Bio

Michael Woodmansee was born on July 16, 1958. He grew up in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He lived with his father, Franklin Woodmansee, who was a police reservist. Michael often preferred to spend time alone and was described as a large boy. He was a sixteen-year-old junior at South Kingstown High School in 1975.

On May 18, 1975, Jason Foreman, a five-year-old boy who lived nearby, went missing. That day, Jason had been playing outside with his older brother and other neighborhood kids. He announced he was going home and ran towards the fire station, which was close to his house. However, to reach his home, he had to pass by the house where Michael Woodmansee lived. Jason's mother, Joice Foreman, recalls hearing her son's laughter through the window at about 3:30 p.m., but he never made it home. This day was also Joice's 25th birthday.

For years, Jason's disappearance remained a mystery. The search for him involved the whole community, but no one suspected what had really happened. In April 1982, Woodmansee was arrested for another crime involving a 14-year-old paperboy. During the police questioning about this incident, investigators became suspicious that he might know something about Jason's disappearance. They gradually directed the interrogation towards that case, and during this process, Woodmansee confessed to killing Jason.

After his confession, police searched Woodmansee's room and found Jason's skull and other bones on his dresser. They also discovered a journal that Woodmansee claimed was fictional. In 1983, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He would later benefit from laws that allowed him to reduce his sentence for good behavior. He was released on September 11, 2011, after serving 28 years.

Murder Story

On May 18, 1975, Michael Woodmansee, then a 16-year-old high school student, murdered five-year-old Jason Foreman in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Jason was playing outside with other children when he announced he was going home. He never made it. His mother last heard his laughter from the window, after which he disappeared.

For eight years, the case remained unsolved until Woodmansee was arrested in April 1982 for attempting to strangle a 14-year-old paperboy. During the police questioning about this incident, officers suspected he might know something about Jason's disappearance. This led to Woodmansee confessing to Jason's murder. He claimed that a journal would be found in his room, which he insisted was fictional.

When police searched his home, they discovered Jason's skull and other bones on Woodmansee’s dresser. These bones were cleaned and shellacked. The journal he mentioned contained disturbing details about the murder. In 1983, Woodmansee pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a plea deal to avoid a trial that would reveal the gruesome facts of Jason's death. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Woodmansee was released on September 11, 2011, after serving 28 years of his sentence. Over the years, he earned time off for good behavior, allowing him to leave prison early. His case sparked public outrage, especially from Jason's family, who feared for their safety and expressed intentions of revenge against Woodmansee should he return to the community.