A mother of three left her Newton home to return some clothes. She was found dead in a vacant lot in Roxbury.

Ruth B. Pearson, a 61-year-old single mother, excitedly ventured into Boston one August day in 1975 but never returned home. Following her absence, her daughter reported her missing, and authorities soon discovered Pearson’s lifeless body in Roxbury. Initially unidentified, the tragedy not only shocked her family but also drew attention to the vulnerabilities of women. She was characterized as a youthful empty-nester transitioning into this new phase while her youngest child was set to pursue a prestigious legal education.

"When she hadn't returned home by the next morning, her daughter reported her missing to the police. At about 8:40 a.m., someone walking their dog in a vacant lot in the Madison Park section of Roxbury found Pearson. She had been shot multiple times."

"Pearson looked a lot younger than she was, and after raising three kids and seeing her ex-husband get remarried, she was still getting used to being an empty-nester. The spacious Colonial home in Waban where she raised her family was no longer filled with the voices of youngsters who needed her attention."

Read at Boston.com