I am so sad to hear of this...but happy that justice will be served. Sorry for the loss of your friend.

Captain Jonathan Webb was the poor cop who put up with the incessant emails and questions. He could have turned a deaf ear, but he listened and responded to me, even though I remained the "squeaky wheel" in this wonderful turn of events. But truly, it was John himself that remained unforgettable. Thanks to Pou and Paul for supplying the grease. Carol "Maggie" Coffey - friend, classmate of John.

Maggie,

41 Years is quite a long time to wait for this outcome... Your friend John McCabe would be very proud to stand along side you and call you his friend

I am very impressed by the tenacity that you and others showed never giving up

Maggie, I too congratulate you and your friends for never giving up. I remember the time well. I heard it on the news that morning. It was a heart wrenching story. Thanks to all the Police, Johns' Friends and to the McCabe Family for NEVER giving up. God Bless, John and God Bless you all.

These three Murderers have been living the Adult Life 42, 41 and 40 years. There should be no standards of conduct implied or imposed. They caused the end of a life for a Child. This was not self-defense...This was an act that took great effort to create. This was not bulling, this was not teaching him a lesson. This was not meeting outside the school to settle a jealous situation. Face to face fist to fist this was the act of cowards that needed restraints to prove how tough they were. I knew the family in the early 1970’s spent time with Mr. and Mrs. McCabe, Debbie and Roberta. Those three MURDERERS put a whole lot of hurting on that family. Jail really is to serine and environment for Shelley, Brown and Ferreira ..

41 years...their consciences didn't bother them at all for 41 years? How can a person live that long with themselves knowing that they, allegedly, killed another person? It's amazing that cases like this find resolution after such a long period of time.

I was just a young kid when this murder hit the Sun......I remember being afraid. I loved that little town and until this day I always wondered if his murder would ever be solved. Unfortunately we were moved up to NH 2 years after John's murder.....I still go down to Tewksbury and drive through my old home town. I am generally suspicious of local police investigations due to their many clumsy investigations. Kudos to the officers that gave this man's family justice. May they rot in prison for taking such a young precious life for such s stupid and gratuitous reason.......not that murder is ever the answer......to any conflicts. May he R I P. I guess they were able to live all these years because neither one had a soul.......Prison will be their much needed pay back......if they had kids....and families those two me will suffer even more......you know what they say about the "pay back". I feel sorry for these two thugs family members. There are so many victims when a murder is committed.

this story has been on my mind all day...what did these guys go on and live their lives? I feel bad for the families of these 3 also. I am glad i dont know them.

who keep going on this case deserves a medal, and a big pat on the back, what people we still have in law enforcement makes you feel reel good i lived in tewksbury for 35 years ans always felt safe nice going thanks who ever you are.

Such a sad story but so glad justice will finally be served. To the McCabe family and friends that kept fighting for justice for John, great job! To all the officers and detectives that worked on this case, thank you for all that you do!

Maggie deserves major credit for this. The girl is relentless.

Shame on anyone who witnessed him getting into that car and could have solved this case back when. There should be no bale or trial. just through the bumbs in jail and let them rot. We should have the death sentance for this.

Wow I just got a very cold chill come over me.time goes by life goes on.I can remember it like yesterday. .more thanks thanks maggie than words can say.he should have graduated with us instead he's smiling down on us.

THEY ALL SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH MURDER.

First and fore most, I would like to start with the Officials, Mr. McCabe and Mrs. McCabe know who the individual was that helped in solving their son John's Murder. They would like to remain anonymous and behind the scenes. So, with that being stated, for those who are taking credit for something they have no idea or the real facts should remain silent and stop taking credit for something they had no hand in solving this murder case! Stay tuned for the facts...FACTS

My heart and prayers go out to Mrs and Mr McCabe. I grew up with Johnny when we were still in diapers and I lived on Linwood St and they lived on Foster Road. I have never forgotten him and although I know this may be some closure for the McAaves the hole in their hearts will always remain. My love and my prayers go out to you...........Love and peace Donna Rhynd

Just for the record, NONE of John's friends are taking credit for SOLVING this murder! I'll speak for myself: FORTY ONE YEARS is just too long to solve a case. What I will take some credit for is this: Calling the police, emailing them, starting a dialogue, keeping it going, never forgetting, NOT giving up, even when IGNORED by the police AND the GOVERNOR's office:: constacting TV shows: If this crap keeps up, I'll start publishing the emails I have to and from them! Anyone who did not do at least that should shut up. Yeah, the cops FINALLY got it solved, and they deserve all the back patting - but I firmly believe they would have taken another 41 years if they had not been CONSTANTLY PRODDED - by people who loved and missed John and would NOT accept the cops taking 41 years to solve this case. Read the recent article: Because the 3 killers denied it!?!?! They FLUNKED polygraphs 41 years ago! Whatever the cops did to solve this, they should have done during any one of those 41 years. John's family called them constantly to stay on the case and with tips: John's friends stayed loyal to the family and John and insisted on answers, WHY DID THEY HAVE TO? Believe me, the cops would still be sitting at their desks if they weren't getting CONSTANT PRESSURE to get off their collective asses. We even requested the case file to put a private homicide investigator on it : they refused! State and local police needed FORTY ONE YEARS!?!?!

