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27 and Counting is a gripping documentary series investigating 27 unsolved cases of missing and murdered children in 1970s Massachusetts. Through interviews and archival material, it uncovers the dark history of child exploitation and human trafficking in Boston’s Combat Zone. The series sheds light on the rise of child abductions in the 1970s and explores how modern technology may finally provide answers to these chilling cases.
In this powerful season finale, host Melanie Perkins McLaughlin takes listeners through an emotional journey, recounting her own experiences as a child advocate and revealing how survivors transform their trauma into a force for change. We hear directly from survivor and advocate Billy Giblin, whose story of resilience and advocacy sheds light on the lasting … Test For Season Two
Read moreThis is 8 part first season is based on the HBO Emmy Award winning documentary, “Have You Seen Andy?“, the true story of a childhood friend’s search for answers to the disappearance of her 11 year old friend, Andy Puglisi who vanished from Lawrence, MA in 1976. The story picks up where the documentary left off. Director Melanie Perkins realizes by searching for her childhood friend she has opened a Pandora’s box revealing dozens of other unsolved missing & murdered children whose cases may be related to Andy’s.
In this powerful season finale, host Melanie Perkins McLaughlin takes listeners through an emotional journey, recounting her own experiences as a child advocate and revealing how survivors transform their trauma into a force for change. We hear directly from survivor and advocate Billy Giblin, whose story of resilience and advocacy sheds light on the lasting impact of abuse and the urgent need for legislative reform. Joined by attorney and policy expert Kathryn Robb, and Massachusetts State Senator Joan Lovely, we discuss the systemic issues that survivors face and the critical role of advocacy in healing and justice. Bob Hoatson from Road to Recovery shares resource and support.
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In this episode of Open Investigation, host Melanie Perkins McLaughlin continues the journey into the chilling connections between child disappearances, abuse, and organized crime networks. Episode 7, “Connections,” unearths disturbing details surrounding the missing and murdered children of the 1970s, focusing on how individuals within criminal circles, including pedophiles and traffickers, formed complex networks to perpetuate child exploitation.
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In this powerful episode of Open Investigation, host Melanie McLaughlin dives deep into the effects of trauma, memory, and survival. The episode covers stories of child survivors of clergy abuse and other forms of childhood trauma, exploring the way memories resurface and the mechanisms the mind employs to cope. Melanie shares her own journey and how her search for answers in the disappearance of her friend, Andy Puglisi, led her into the dark underworld of organized child trafficking and abuse networks.
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In this intense episode, host Melanie McLaughlin delves into the disturbing reality of child exploitation networks, clergy abuse, and the failures of the systems meant to protect the innocent. Melanie explores the case of her childhood friend, Andy Puglisi, and how his disappearance in 1976 intersects with a network of child trafficking. As more survivors come forward, connections among clergy abuse cases in Massachusetts reveal chilling patterns of organized abuse and cover-ups.
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In Episode 4 of Open Investigation, host Melanie McLaughlin delves deeper into her investigation of the 1970s child trafficking rings, focusing on her childhood friend Andy Puglisi’s disappearance and the broader child exploitation network that flourished in Massachusetts. She highlights the formation of the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) and reveals how pedophile networks operated openly, facilitated by societal complacency. McLaughlin outlines the connections between prominent figures in business, religion, and community organizations who shielded their crimes, linking these networks to national child prostitution and pornography rings.
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What if the institutions you trust to protect the vulnerable were instead their worst predators? Join us on a harrowing journey through the Boston Sex Scandal of the 1970s, where systemic failures and nefarious networks allowed the exploitation and trafficking of children to flourish. We’ll uncover the tragic story of Dick Bavley a social worker who betrayed his duty to protect, and explore John Mitzel’s pro-pedophile book, “The Boston Sex Scandal,” which reveals how the man/boy love movement attempted to attach itself to the legitimate gay rights movement.
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Tips come pouring in as a result of the release of the documentary viewed by an estimated 35 million people. We identify an additional 27* unsolved cases of missing and murdered children in MA from the 1970s. Many of the facts of these unresolved cases have been lost over time during an analog era. Melanie begins building a digital database comparing unsolved cases involving missing and murdered children in MA. What she discovers is harrowing.
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Return to Andy reveals new developments in the disappearance of Andy Puglisi and ends with Melanie discovering dozens of unsolved cases of missing and murdered children in Massachusetts while exploring the possibility some of the cases are connected to Andy’s.
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