It’s a chilling true crime from 1932 Cape Ann. And it’s getting a fresh look in a book published this week, Murder in Rockport: Terror in a Small Town, written by Rob Fitzgibbon and Wayne Soini.
The book dives back into two brutal and unsolved homicides that shook the quiet and insular town of Rockport back during the Great Depression. The murders left lingering questions that have never been fully answered.
This is the latest installment of local lore from Essex resident Fitzgibbon, who is both an amateur historian and TOHP Burnham Public Library trustee. He’s tackled several colorful stories of Cape Ann’s past in articles and talks—notably the story of Essex’s infamous 19th Century Harvard-educated grave robbing physician, Dr. Thomas Sewell.
Murder in Rockport is Fitzgibbon’s first book, and in 165 pages he and Soini reconstruct the events surrounding the crime, diving deep into archival records, old newspaper clippings, and law enforcement reports.
The body of a well-known local resident is discovered. Rockport, a small, close-knit fishing and artistic enclave that built its name on quarrying granite that was shipped all over the world to make statues in Washington DC and provide all the pavers for America’s roadways (before the advent of automobiles, which ushered in concrete and halted granite pavers). It was small, well to do, and insular.
And like any small New England town with history, there were grudges and rifts between buckets of people. Among these groups who figure into the book are the Finns and the Swedes, two cultural groups that emigrated to America chasing work at the quarries.
When the body was discovered, it sent shockwaves through the town. And, not to give too much away, the murder was compounded by the investigative circus that followed. Law enforcement officials pursued various leads, but as the case grew cold, the investigation expanded to a state level, and another murder followed. Both murders remain unsolved to this day. It’s a set of facts rich in local characters, back stories, and intrigue.
“This wasn’t just a random act of violence,” Fitzgibbon explains. “The circumstances suggest deeper layers—secrets, possible rivalries, and maybe even corruption that may have stymied the investigation.”
And, against this backdrop, murder!
“I wanted to do more than just recount the facts,” Fitzgibbon says. “I wanted readers to feel what it was like to live in Rockport at that time and to understand the impact this crime had on the town’s identity.”
The book explores theories that range from personal vendettas to organized crime connections, weaving in real-life figures from Rockport’s past, including local police, town officials, and journalists who covered the case. It also highlights the interesting role of early forensic science and how tech limitations (and hubris!) may have contributed to the case remaining unsolved.
Fitzgibbon and Sioni really shed light on the social fabric of the time in Rockport, and it’s this part of the book that makes for interesting reading, especially for locals here on Cape Ann. It’s truly revealing to see how the town responded to tragedy, and how the echoes of that crime haven’t been forgotten.
Of course, these nuances will be lost to true crime enthusiasts seeking juicy details of a local tragedy in a tiny but important community.
Rob and Soini have worked for years on the book—diving into research, interviews, and archives. In 2023, the pair presented their research at the Rockport Public Library and, later that year, at Gloucester High School as part of the “Finn Fun Weekend,” a celebration of the Finnish experience on Cape Ann.
The book is already generating buzz among local historians and true crime enthusiasts. “It’s a fascinating piece of detective work,” said Cape Ann historian Margaret Winslow. “Fitzgibbon has done a remarkable job uncovering details that have been buried for decades.”
