Norfolk DA names Quincy homicide victim after 35 years
Forensic genealogy identified Glenn Powers, a 1970 Randolph High School graduate, whose remains were buried near 270 Quarry Street in 1991.
By Julia Wang ·
Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey announced Sunday that state troopers have identified the skeletal remains of a man killed in Quincy three decades ago. The victim is Glenn Powers, a 1970 graduate of Randolph High School. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Powers died from blunt force trauma and classified his death as a homicide. The identification concludes a search that began when the body was first discovered.
The timeline of the case stretches back to March 21, 1991. On that date, a civilian walking through a wooded area near 270 Quarry Street in Quincy found the remains in a shallow grave. The location has since been developed and now sits near the Sgt. Robert Allen Curry and Michael G. Therrien fields. For 35 years, the victim remained unknown to investigators until recent forensic advancements allowed for a match. The case was assigned to a Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Unit trooper working with the Norfolk District Attorney's Office. That trooper worked alongside Quincy Police Detective Jim Menz to build a family tree using publicly available databases and records.
The identification relied on forensic genetic genealogy, a method that combines advanced DNA sequencing with traditional genealogical research. The Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center performed the genealogical work. The MSP Crime Lab and BODE Technology handled the DNA analysis. The Quincy Police Department partnered with the state troopers throughout the investigation. Morrissey credited the collaboration for bringing closure to Powers' family after such a long period of uncertainty. He noted that the office does not label unsolved crimes as cold cases, emphasizing that every victim deserves justice regardless of the time elapsed.
The District Attorney's Office stated it is continuing the search for the person or people responsible for Powers' murder. Morrissey appealed to the public for information, asserting that someone knows what happened to the 1970 graduate. He urged residents to come forward with any details that could help identify the killer. The office is actively pursuing this homicide alongside other unsolved cases in Norfolk County. Investigators are reviewing the case for new technologies or information that might break the deadlock. The goal is to hold the responsible parties accountable for a crime committed in the early 1990s.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Massachusetts State Police tip line at the Norfolk District Attorney's Office at 781-830-4990. The Quincy Police Department can be reached at 617-745-5768. The Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit accepts tips at 1-855-627-6583. These contacts remain open as the office works to resolve the murder of Glenn Powers.
