and pattern of violence. The incident led to his removal from the state’s furlough program.
During his time in prison, Meade was considered a model inmate. He earned furlough privileges, taking 184 one day leaves and 68 weekend passes between 1985 and 1993. He used these visits to live normally; he even married his second wife during that time. Harold W. Meade died in prison in Connecticut on December 9, 2007, from a long illness.