Her name was Sara Anne Wood. She was a Pastor's twelve-year-old daughter who was on her way home from her dad's church with supplies from Bible School. Sara was riding her bike on August 19, 1993, when she was abducted sometime after 2:30 pm while wearing her favorite colors of pink and teal.
Wood was extremely smart and loved dancing and poetry. Her teachers commented on how happy and vivacious she was in the classroom.
Sara was carrying a songbook, display board, and Bible literature. Those items and her bike were found near the area where she was abducted.
Her parents, Robert and Frances Wood, were shocked. They reported her disappearance to police that afternoon. Her family made flyers and hung them up while also organizing search teams to help try and locate Sara. Firefighters and police helped search the terrain in the area and there was also tons of statewide media coverage. This led to 1000 leads and a $150,000 reward for information leading to Sarah Ann Wood's body.
With all the media coverage, it went from a statewide to a nationwide search.
A rescue center was named after Sara Ann Wood and it helped investigators with leads for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sara's center has recovered as many as 399 children Nationwide.
In addition, Sara's search went nationwide. All new developments that were happening were being relayed through the local Sara Ann Wood Center. Her story was broadcast on America's most wanted and 48 hours.
One of the leads that was being focused on was a suspect named Louis Stephen Lent. Lent, a janitor, was from North Adams, Massachusetts, and he was being looked at for attempted abductions of other children. They were starting to wonder if he was a serial killer.
Because Sara's body was never found, this investigation was harder because they didn't have a body to test.
Lent's house was searched and it was revealed that there was a private chamber being constructed beneath the house. Lent confessed to Sara's rape and murder and said that he was making a room with a purpose to abuse his victims, and then murder them.
He was also being accused of an attempted abduction of Rebecca Saverse. Later on, he was convicted of her attempted abduction and sentenced to serve a term between 17 and 20 years.
While in prison, Lynch was being interrogated, and he later confessed to Sara's rape and murder in October 1990.
The question was, did he confess to something that he didn't do?
He sent the investigators and police on an extensive search around Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks. After 100 state troopers, tons of civilians, and Air Force Base volunteers, there was still no body. They were starting to wonder if Lent was putting them on a dead end.
In 1996, Lent pleaded guilty to another abduction and murder, and during that time he had told his attorney that he wished to plead guilty to Sara's murder as well. Again, did he really commit this murder?
Lent had recanted his confession to Sara's murder. However, he was still charged with second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Saras' parents were still hoping to get a confession on where her body was but Lynch refused to tell them where her body was.
Herkimer County District Attorney Michael Daley said that he believed that Lent had misled them intentionally in a number of different areas, "but he has given us all the information we need to find a location; he just hasn't given us the final piece – and he is challenging us to find that ourselves."
In addition to Sarah's murder conviction, Lent was being considered as a suspect in other disappearances. Despite the conviction of Lent of Sarah's murder and rape, her body was never found.
Was Lent the real suspect? At one point, the case was closed but then it was allegedly re-opened somewhere between 2013-2015.
New investigators, such as District Attorney Jeff Carpenter of Herkimer County, and the old District Attorney of Herkimer County, Michael Daley were working together due to new leads that kept coming 30 years later.
According to Sr. Investigator Dougherty, he said, "We would encourage anybody that has insights that they think we should be following up on to give us a call."
They are all determined to find Sara's body, and all the new leads have culminated in a new ground search.
Since the abduction of Sara, parenting styles changed. People were more alert to watch their children more and create new ways of being more vigilant.
This case has baffled a ton of people. Again, her body was never recovered. If anyone has any new information on Sara Ann Wood's murder, please contact the Major Crimes Unit at the State Police Office in Oneida County at 315-366-6000.
Written By:
Heidi
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