00:00Okay, this is, wow, two bodies found in the woods, right behind a Walmart in Salem, Massachusetts.
00:06Yeah, it's the kind of headline that just stops you, doesn't it?
00:09Yeah.
00:09Very disturbing.
00:10Absolutely.
00:11We've been looking through the initial reports, NBC, Boston, MassLive.
00:15There was a video report from WCB Channel 5, too.
00:20Trying to piece together what's actually known at this early stage.
00:23Exactly.
00:24The goal here is really just to unpack the key facts, you know, get a clearer picture of this story as it's unfolding.
00:30And the setting itself, I mean, behind a Walmart, it's so everyday, yet the scene of something so violent.
00:37Right.
00:38It really makes you think.
00:39So let's lay out the timeline.
00:40It started Wednesday afternoon.
00:42A man's out walking his dog, apparently in the woods behind the Highland Avenue Walmart.
00:47And he finds something.
00:48He finds what looks like a body, calls the police, and when they get there, they find a second body.
00:53Nearby.
00:54Two bodies.
00:55Just awful.
00:56And this was, what, pretty close to the store?
00:58Yeah.
00:58The report said about 100 feet from one corner in this wooded patch that they taped off.
01:03Right.
01:03A public space, but also sort of hidden, I suppose.
01:07Exactly.
01:08And we know both victims were male.
01:10No IDs released yet, though.
01:12Still unidentified.
01:14That's tough.
01:15And the details about how they were found, pretty grim.
01:19Yeah, the prosecutor mentioned this at the arraignment.
01:21They said the bodies showed signs of blunt force trauma and stab wounds.
01:26So definitely violent deaths.
01:28Not accidental.
01:29Not at all.
01:30And they were apparently hidden, covered by, quote, various items and dirt.
01:35Which suggests someone tried to conceal them.
01:38Deliberately.
01:39Points to covering tracks, doesn't it?
01:40It certainly does.
01:41Yeah.
01:41A conscious effort after the fact.
01:43Which leads us to the arrest.
01:45Happened very fast.
01:46Yeah, J. Blodgett, 30 years old.
01:49Arrested and charged.
01:50Two counts of murder.
01:51His arraignment was Thursday morning.
01:52And a not guilty plea was entered for him.
01:54Standard procedure at this point, right?
01:56But here's something interesting.
01:57Oh.
01:58The specific facts of the case.
02:00They've been sealed.
02:02Impounded until a probable cause hearing on May 28th.
02:05Ah, okay.
02:06So the prosecution is holding a lot back right now.
02:08That usually means they have sensitive details or the investigation is still very active.
02:13Could be.
02:13But, uh, even with things sealed, the prosecutor did say something pretty significant.
02:18What was that?
02:19That Blodgett eventually made a statement implicating himself in the murders.
02:23Implicating himself.
02:25Okay, that's huge.
02:26Even if we don't know the exact words or context yet.
02:28Right.
02:29We don't know why they zeroed in on him so fast.
02:31The sources don't say.
02:33But that alleged statement is clearly central.
02:35It puts him right in the middle of it.
02:37Did he say anything else in court?
02:38Only briefly.
02:40Apparently just about getting his court-appointed lawyer sorted out.
02:43Okay.
02:44And he's being held.
02:45Yeah, held without bail.
02:46That's significant.
02:47Yeah.
02:48Shows the court sees him as a potential flight risk or danger, based on whatever evidence
02:53was presented, even if sealed from the public.
02:55Definitely serious.
02:56Now, let's talk about Blodgett himself.
02:58Because his recent history, it adds a whole other layer here.
03:02Okay, what do we know?
03:03Police records show he was arrested just last week.
03:07For what?
03:08For allegedly breaking into a storage container with a hacksaw.
03:12A hacksaw.
03:13Okay.
03:13And where was this storage container?
03:15This is the key part.
03:16It was near the Walmart.
03:17And the reason he was apparently breaking in, he'd just been kicked out of the area he'd
03:22been living in.
03:23Let me guess.
03:23Yep.
03:24The woods behind the Walmart on Highland Avenue.
03:28Yeah.
03:28The same woods where the bodies were just found.
03:31Okay, so there's a direct connection.
