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Return to Andy: An Update to the Disappearance of Andy Puglisi Ep 1

We return to the investigation into the disappearance of Andy Puglisi a decade after the HBO documentary, Have You Seen Andy?, was released. This episode is structured around intimate conversations between Melanie and Andy’s mother, Faith, as they review information they realize is relevant now but may not have back when the documentary was broadcast.

Melanie uncovers new information as she picks up the investigation where she left off. The first question she asks is who were the “five known pedophiles” said to have been at the pool when Andy was abducted? She believes Andy may have been stalked before he was abducted, possibly for child pornography which today is called child sex abuse material or CSAM. She explores Wayne W. Chapman’s penchant for expensive camera equipment and hears from a witness who observed Chapman’s dark room. She reveals never before published audio of Wayne W. Chapman’s interrogation with Providence detective Al Mintz. We learn how the advent of digital media allowed Melanie to better understand the interrogation audio uncovering new evidence in the complicity of Wayne W. Chapman in the abduction of Andy Puglisi.

We hear a never before published, exclusive audio tape of Wayne W. Chapman identifying landmarks in Lawrence from the 1970s such as the Turnstyle store on Rt. 114, the on ramp near Rt.495 where he lured two Lawrence boys into the woods and the local park adjacent to the projects. In this tape Chapman admits to having been to Lawrence whereas he has always denied it publicly. We also discover that Chapman tells the police detective he saw blood after abducted a boy that he took from a swimming pool. Detective Al Mintz believes Chapman is talking about Andy. When Mintz asks Chapman where he saw the blood we are able to discern, for the first time, Chapman says “my blade”, “after I wiped my blade”. This audio had been unintelligible for years because of tape slippage. Going from analog to digital technology allows for micro movement of audio. The audio combined with testimony from other children that Chapman likely had a knife when he abducted them helps Melanie understand what exactly Chapman admitted to - nearly 45 years after Andy disappeared! Finally we hear from one of Chapman’s victims who realizes serendipity likely saved his life. Wayne W. Chapman died in October of 2021. He continued to deny any involvement in the disappearance of Andy Puglisi.

Show Links
Have You Seen Andy website with timeline
Wayne W. Chapman About to Be Released is Arrested Again
Wayne W. Chapman To Be Released
Wayne W. Chapman Placed Near Andy’s Childhood friend, Melanie McLaughlin

Based on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com | @haveyouseenandy

Follow: @openinvestigation

Support: Patreon.com/OpenInvestigation

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Episode 0 is the pilot episode of the 8-part investigative podcast series, Open Investigation. This episode introduces the tragic story of 10-year-old Andy (Angelo) Puglisi, who disappeared from a public swimming pool in Lawrence, MA, on August 22, 1976. The podcast is hosted by Melanie Perkins McLaughlin, Andy's childhood friend, who was only nine years old when she was with him the day he vanished. When the search for Andy was called off after just six days, Melanie made a promise to herself and Andy that she would one day try to find him.

In 2007, Melanie's HBO documentary Have You Seen Andy? premiered, and in 2008, it won an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Journalism. The documentary, currently streaming on MAX, was initially intended to help re-open Andy's investigation allowing Andy's family and the community to move forward by sharing Andy's story. However, it unexpectedly opened a Pandora's Box, revealing dozens of other unsolved cases of missing and murdered children from the 1970s.

With unique access, decades of investigative research, including hundreds of hours of documentary footage, rare audio recordings, police and court records, and research notes, Melanie reopens the investigation. She shares the culmination of her work, aiming not only to reopen other cases but also to emphasize trauma-informed, victim-centered justice for victims, survivors, and their families.

Following the pilot, each episode delves into new information that updates not only Andy's story but explores the cases of dozens of other missing children, several of which have been reopened by law enforcement as a result of this investigation. The series also documents the history of child trafficking in America.

Show Links

Have You Seen Andy streaming on MAX

Have You Seen Andy website

Mass State Police UnResolved Case Unit

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The Vanished Podcast: Episode 454 Andy Puglisi: Open Investigation

The Boston Globe Series featuring Andy Puglisi's Case

Based on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com

Follow @openinvestigation

Text the show

Coming September 2024 | Open Investigation is an 8-part series updating the HBO Max documentary, Have You Seen Andy? featuring dozens of unresolved cases of missing and murdered children and the history of human trafficking in the United States.

Based on the HBO Emmy award-winning documentary "Have You Seen Andy?" - haveyouseenandy.com

Follow @openinvestigation