Background: News footage of the scene where human remains were found in Shirley, Mass., on March 4 (WBZ). Inset: Authorities identified the victim as Peter Degan (Middlesex County District Attorney”s Office).
In a chilling discovery that has left a Massachusetts community in shock, authorities have identified the victim whose dismembered body parts were found by teenagers in a local pond. The unsettling incident unfolded on March 4, when a group of youths playing in the snow near a bridge by Phoenix Pond stumbled upon what appeared to be human remains.
As the teenagers attempted to comprehend the grim sight, the Shirley Police Department swiftly confirmed through a Facebook post that the object in question was indeed a human limb. Witnessing the distressing scene, Katy Marsh, a dog walker in the vicinity, reported seeing the teenagers visibly shaken, exclaiming repeatedly, “That’s so messed up, that’s so messed up.”
Marsh further recounted to a local Fox affiliate, WFXT, that someone had identified the body part as “a leg,” specifying it as a right leg and foot. The impact of the discovery was especially profound for Dominic Dunn, a 15-year-old among those who made the initial find. Speaking to CBS affiliate WBZ, Dominic expressed his discomfort, noting, “I definitely didn’t like that. I didn’t like finding a leg with younger siblings here.”
At a recent press conference, authorities revealed that all the recovered body parts belonged to a man named Degan, identified via fingerprints. Degan had a complex past; he was a convicted felon residing in a “pre-release house” following his release from the MCI-Shirley medium-security prison on February 6. His criminal record included a guilty plea to charges of money laundering and cocaine trafficking in 2019, for which he had served his sentence. Degan was last seen alive on February 27, adding a layer of mystery to his tragic demise.
A day after the horrific find, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan held a press conference, during which she identified the owner of the human remains as 69-year-old Peter Degan. According to Ryan, a police diving team arrived at the scene after the initial report and found “additional body parts” in the pond. Ryan described the limbs as having been “clean cut” and “severed with a sharp force instrument.”
During the press conference, Ryan said that while a full body was not recovered, all the body parts that were found belonged to Degan. He was identified by his fingerprints.
Ryan stated that Degan was a convicted felon who was living in a “pre-release house” after being released from the MCI-Shirley medium-security prison on Feb. 6. Degan pleaded guilty to money laundering and cocaine trafficking in 2019 and had completed his sentence. He was last seen alive on Feb. 27, Ryan said.
Authorities do not believe that Degan’s apparent homicide was random. The investigation into Degan’s death is ongoing, and Shirley Police Chief Samuel Santiago said that anyone with information that may be helpful can call 978-425-2642.
