‘It never goes away’: Holly Piirainen’s family still looking for answers 31 years after her murder

For the family of Holly Piirainen, the first week of August is almost unbearable.

On August 5, 1993, 10-year-old Holly Piirainen was abducted from Sturbridge.

Her body was found more than two months later in the nearby town of Brimfield.

Holly’s killer has never been caught.

“It never really goes away. It’s always right there under the surface,” Carla Jackman, Holly’s aunt told me. “Holly would have been 41 right now, she should be here.”

Holly Piirainen lived in Grafton.

She was in Sturbridge that day, staying at her grandmother’s lakefront cottage.

At about lunchtime, Holly and her baby brother went to a neighbor’s house to see a litter of newborn puppies.

Holly’s brother came home, but Holly never did.

One of her sneakers was found in the street.

In recent years, investigators asked the public for help with information about a man named Norman Pouliot, forensic evidence linked him to the area where Holly was found.

Pouliot died in 2003.

In February 2023, the DA turned to the public for help in identifying the owner of this tank top, also found near Holly’s remains.

Carla tells Boston 25 that police have several potential suspects.

“There’s a good half dozen people that are really strong people of interest. It’s frustrating. Some people think it’s this person, some think it’s this person, when they both could be, do something like this,” Carla said.

But even with potential suspects and evidence, there are still no answers.

“How can that person still be out there and escape justice after all this time? How is this possible?” I asked.

“I don’t know. It would be really nice if someone is listening to this says, ‘It’s been long enough, I’m going to confess or I’m going to tell what I know,’” Carla said.

If you have any information about the murder of Holly Piirainen you are urged to contact the Hampden County DA’s office in Springfield.

Holly’s Tip-Line: 413-426-3507.

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