Suspect identified in 1980 cold case stabbing death of woman after another man’s conviction was vacated

AYER, Mass. (TCN) — Investigators recently identified a suspect in the stabbing death of a woman that occurred nearly 45 years ago.

According to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, on May 21, 1980, 48-year-old Katharina Brow was found deceased in her trailer home with at least 30 stab wounds, including five that penetrated her heart. Authorities determined she had died sometime between 7:10 a.m., when her husband left for work, and 10:45 a.m., when her body was discovered.

Brow had reportedly been struck repeatedly with a blunt instrument. In a press conference, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said officials concluded the victim was likely alive for 10 to 20 minutes after she was stabbed.

Brow’s home reportedly showed signs of a struggle. Her purse was missing, and cash from her linen closet was gone. Inside the trash can, investigators recovered a knife that had allegedly been used in the attack.

On Oct. 13, 1982, officials arrested Kenneth Waters in connection with Brow’s death, and he was convicted of murder. Years later, in 2001, the conviction was vacated after analysis of a bloodstain revealed another male’s DNA at the scene.

In 2022, the cold case unit revisited the case and used genetic genealogy to help identify the man. Investigators narrowed it down to two potential suspects who were brothers and both deceased. According to the district attorney’s office, the DNA evidence showed an “overwhelming statistical likelihood” that the DNA at the scene belonged to Joseph Boudreau, formerly of Maine. He was reportedly 37 at the time of Brow’s death.

Prosecutors said Boudreau had lived in Massachusetts for a long time. He was convicted of armed robbery in New Hampshire in 1975. Boudreau reportedly moved to Maine in 1987, where he died in 2004 at the age of 61.

According to the district attorney’s office, there’s no known link between Boudreau and Waters.

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