On a winter night in early February of 1992, John E. Volungus Jr. was standing on the edge of a brand new life.

After years of working toward a career in law enforcement, John was about to take off for his next step in that pursuit.

It was supposed to be a fresh start, after navigating a complicated past and an

equally complicated marriage. But before he could take that next step, something happened inside

the Worcester duplex he shared with his wife, something no one has ever fully explained.

I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is the case of John E. Valuncass Jr. on Dark Down East.

It was the night of February 3rd, 1992, and for 21-year-old John E. Valungus Jr., it was the night before the rest of his life.

John was scheduled to leave the next morning to begin six months of active military duty.

According to reporting by Diane Williamson, who covered this case extensively for the Worcester

telegram and Gazette, John would be reporting to a U.S. Army military entrance processing

station in Springfield, after having enlisted the previous October, he'd be heading to California

and was classified for military intelligence with foreign language training.

John had always kept his sights on a decorated law enforcement and military career.

Lee Hamill writes for the telegram and Gazette that John was working towards becoming an FBI

agent and had even once told a friend he'd like to be president one day. He was committed to these

massive goals, even when events in his past threatened to derail his dreams in a major way.

But he was past all of that now. His future was about to begin. John and his wife of 14 months,

Bridget Dioreo Volungis, had an up-and-down relationship.

She was about 12 years his senior, something his parents didn't necessarily approve of,

and during the frequent off periods in their marriage, Bridget sometimes saw other people.

John had just moved back into their shared duplex, had five Porter Street in

Worcester a few weeks earlier, after staying with his parents for several months while he and

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