Lineida Olivera vanished from Worcester, Massachusetts during 2007. The 35-year-old woman had given birth to twin girls in early January. Weeks later, she seemingly vanished without a trace. While an exact date of Lineida's disappearance is unknown, most sources state that she was last seen alive in late January 2007.
Lineida moved to Massachusetts from Puerto Rico when she was 16 years-old, after giving birth to her first child. In the years that followed, Lineida gave birth to 10 more children - the youngest two being the twins that were born shortly before her disappearance. According to reports, Lineida lost custody of six children in 1999 - when she was 26 years-old. Lineida's family members said that she had suffered with substance abuse for many years, leading to several struggles in her life.
After giving birth to the twins, Lineida expressed a desire to get clean once and for all. Her family members hoped this was the reason that she fell out-of-touch after late January 2007. The family initially believed that she was in a detox rehabilitation center where she was not allowed to contact them. However, as weeks stretched into months without any sign of Lineida, loved ones began to fear that something had happened to her. Lineida's family reported her missing on May 4th, 2007.
Months later, on September 3rd, 2007, human remains were found in a wooded area in Rutland. The remains were spotted by a deer hunter, in a location approximately just 200 yards from Route 122. The body was later identified as that of Lineida Olivera. Her death was labeled a homicide. An exact cause of death has never been publicly revealed.
The discovery of Lineida's remains left both her loved ones and investigators with many questions. Though there are some strong theories about what might have happened, news on Lineida's case has been scarce over the years. Today, one huge question still remains unanswered: who killed Lineida Olivera?
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Serial killings in the area.
Serial killings in the area.
While investigating Lineida's disappearance and death, the Worcester Police looked into the possibility that the case was linked to another string of unsolved killings in the area.
During September 2003, the bodies of Betzaida Montalvo and Carmen Rudy were found in Marlborough. Betzaida vanished in April 2003, while Carmen had vanished in September 2002. Despite vanishing at different times, the two women's remains were found just meters away from each other. Betzaida's body was found first. Days later, while the scene was still being investigated, Carmen's body was found as well.
In March of 2004, the body of Dinelia Torres was found in an area "approximately two kilometers" away from where the bodies of Carmen and Betzaida were found. Dinelia had been missing since the fall of 2003. After Dinelia's body was found, it appeared that investigators were confident that the murders of Carmen, Betzaida, and Dinelia were committed by the same person. This unidentified killer was given the name "Main South Woodsman" due to the victim's connections to the Main South area, and the fact that their bodies were found in the woods.
Another potential victim.
In September 2004, the body of another woman, Wendy Morrello, was found in a garbage can in York, Maine. Although Wendy was found in a different state, investigators in Massachusetts have pondered if her murder was committed by this suspected serial killer as well. The area where Wendy was found is located less than 100 miles away from Marlborough. Additionally, Maine investigators have stated that they do not believe Wendy was killed in their state - but that her body was brought there to be hidden.
However, the fact that Wendy was found in Maine, and the fact that the disposal of her body seemingly differed from the way that the bodies of the other women were disposed - has given investigators pause. Although there is strong speculation that Wendy was killed by the same person who killed Betzaida, Carmen, and Dinelia, investigators still seem open to the possibility that she was killed by someone else.
The connection of the victims to Lineida Olivera.
Carmen, Betzaida, Dinelia, and Wendy all had many things in common with Lineida Olivera: all of the women struggled with substance abuse, all had a history of sex work, all frequented the Main South area, and all mysteriously vanished - only to later be found deceased. There has also been speculation at least some of these women were known to each other.
These commonalities have inevitably led to the theory/possibility that all five women were victims of the same serial killer. However, it appears that investigators are more confident about Carmen, Betzaida, and Dinelia being victims of the same killer than they are about Wendy and Lineida.
Another theory on Lineida's murder.
In a report published shortly after Lineida's body was found, Lineida's sister Marilyn Olivera is quoted saying that she does not believe Lineida was killed by the Main South Woodsman; she believes Lineida was killed by someone she knew. The report states that Marilyn explained, "Lineida was cautious in her dealings with people. If she was going out with someone she didn't know, she'd call Marilyn and leave the license plate of the person she was going to see, just in case."
Lineida did not make such a phone call before her disappearance, leading Marilyn to believe that Lineida was with someone she knew before she vanished. Marilyn stated, "She'd give me a clue [about who she was spending time with]. But before she disappeared, she didn't call me. That's why I think she went out with someone she knew."
In that same article, a spokesperson for the Worcester County District Attorney's Office is quoted saying "We don't think the evidence we found in this particular case is the work of a serial killer." However, now that nearly two decades have passed since Lineida's death, it is unknown if investigators have changed their stance. As of today, the possibility of Lineida being a victim of the Main South Woodsman has not been completely ruled out.
A potential suspect for the serial killings.
In 2008, investigators announced that a man named Alex Scesny, then 38-years-old, was a potential suspect for the Main South murders. Scesny had been recently arrested for the 1996 murder of Theresa Stone. Stone was also a sex worker, and she lived in Fitchburg at the time of her death.
Throughout his adult life, Scesny displayed several concerning behaviors towards women. He was accused of rape on more than one occasion. In fact, Scesny was charged with rape in 2002 - but the charges were dropped after the victim passed away before being able to testify in court.
There are several reasons why investigators have theorized that Scesny could be the Main South Woodsman. Scesny's history of violence towards women is inevitably one of those reasons. Additionally, Scesny's family reportedly owned a farm in Marlborough - located within walking distance from the area where the bodies of Betzaida Montalvo and Carmen Rudy were found.
After Scesny was arrested for the murder of Theresa Stone, he was questioned extensively about the Main South murders. Scesny continuously denied involvement the murders and has never been charged in connection with any of the cases.
In 2012, Scesny was convicted for the murder of Theresa Stone. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Still unsolved.
As of 2026, the murder of Lineida Olivera remains unsolved. The murders of Betzaida Montalvo, Carmen Rudy, Dinelia Torres, and Wendy Morrello remain unsolved as well. The Massachusetts State Police are in charge of investigating these cases.
If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Lineida Olivera or any of the murders, please contact authorities at 508-453-7589.
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