On July 20, 1991, 17-year-old Patricia Moreno sat on the fire escape at her foster

family's apartment building.

She often used the fire escape for solace, the apartment was crowded and hot and loud.

But in the early morning hours of that scorching summer night, her place of respite became

the scene of her murder.

For over three decades, the mystery of Patricia's death persisted.

The occupants of the apartment claimed to have heard gunshots, but had no knowledge of

the shooter's identity.

Years later, the death of a family member and the surfacing of an eyewitness shed new light

on the case, giving investigators hot leads and the long-standing cold case.

Now 32 years later, Patricia Moreno finally has closure with the conviction of her killer.

I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is the case of Patricia Moreno, on Dark Down East.

In late July of 1991, Maldon Massachusetts was experiencing a heat wave.

The city of 54,000 people lay just north of Boston and typically benefited from its proximity

to the Atlantic Ocean, with a cooling breeze to cut the heavy and humid summer nights.

But on the night of July 20, 1991, it hovered around 100 degrees, with no reprieve.

New England, a region known far better for its fall foliage and winter ice storms than

its less common summer heat, was not prepared for this weather.

The old buildings of the area, with their thick brick walls and narrow windows, offered little

relief to residents.

On that Saturday night, the high temperatures showed no sign of relinquishing their hold

on the city.

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