Hey CAESD$: According to court records, Ferreira and Shelley were considered prime suspects from the outset of the investigation, having given investigators conflicting stories about their activities and having failed polygraph tests. However, police allege the trio made a vow of silence, never to discuss the case.

For that reason, the case remained unsolved for decades. A tip in 2008 resulted in a Grand Jury being convened and Fereira being called to testify. He denied any involvement in the murder and denied any knowledge of what happened to Johnny McCabe.

WHAT DID YOU DO TO HELP CAESD4? ANYTHING?!?!?! HELLO!?!?!?! I did NOT solve this case and NEVER said I did, but I also did not sit on my ass and allow another 41 years to go by - at least I did SOMETHING!

"However, police allege the trio made a vow of silence, never to discuss the case.
For that reason, the case remained unsolved for decades."

So all it takes to escape justice for 41 years is to simply say, "Let's not tell the cops we did it, okay?" Brilliant! I wonder how the jails ever got so full! All those prisoners must have failed to think up such a brilliant evasion method, poor stupid things.

Wonder what would have happened if the murders had been subjected to a little more pressure? Me too! THAT's why I put it on Topix, on Classmates.com, contacted the State Police, the Governor (who ignored the emails PLEADING for action) and the Lowell and Tewks. PD... asking for a QUALIFIED homicide investigator to review the file; and copied the letters sent to T.V. shows and sent them along to them, too. I definitely did NOT solve this case - but I definitely insisted that SOMEONE should solve it. Now they have. Finally. After 41 years. Good job. I don't know if breathing down their necks and threatening publicity helped at all... but it sure didn't hurt. So to anyone saying I am in this for the glory or publicity - where were you when we were taking time from our own lives to do something positive, armchair quaterback? Next time, coward, publish your complaints with your full name - like I have.... or shut up and get back in your lounge armchair. No guts?

HEY JACKSON: "It was John's friends who never forgot," Coffey said. "The machine may have solved the case but we weren't giving up."

We, too, were anonymous - myself, for about 12 years, and others for the past 3. Not until the arrests were made and Capt. Jon Webb called me to tell me (as he had two weeks before, to tell me it was going to happen) did the press contact me because they saw the TOPIX thread I started. NOBODY did anything for any other reason but this: 41 years is TOO LONG! It needed to be solved, and it needed to be solved in John's parents' lifetimes. THAT was the SINGULAR motive. You want facts? Give your whole name and I'll send you some emails that will enlighten you a little. THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WORKING ANONYMOUSLY ON THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS - Not just the ONE you know about. Where were you? We could have used your help since you seem to know so much. I am clearly getting a little sick and tired of taking abuse from armchair quarterbacks for doing something that HELPED. No good deed goes unpunished, right? I've never sought glory, publicity, or even a kind thank you - But I will NOT be slammed for doing what I did. And I will NOT have my motives, or the motives of anyone who came forward and helped me, questioned by ANYONE without biting back, so be LIKE ME and have the courage of your convictions... or go away and be quiet AGAIN. I never did.

From: magicoffey@live.comSent: 9/12/2010 11:43:28 AMTo: "Webmail, Gov (GOV)" <Gov.Webmail@state.ma.us>Cc: Subject: EmailComment UNSOLVED MURDER OF JOHN McCABE Why, after 41 years, is this case still unsolved, although a CHILD was MURDERED, and there was a CRIME SCENE. Five people failed polygraphs, two more refused. The Lowell and State Police have had 41 YEARS!So, I am now wondering if America's Most Wanted, or Unsolved Mysteries, or 48 Hours Mysteries, or 20/20, or some such vehicle might spark some activity. It is simply untenable that a person or persons MURDERED THIS CHILD and left a crime scene behind, yet there is no answer as yet as to who did it. We are not dealing with criminal masterminds here - just small town hoodlums and bullies.I wonder if an FBI profiler, or a private investigator, or even a psychic (out of sheer desperation after 40 years!) were ever employed to fill in the gaps necessary to solve this young boy's murder?Lowell Police Capt. Webb informed me that he would be meeting with the State Police Investigator assigned to this case and would try to renew efforts to gain some ground. While no one is interested in impeding the police, it seems there is no way to impede something that is static anyway, and, as stated to Webb, there are several people - no longer resourceless children like our classmate John McCabe - who are more than interested in finding a solution to this case. We are not going away. CONTINUED

