Unsolved Murder of Teen Girl 'Haunts Us,' Says Mayor

More than 18 years after she was strangled to death, the city of Somerville still hasn't forgotten Deanna Cremin, and city officials have vowed to continue searching for information about her murder.

On Sept. 19, Cremin's name was added to Boston's Garden Of Peace, a memorial to victims of homicide, and on Oct. 10 the Somerville Board of Aldermen remembered the murdered 17-year-old with a moment of silence.

"This particular incident is one that haunts us and is a cloud over the city because someone knows what happened," said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone during the remembrance.

Cremin, who lived on Jaques Street, had gone out with her boyfriend, Tommy LeBlanc, on March 30, 1995, but she never returned. Her body was found dumped behind an elderly housing complex two blocks from her home.

Katherine Cremin, Deanna's mother, broke down on Oct. 10 as she remembered her daughter as a "vibrant personality" [with a] beautiful smile" who "had dreams of being part of the growth of Somerville by working with children."

Katherine Cremin said she's been living a "nightmare" for the 18-years since her daughter's death. "Every day her murder is fresh for me," she said.

"How do we keep moving forward when we don't know who did this and why?" she said.

LeBlanc, who was a person of interest in the case, was never charged with the murder and hasn't been seen in years.

"For 18 years I've been told the investigation is ongoing," Katherine Cremin said. She believes someone out there knows something, saw something or has a tidbit of information that could help with the investigation. "I honestly believe you can make a difference in getting this crime solved," she said to the public at large.

Said Curtatone, "We lost someone special in this community," and "whatever we have to do, we're going to do."

It's an effort Cremin's family and friends haven't given up on. Every year they organize a walk, retracing Deanna's last steps from the night she was murdered, and symbolically walking her home.

You can find more information at deannacremin.org.

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