Help Find Molly Bish's Killer | Full Episode + Post Mortem

Molly Bish, a 16-year-old lifeguard, disappeared from Cumins Pond on June 27, 2000. Her personal items, including her chair, radio, flip-flops, and water bottle, were left behind. Initial search efforts involved dive teams, helicopters, and grid searches, but Molly was not immediately found.

Molly arrived at Cumins Pond sometime after 9:50 AM. Beachgoers later arrived and she was not there. Police were called, and Maggie Bish was notified three hours later. Items like her chair, radio, flip-flops, and water bottle were found at her lifeguard post. Extensive searches by fireboats, dive teams, and state police cadets were conducted.

The day before Molly disappeared, her mother, Maggie Bish, observed a suspicious man sitting alone in a white car near Cumins Pond, smoking a cigarette with his left hand. This sighting became a crucial lead, leading to the creation of a police sketch.

Maggie Bish recalled seeing a man in a white car smoking a cigarette with his left hand, giving her a 'little look' the morning before Molly disappeared. She felt a 'mama bear' instinct and waited 20 minutes for him to leave. She reported this to police after Molly went missing, leading to a public sketch.

Three years after her disappearance, Molly's bathing suit was found in the woods at Whiskey Hill, five miles from Cumins Pond. This led to an extensive grid search, during which 27 bones and a human skull were recovered. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Amory Meyers determined Molly's body was placed, not buried, and likely scattered by a large animal, suggesting the killer was in a rush and familiar with the area.

In May 2003, a hunter found pieces of a blue bathing suit at Whiskey Hill, resembling Molly's. Dr. Meyers estimated it had been there for roughly three years. A subsequent 3-week grid search across 35 acres yielded 27 bones and a skull. DNA and dental identification confirmed they were Molly's. Dr. Meyers noted the absence of burned foliage, indicating the body was placed rather than buried, and suggested a mountain lion scattered the remains.

A grand jury was convened in 2004 but dismissed two years later without indictment. The Bish family noted that many questions focused on Molly's friends, who had given conflicting stories. Investigators often withhold information from families to prevent case compromise.

DA John Ki called for a grand jury in May 2004. Heather Bish and her family testified, noting questions focused on Molly's friends and their conflicting stories. The grand jury was dismissed in December 2006 without indictment. DA Joe Early Jr. stated it was an 'investigative tool' to preserve witness testimony under oath.

In 2021, Frank Sumner Sr., a local auto repair shop owner with a violent criminal record, was officially named the sole person of interest. He resembled the police sketch, had access to a white car, and was known to smoke with his left hand, matching Maggie Bish's description.

On June 3, 2021, DA Joe Early Jr. named Frank Sumner Sr. as the person of interest. Sumner had a violent past, including convictions for rape and kidnapping, and was paroled in 1998. He was from the area, familiar with it, had access to a white car, and was photographed smoking with his left hand, aligning with Maggie Bish's description and the police sketch.

Efforts to obtain Frank Sumner Sr.'s DNA for comparison were complicated because he was cremated and his DNA was not in the national CODIS database. DNA testing from his son proved inconclusive. The case remains active, with a new detective, Chelsea Safford, meticulously reviewing all evidence and tips.

Sumner was cremated, and his DNA was not in the FBI CODIS system. Authorities traveled to Ohio to obtain DNA from his son, which yielded 'inconclusive' results after about a year. Detective Chelsea Safford was hired in March 2025 (as per the transcript's temporal framing) to take over the investigation, organizing over 80 boxes of case files and reviewing nearly 8,000 tips, including focusing on Molly's backpack.