Ideally, Lowell P.D. would solve this crime. That would, after all this time and effort on their part, be wonderful! If, however, those law enforcement agencies are stymied, why wouldn't you accept help in the form of a private investigator, retired FBI profiler, or even, dare I say it, a psychic. ANYTHING is better than NOTHING. They've had 41 years... how bout admitting you could use a little help to SOLVE this crime?C. Maggie Coffey [This one was ignored, so see next post where I had to write again, and mention VOTERS)

SENT TO GOVERNOR PATRICK WHEN THE FIRST EMAILS (POSTED ABOVE) GOT NO ACTION (NOTE DATES):

From: "Maggie Coffey" <magicoffey@live.com>
> Sent: 9/17/2010 9:05:01 AM
> To: "Webmail, Gov (GOV)" <Gov.Webmail@state.ma.us>
> Cc:
> Subject: Unsolved HOMICIDE of Child
>
>
> Governor Patrick,
>
> May I please, at your convenience, have your response to this email?
>
> Thank you in advance for your kind attention to this very serious matter.
>
> Respectfully,
> Maggie Coffey
> P.S. Although I am no longer a resident of Massachusetts, my families (The Mattuchios, the Coffeys and the Catalanos) all still live there, and I am hoping that you will consider me a constituent by proxy and therefore allow this respectful begging of your attention.
>
>

jackson - FIRST of all, idiot, learn to read and spell - NEVER said I was one of John's friends or met his parents or anything like that - just said I knew him from art class and he asked me if I was going to the dance that night. You must be a TMHS graduate! ALSO, IF you were such a best friend, PLEASE tell us ALL what you did to help in this case! Anything? Ever? Maybe that is where YOUR guilt is coming from? Yeah, hung out with Diane and vaguely remember Marianne - I was very popular with lots of kids: Donna Cordiero, Charlotte Earle, Robin Kelly, Leo, Pou, the Cormiers, Smitty and Murph, Micky, Bobbie, Marty Finnegan, many, many, many more and guess what? I DON'T remember you.... you must have been a real idiot then, too! Stop attacking ME for what YOU failed to do: Remember John and DO SOMETHING to HELP. Moron. You can't even spell CAROL right. Armchair quarterback in after everything is DONE by SOMEONE besides You! John asked me to meet him at the dance the night he was killed, never lived long enough to mention me to his parents and, so what? THEY HAVE THE PAINTING HE MADE FOR ME - What did he make for YOU, best buddy? Why did you NEVER contact the MANY people who helped? Huh? Huh?

jackwad - how DARE you tell anyone to bother the McCabe family to find out who you are? You should be ashamed for attaching yourself to them like that - have you no heart? Using them to further your own purpose is dispicable. Now we all know who you are, and what you are... jackwad. If you were really a friend of the family, you would show the kind of courage and class they have for all these years and stop using these sad events to make yourself feel better for doing N-O-T-H-I-N-G for 41 years and suddendly showing up a day late and a dollar short to claim best friend status.... what a worm you are! A cowardly, self-promoting, name-dropping, useless, guilt-ridden worm.... and hearing anything out of your mouth from here on out will PROVE that! Why not just get yourself a T-shirt that says: I am John's best friend - even though I did NOTHING for him EVER except show up at the last minute and cause a lot of drama. Idiot.

P.S. The reason John's family never heard of me until this case broke is that I, and the other friends helping, specifically Robert Poulin and Paul Antonelli, had the grace to NOT contact or bother the family while we worked quietly behind the scenes. Out of respect, care and concern that we not upset them until and unless we had something positive to say, we did NOT contact them... it would have been crass to do so. But, for any doubters like "jackwad" - my emails and contacts to and from the police, the governor, T.V. shows, Topix, Classmates.com go back to 2010, 2009, 2008, 1997.... And for anyone who wants proof of who I am and where I grew up.... 21 Rever Road, Tewksbury / Tewksbury Jr. High / Tewksbury High all have records of my being there, and of my being in art class with John in Jr. High. Before you attack anyone, like jackwad has consistently done... please do a little research.... read what I have said and, if you find a single discrepancy - contact me at my well-posted email addresses. Unlike "jackwad" I have the courage of my convictions and will stand and withstand any test of truth about this... the greatest truth being that "no good deed goes unpunished!"