(Press Release) 40-year-old DNA match linked Richard Bilodeau with the rape and death of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco near the Hot Skates roller rink in Lynbrook

MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Center Moriches man was indicted on murder charges for the death of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco near a roller-skating rink in Lynbrook more than 40 years ago.

Richard Bilodeau, 63, was arraigned on October 15, 2025, before Judge Helene Gugerty on grand jury indictment charges of Murder in the Second Degree (Intentional Murder) (an A-I felony) and Murder in the Second Degree (During the Course of a Rape).

The defendant pleaded not guilty and was remanded. He is due back in court on November 21, 2025. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

“Theresa Fusco’s life was violently stolen from her 40 years ago, and since then, her family has suffered an enduring pain and the lingering question of who committed such a heinous act. Through remarkable advancements in forensic science and DNA analysis and the relentless pursuit of justice by my cold case homicide prosecutors and investigators, we can say today that we have indicted Theresa’s alleged killer,” said DA Donnelly. “The past has not been forgotten. Today’s indictment stands as proof that no matter how much time passes, we will never stop fighting for victims. My office is determined to see justice for Theresa and her family.”

Fusco was last seen on November 10, 1984, leaving the Hot Skates roller rink in Lynbrook after clocking out of work at 9:47 p.m. Her body was discovered in a wooded area near the rink about a month later, on December 5, and it was later determined that Fusco had been raped and strangled to death.

Three men were arrested and prosecuted for Fusco’s murder in 1986. Their convictions were overturned by the court in 2003 due to exculpatory DNA evidence. Charges against two of the men were later dismissed, and the third man was acquitted after a retrial when advanced DNA testing failed to match him to samples taken from the victim’s body.

NCDA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began surveilling Bilodeau in 2024 following the development of multiple investigative leads. 

In February 2024, investigators recovered a cup and straw the defendant had used and discarded at a smoothie café in Suffolk County. DNA extracted from the drink’s straw was tested and matched the sample taken from Fusco’s body in 1984.

Bilodeau had lived with his grandparents in Lynbrook at 16 Tredwell Avenue at the time of the murder, just a mile from Hot Skates and the Fusco residence.

Bilodeau was arrested on October 14, 2025, by members of the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.

NCDA thanks the FBI, retired and current members of the Nassau County Police Department, the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s Office, retired and current members of the Homicide Bureau’s support staff, and NCDA detective investigators for their dedication and assistance in this investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Tracy Keeton of the Homicide Bureau and Bureau Chief Jared Rosenblatt, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Cameron Good of the Narcotics, Firearms, and Gangs Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Lisa Thompson of the Special Victims Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Kevin Higgins. Bilodeau is represented by Dan Russo, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

Long Island will soon have its own pro soccer team — The Island F.C. — joining MLS Next Pro, the development league of Major League Soccer. A $25 million, privately funded, 2,500-seat stadium will be built at the Mitchel Athletic Complex, with room to expand to 5,000 fans. The team that is set to debut in March 2027.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Airports big and small around the country are refusing to play a video with a message from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in which she blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown and its impacts on Transportation Security Administration operations.
Airports in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Seattle and more say the video’s political content goes against their policies or regulations prohibiting political messaging in their facilities.
Various government agencies, in emails to workers and on websites, have adopted language that blames Democrats for the shutdown. Some experts argue it could be in violation of the 1939 Hatch Act, which restricts certain political activities by federal employees.
The shutdown has disrupted routine operations at some airports, leading to flight delays. Democrats say any deal to reopen the government has to address their health care demands, and Republicans say they won’t negotiate until they agree to fund the government. Some medical insurance premiums would double if Congress fails to renew the subsidy payments that expire Dec. 31.
In the video, Noem says the TSA’s “top priority” is to help make travel pleasant and efficient while keeping passengers safe.
“However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” she continues.
The TSA falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Roughly 61,000 of the agency’s 64,130 employees are required to continue working during the shutdown.
A spokesperson for DHS responded to a request for comment restating some of the message from Noem’s video.
“It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
DHS said Friday that the video is being rolled out to airports across the country.
In Columbus, Ohio, the video was not being aired at John Glenn International Airport as of Tuesday. Spokesperson Breann Almos said it is under legal review but did not provide a timeline.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, said it would not air the videos, citing rules against “politically partisan messages.”
Near the border with Canada, travelers won’t see the video at Buffalo Niagara International Airport or Niagara Falls International Airport. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said its “long-standing” policy and regulations prohibit “partisan messaging” in its facilities.
The Chicago Department of Aviation said advertising and public service announcements must follow guidelines that “prohibit content that endorses or opposes any named political party.” In Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport said it has a policy that doesn’t allow political messaging to be displayed in its facility. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas said it had to “remain mindful of the Hatch Act’s restrictions.”
“Per airport regulations, the terminals and surrounding areas are not designated public forums, and the airport’s intent is to avoid the use of the facility for political or religious advocacy,” the airport’s statement said.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said the county north of New York City won’t play the video at its local airport. In a statement, he called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials,” and said its tone is “unnecessarily alarmist” as it relates to operations at Westchester County Airport.
“At a time when we should be focused on ensuring stability, collaboration and preparedness, this type of messaging only distracts from the real issues, and undermines public trust,” he said.
Even in red states, airports weren’t showing the video for various reasons. Salt Lake City International Airport wasn’t playing it because state law prohibits using city-owned property for political purposes, said airport spokesperson Nancy Volmer.
The airport in Billings, Montana, “politely declined” even though it has screens that could show the video with audio, assistant aviation director Paul Khera said Tuesday.
“We don’t want to get in the middle of partisan politics,” Khera said. “We like to stay middle of the road, we didn’t want to play that video.” _
Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press writers Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado; Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio; and Claire Rush in Portland contributed to this report.

