The Murdered Luella Blakeslee

The Murdered
Luella Blakeslee
Hopkinton, New Hampshire

🕯️💔 A Teacher Who Vanished: The Unsolved Murder of Luella Blakeslee 💔🕯️

On July 4, 1969, 29-year-old Luella Blakeslee disappeared from Hooksett, New Hampshire. She was an accomplished young woman, a dedicated schoolteacher, and a world traveler who had visited Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. A graduate of Pembroke Academy, where she was valedictorian in 1958, and the University of New Hampshire, Luella had built a life filled with promise and possibilities. She had dreams of traveling again, hoping to find peace and a fresh start. But she would never get that chance.

Luella was last seen alive on Independence Day. She had left her car at her father’s home on Route 3 in Hooksett before going on a date. When she failed to return and retrieve her vehicle, her father, George Blakeslee, reported her missing the following morning. Police quickly began searching, and more than 50 firefighters from Hooksett and nearby Allenstown joined an early search effort. Additional searches followed in surrounding communities, but Luella was nowhere to be found.

Her disappearance came during a deeply unsettling time for New Hampshire. Just months earlier, 11-year-old Debra Horn had vanished from nearby Allenstown. Debra’s remains were discovered later that summer, and investigators were examining possible connections between the cases. The disappearance of another young woman only added to the fear and uncertainty gripping the community.

As investigators looked into Luella’s life, attention turned toward Robert George Breest, a former boyfriend with whom she had reportedly experienced a troubled relationship. According to accounts from people who knew Luella, she had grown frightened of him and was trying to end their relationship. Friends and family described her efforts to distance herself as Breest allegedly continued pursuing her.

One particularly disturbing account came from Hooksett Police Chief Maurice Boisvert, who testified that Breest had volunteered a statement about Luella during a conversation concerning a firearm permit. According to the testimony, Breest said, “I hit Luella, put her in a car, took her to Sutton and buried her.” Investigators subsequently searched areas connected to Breest and his family, but Luella remained missing. This reported statement was a significant part of the historical investigation, though it never resulted in a conviction for her death.

In 1971, another young woman, 18-year-old Susan Randall, was murdered in New Hampshire. Breest was later convicted of her first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He has continued to deny responsibility for both Randall’s murder and Luella’s death. Although he was convicted in Randall’s case, he has never been convicted in connection with Luella’s disappearance or homicide.

For nearly three decades, Luella’s family was left wondering what had happened to her. Then, on May 9, 1998, two joggers made a discovery in Hopkinton that would finally bring a measure of certainty to the case. They found skeletal remains buried in a shallow grave. Personal effects were also recovered nearby, but identifying the remains took time.

Later in 1998, authorities confirmed that the remains belonged to Luella Blakeslee.

After 29 years of unanswered questions, her family finally knew what had become of the missing teacher. But the discovery brought its own heartbreak: Luella had been killed, and the person responsible had never been brought to justice for her death.

The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, describing the cause as “homicidal violence of an undetermined type.” When her identity was confirmed, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office stated that Breest remained a suspect in her death. Despite the investigation and the concerns raised by people who knew Luella, her homicide remains officially unsolved.

Luella’s diary, which was returned to her family in 2013, offered another painful glimpse into her life. According to her brother, Ken Blakeslee, the entries used a combination of French and English. The unusual writing style was reportedly intended to keep the contents private from Breest. Her family and friends had described her fear and her efforts to move away from the relationship, making the diary a deeply personal piece of a life cut short.

Luella was more than a name in a cold-case file. She was an educated, adventurous woman who loved exploring the world and had plans for a future beyond New Hampshire. She had ambitions, relationships, and places she still hoped to see. She deserved to feel safe, to make her own choices, and to live the life she was working toward.

More than half a century has passed since Luella disappeared. Her remains have been identified, but the central question remains unanswered: Who was responsible for her murder?

Her story deserves to be remembered, and her case deserves continued attention. Someone may still have information that could help investigators uncover the truth and bring long-overdue justice for Luella Blakeslee.

🕊️ If you have information regarding Luella Blakeslee’s disappearance or homicide, please contact the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit, Cold Case Unit.

📞 Phone: 603-271-2663
📠 Fax: 603-223-6270
📧 Email: coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov

Sources:
Luella Blakeslee | New Hampshire Department of Justice
Luella Blakeslee
The Murders of Luella Blakeslee and Debra Lee Horn (New Hampshire) | Dark Downeast
Luella Marie “Lue” Blakeslee (1940-1969) – Find a Grave Memorial