Open Investigation

Return to Andy: An Update to the Disappearance of Andy Puglisi Ep 1
We return to the investigation into the disappearance of Andy Puglisi a decade after the HBO documentary, Have You Seen Andy?, was released. This episode is structured around intimate conversations between Melanie and Andy’s mother, Faith, as they review information they realize is relevant now but may not have back when the documentary was broadcast.

Melanie uncovers new information as she picks up the investigation. The first question she asks is who were the “five known pedophiles” at the pool when Andy was abducted? She believes Andy may have been stalked before he was abducted, possibly for child pornography aka CSAM. She explores Wayne W. Chapman’s penchant for expensive camera equipment and hears from a witness who observed Chapman’s dark room. She reveals never before published audio of Wayne W. Chapman’s police interrogation. We learn how the advent of digital media allowed Melanie to uncover new evidence in the complicity of Wayne W. Chapman in the abduction of Andy Puglisi. We also hear from one of Chapman’s victims who realizes serendipity likely saved his life.
The episode culminates in Melanie sharing details of other known sex offenders in Lawrence at the time Andy vanished.
Wayne W. Chapman died in October of 2021. He continued to deny any involvement in the disappearance of Andy Puglisi.
Show Links
Have You Seen Andy website with timeline
Wayne W. Chapman About to Be Released is Arrested AgainWayne W. Chapman To Be ReleasedWayne W. Chapman Placed Near Andy’s Childhood friend, Melanie McLaughlinWayne W. Chapman DiesDatabase of Accused Priests

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Follow: @openinvestigationSupport: Patreon.com/OpenInvestigationBased on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com | @haveyouseenandy

Pandora's Box: Episode 2
As she begins researching suspects in Andy’s disappearance Melanie learns the main suspect, Wayne W. Chapman confessed to another boy’s murder! We explore the story of 6-year-old David Louison who was abducted in Brockton, Massachusetts in 1974 and whose remains were recovered in 1980. We learn the similarities between Andy’s and David’s cases. Both boys had a young child who witnessed their abduction. A child who tried to tell adults what they had seen but were initially dismissed. The search for both boys was called off prematurely based on advice from local law enforcement. We hear the effects of trauma directly from an archival interview with David’s parents, Mel and Naomi Louison.

As Melanie learns about David she realizes Andy’s case is not an anomaly. She finds other cases of missing boys that resemble Andy’s like Leigh Savoie who disappeared from Revere, MA in 1974 and has never been found. And Jimmy Teta who was from Revere, MA and whose remains were found on a roadside in NH. Jimmy, Andy, Leigh and David have similarities in their cases. Another boy, Cliff Pisano is abducted around the same time as Leigh from the same location but survives to have his story told and his abductor incarcerated.

Melanie begins using data to tell a story. She researches missing and murdered children’s cases from the 1970s and begins building the first of its kind database documenting the cases. She brings the cases to the attention of District Attorneys, the Attorney General, local law enforcement, the FBI and the United States Attorney. Some of the cases, like Jimmy Teta’s, are reopened after decades of inactivity.

This episode signifies the turning point in the story when Melanie realizes Andy is not the only child missing in MA, that there are dozens of others some of whom, like Denise Cochrane, weren’t even counted in the state’s data.
Next time on Open Investigation: The Other Boston Sex Scandal, Episode 3
follow the investigation as we reveal a child trafficking ring in MA in the 1970s that includes doctors, teachers and millionaires.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Now You See Suffolk Campaign
Mass State Police Unresolved Case Unit
Timeline of Events in this episode

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Follow: @openinvestigationSupport: Patreon.com/OpenInvestigationBased on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com | @haveyouseenandy

Ep 6: Trauma and Memory - In this powerful episode of Open Investigation, host Melanie McLaughlin dives deep into the profound effects of trauma, memory, and survival. The episode covers stories of child survivors of clergy abuse and other forms of childhood trauma, exploring the way memories resurface and the mechanisms the mind employs to cope. Melanie shares her own journey and how her search for answers in the disappearance of her friend, Andy Puglisi, led her into the dark underworld of organized child trafficking and abuse networks.

This episode is dedicated to the families of missing and murdered children, honoring the survivors who continue to fight for justice.

Key Topics

1. Witness Testimonies: Melanie revisits heartbreaking testimonies, including those from a victim of Father Gallagher, detailing the normalization of abuse in their community. Witness X’s story provides harrowing accounts of childhood abuse and murder he claims to have witnessed, describing chilling details uncovered through therapy.
2. Investigative Journey: Melanie recounts the making of her HBO documentary Have You Seen Andy? and the life-altering revelations that surfaced after its release. As she balanced her roles as a mother and child advocate, Melanie faced new challenges and connections related to Andy’s disappearance.
3. Dissociative Amnesia and Trauma: Featuring insights from renowned trauma expert Dr. Judith Herman, Melanie discusses how trauma impacts memory recall. Survivors like Witness X and St. Mary’s Victim experienced dissociative amnesia, a coping mechanism that allows victims to disconnect from the trauma to survive.
4. Peter Haskell Investigation: After years of investigation, a surprising turn of events saw FBI agents combing through Haskell’s property after his death. This long-awaited response seemed to validate Witness X’s claims, with evidence including child mannequins, disturbing items, and videotapes.
5. Healing from Trauma: Dr. Judith Herman discusses the critical steps for trauma survivors to find healing. She emphasizes the importance of community acknowledgment, support networks, and taking personal action to reclaim safety and justice.