03:32He was living there, got kicked out, and then this happens right after.
03:36Yeah.
03:36That's a strong link to the location.
03:38Definitely.
03:39And during that storage container incident, which was like April 17th, he reportedly told
03:44the police he had no place to go now.
03:46Sounds desperate.
03:47Was he trying to live in the container?
03:49Seems like it.
03:50He'd apparently brought a mattress inside, was tossing stuff out to make room.
03:54Huh.
03:54Was anything taken from it?
03:56Some jewelry was reported missing.
03:57He denied taking it, though.
03:59Okay, so a possible theft element there, too, but denied.
04:01What else from that earlier arrest?
04:04Well, when they arrested him for the container break-in, they seized his bike, a green one,
04:10and get this, over $6,700 in cash.
04:15Whoa, wait.
04:16It's $6,700?
04:18Where did he say he got that?
04:19He apparently claimed it was from panhandling.
04:21Got that.
04:22Seems like a very large amount for panhandling, doesn't it?
04:25It really does.
04:26That detail definitely jumps out.
04:27You have to wonder where that money actually came from.
04:29Absolutely.
04:31Investigators must be looking hard at that.
04:33Any connection to the victims, maybe?
04:36Or the motive?
04:37It's a big question mark.
04:38For sure.
04:38And it sounds like he was known around there.
04:40Neighbors called him a well-known panhandler.
04:43So people recognized him.
04:44Yeah.
04:44One guy who works nearby even said he knew him, thought he was the nicest guy,
04:49always said hi, said he'd given him money before.
04:52And this person was surprised by the murder charges.
04:55Very surprised, according to the report.
04:57It just shows, you know, you often don't know the full story behind the people you see every day.
05:02A disconnect between that perception and these charges.
05:05Definitely a disconnect.
05:06And remember, this specific wooded area, it had those wildfires last year, too.
05:11Right.
05:11I remember that.
05:12So maybe it's a bit neglected, perhaps.
05:14Yeah.
05:14Less monitored.
05:16Could be.
05:16Maybe why someone felt they could, you know, camp out there or, unfortunately, why a crime might happen there.
05:23Makes sense.
05:24So what's next for the investigation?
05:26Well, the Salem police chief, Lucas Miller, he emphasized how exceptionally fast the arrest was made.
05:32Trying to reassure the public, I imagine.
05:34Yeah.
05:34And he stated there's no current threat to the public now, implying they believe they have the person responsible.
05:40Which points back to Blodgett and that alleged statement.
05:42Exactly.
05:43We also know Blodgett's lawyer is planning to look into his mental health.
05:47That's not surprising.
05:48It's a standard and important angle to explore in cases this serious.
05:52It could impact everything down the line.
05:55Yeah.
05:55And the prosecutor mentioned a 90-minute interview Blodgett gave police.
05:59That'll be crucial evidence, I'm sure.
06:01Oh, definitely.
06:02Both sides will be dissecting that interview very carefully.
06:05So the next key date is that probable cause hearing, May 28th.
06:09That's when we might get more concrete details.
06:12Perhaps some of that sealed information could come out.
06:14See what evidence the prosecution actually has.
06:17Right.
06:17So to sum it up, two men, still unidentified, murdered violently blunt force, stab wounds found hidden in the woods behind the Salem Walmart.
06:27And Jay Blodgett, who was apparently homeless and living in those same woods until recently, is arrested quickly.
06:33Charged with their murders after allegedly implicating himself.
06:36Plus, there's that prior arrest just days before the significant amount of cash.
06:41Yeah, lots of pieces.
06:42But still, huge questions remain.
06:45Who are the victims?
06:47What was the motive?
06:48Did Blodgett know them?
06:49What's the real story behind that $6,700?
06:52Exactly.
06:53So much we don't know yet.
06:54It really makes you think, doesn't it?
06:56About, you know, the hidden things happening in places you walk past every day.
06:59The complexities under the surface.
07:01Absolutely.
07:01And it leaves you wondering, when those sealed details eventually come out in May, what are they going to reveal about what really happened in those woods?
07:10Yeah.
07:10It's a deeply disturbing situation, and we'll certainly be watching for more information.
07:15Leaves you with a lot to think about.
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