Cold Case: Mary Badaracco

Mary E. Badaracco, of Sherman, CT, missing since 8/20/84 morning. D.O.B 3/11/46, age 38. For Cold Cases story. (HANDOUT / May 25, 1974)

Police have reopened the murder investigation of a woman missing for 15 years.

When 38-year-old Mary Badaracco disappeared in August 1984, investigators believed she had simply fled a bad marriage to Danbury businessman Dominick Badaracco.

In 1990, state police reclassified the missing persons case to a homicide, even though no body had been found.

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Earlier this month, state police announced they have reopened the investigation after new information surfaced.

``A homicide case is never really closed,'' state police spokesman Sgt. J. Paul Vance said. ``But we have developed some new information and decided to re-publicize the case.''

Neither Vance, nor Det. Michael Hofbauer, who has been assigned the investigation, would discuss the new information. But Hofbauer said it could be the most significant development in the case in several years.

At the time she disappeared, Mary Badaracco had been married for 14 years to Dominick Badaracco.

Dominick Badaracco said they were about to be divorced. He told police he last saw his wife when he left for work on Aug. 20, 1984. When he returned home, her car was still there, but she was gone, along with her clothes, jewelry and money.

The investigation shifted its focus to murder in 1986. Investigators interviewed a former member of the Bridgeport chapter of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang who told police he had heard another Hell's Angels member discuss ``hitting Mary Badaracco.''

Police questioned the gang member identified by the informant, but he denied any involvement.