Key Quotes

• Melanie McLaughlin: “The healing is in the telling. I’m doing this for the children of CSA—those who survived and those who didn’t. I believe you, and I’m sorry for what happened to you.”
• Dr. Judith Herman: “If secrecy and denial are the tyrant's first line of defense, then public truth-telling must be the first act of a survivor's resistance. And recognizing the survivor's claim to justice must be the moral community's first act of solidarity.”

Resources

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Trauma and Recovery and Truth and Repair by Dr. Judith Herman
• Articles: New York Times - Dr. Judith Herman on Trauma
• Crime and Memory by Dr. Judith Herman
• Peter Haskell Georgetown Search Affidavit
• National Center for Missin

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Follow: @openinvestigationSupport: Patreon.com/OpenInvestigationBased on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com | @haveyouseenandy

Episode 0 is the pilot episode of the 8-part investigative podcast series, Open Investigation. This episode introduces the tragic story of 10-year-old Andy (Angelo) Puglisi, who disappeared from a public swimming pool in Lawrence, MA, on August 22, 1976. The podcast is hosted by Melanie Perkins McLaughlin, Andy's childhood friend, who was only nine years old when she was with him the day he vanished. When the search for Andy was called off after just six days, Melanie made a promise to herself and Andy that she would one day try to find him.

In 2007, Melanie's HBO documentary Have You Seen Andy? premiered, and in 2008, it won an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Journalism. The documentary, currently streaming on MAX, was initially intended to help re-open Andy's investigation allowing Andy's family and the community to move forward by sharing Andy's story. However, it unexpectedly opened a Pandora's Box, revealing dozens of other unsolved cases of missing and murdered children from the 1970s.

With unique access, decades of investigative research, including hundreds of hours of documentary footage, rare audio recordings, police and court records, and research notes, Melanie reopens the investigation. She shares the culmination of her work, aiming not only to reopen other cases but also to emphasize trauma-informed, victim-centered justice for victims, survivors, and their families.

Following the pilot, each episode delves into new information that updates not only Andy's story but explores the cases of dozens of other missing children, several of which have been reopened by law enforcement as a result of this investigation. The series also documents the history of child trafficking in America.

Show Links

Have You Seen Andy streaming on MAX

Have You Seen Andy website

Mass State Police UnResolved Case Unit

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The Vanished Podcast: Episode 454 Andy Puglisi: Open Investigation

The Boston Globe Series featuring Andy Puglisi's Case

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Follow: @openinvestigationSupport: Patreon.com/OpenInvestigationBased on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com | @haveyouseenandy

Scope and Severity - Ep 4
In Episode 4 of Open Investigation, host Melanie McLaughlin continues her inquiry into the disappearance of her childhood friend, Andy Puglisi, and the broader human trafficking ring that thrived in 1970s Massachusetts. The episode uncovers an extensive network of child exploitation, focusing on the infamous North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) and how societal norms of the time allowed such abuses to flourish.

McLaughlin's research reveals disturbing connections between organized pedophile rings across the U.S., including a 1977 Chicago Tribune investigation and cases in New Orleans, Tennessee, and Michigan. She emphasizes that child sexual abuse (CSA) was, and still is, a systemic issue, often involving high-profile figures who used their power to conceal their crimes.

The episode explores different types of child sex rings, based on forensic nurse Ann Burgess's work, and reveals how networks operated across industries, including trucking. McLaughlin details how these rings normalized abuse, using code words and front organizations, leading to widespread media coverage and new laws in the late 1970s.

McLaughlin highlights ongoing CSA cases involving figures like Jeffrey Epstein and R. Kelly, drawing parallels to past abuses. She stresses the importance of confronting CSA's history to prevent future crimes and concludes with a call for continued vigilance, citing the lasting impact of investigative exposés like Spotlight and Leaving Neverland.

This episode was produced, written and hosted by Melanie Perkins McLaughlin.

Editing by Mike Gioscia

Original music and additional editing by Drew O'Doherty

Consulting producer Anngelle Wood from Crime of the Truest Kind

Graphics and website by Cheryl Crawford design and Justin Stasburg

Research by Melissa Ellin and Maggie Schneider

Production assistance by Darren McFadden, Sarah Ruemenapp and Alexandra Vega

Our social media producer is Carla de Stefano

And special thanks to George. You know who you are.

Links:

Boston Globe Spotlight Series on Clergy Abuse

Boston Globe Spotlight Series on Private School Abuse

Boy Scout Perversion Files

Sexual Exploitation Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Crime 1977

Vanity Fair Article Boy Scout Abuse Story

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Follow: @openinvestigationSupport: Patreon.com/OpenInvestigationBased on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com | @haveyouseenandy