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer
D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B singer recognized by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” music video, has died. He was 51.
The singer, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, died Tuesday after a long bout with cancer, his family said in a statement.
It called him “a shining star of our family and has dimmed his light for us in this life,” adding that they are “eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind.”
In his music, D’Angelo blended hip-hop grit, emphatic soul and gospel-rooted emotion into a sound that helped spearhead the neo-soul movement of the 1990s. Earlier this year, the Virginia native celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album “Brown Sugar,” a platinum-selling offering that produced signature hits like “Lady” and the title track. The 1995 album earned him multiple Grammy nominations and cemented him as one of R&B’s most original new voices.
D’Angelo’s sultry vocal style — a mix of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity — set him apart from his peers. That voice became inseparable from the striking visuals of his 2000 single “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” The minimalist, shirtless music video became a cultural touchstone, igniting conversations around artistry, sexuality and vulnerability in Black male representation. The song earned him a Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance and propelled his sophomore album “Voodoo,” topping the Billboard 200 chart and winning the Grammy for best R&B album.
With an idiosyncratic spirit not unlike Prince, D’Angelo’s devotion was always to the craft — not the machinery around it. In a 2000 interview with The Associated Press, he spoke candidly about the cost of chasing commercial success.
“(Musicians) have gotten trapped into that mode of thinking marketable and commercial. That destroys art, that destroys the essence of what it is about,” he said. “You cannot, you cannot work like that. You cannot make music like that. That’s not what this is about.”
That same year, D’Angelo reflected on his need for solitude amid fame: “I used to hang out a lot, but now I’ve become more of a recluse,” he told AP. “I long for just peace and silence.”
Beyond his own catalog, D’Angelo’s artistry shined in collaborations. He memorably duetted with Lauryn Hill on the soulful ballad “Nothing Even Matters,” a highlight of her landmark 1998 album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” He also contributed to The Roots’ 1996 album “Illadelph Halflife” and was part of the supergroup Black Men United, which yielded one song: “U Will Know,” which D’Angelo wrote and co-produced, for the film “Jason’s Lyric” in 1994.
“I remember hearing your music for the first time… I said to myself damn whoever this is they are anointed,” Jamie Foxx said on social media. “Then when I finally got a chance to see you… Like everyone when they saw the most incredible music video of our time… I was blown away… I thought to myself I have to see this person in concert… I had my chance to see you at the house of blues… You came out and got right down to business… Your voice was silky and flawless… I was graciously envious of your style and your swag…”
Years before stepping back from public view, D’Angelo’s life and music were closely intertwined with Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone in the ’90s. The pair met while he was finishing “Brown Sugar” and bonded over their shared Southern roots and deep church upbringing. Stone contributed to the album and later collaborated with him on “Everyday,” a song from her 1999 debut album, “Black Diamond.”
Stone once described D’Angelo as her “musical soul mate,” to the AP in 1999, adding that their working relationship was “‘like milk and cereal …. Musically, it was magic. It’s something that I have not been able to do with any other producer or musician.” They had a son together, the artist Swayvo Twain, born Michael Archer Jr.
Stone died earlier this year in a car crash. She was 63.
D’Angelo also has a daughter, Imani Archer, who is also a music artist.
In the years that followed, D’Angelo’s life became as defined by absence as by acclaim. After “Voodoo,” he withdrew from the spotlight for more than a decade, fueling speculation about personal struggles and creative battles. His long-awaited return came in 2014 with “Black Messiah,” credited to D’Angelo and The Vanguard. The urgent and politically charged album that arrived amid nationwide protests and helped usher in a wave of activist music responding to police killings of Black Americans and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and won him a Grammy for best R&B album, reaffirming his stature as a generational voice. Its standout single, “Really Love,” earned him another Grammy for best R&B song and earned a nomination for record of the year.
In May, D’Angelo withdrew from being a headliner for the 2025 Roots Picnic in Philadelphia due to “an unforeseen medical delay regarding surgery (he) had earlier this year,” the artists shared in a statement. D’Angelo said he was advised the performance “could further complicate matters.”
Beyond his biggest singles, D’Angelo’s catalog includes fan favorites like “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine,” “Cruisin'” and “Devil’s Pie.” His influence stretched far beyond the charts: he inspired a wave of artists including Maxwell, Alicia Keys and Frank Ocean.