Neronha: AG’s Cold Case Unit, local police solve cold homicide cases from 1984 and 2007

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Two Rhode Island cold case homicides have been solved after a decade-plus, according to a statement from Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

The resolved cases are the homicides of 24-year-old Debra Stone in 1984 and 49-year-old Cynthia McKenna in 2007, according to Neronha’s office.

Debra Stone

Debra Stone’s body was found by boaters in the Narrow River in Narragansett on September 2, 1984 and reported to town police.

The medical examiner determined that she had been strangled to death.

According to multiple witnesses, Stone had met with Robert D. Geremia in Johnston on August 29, 1984 and had not been seen since, according to Neronha’s statement.

The statement said that an informant told investigators that they saw Stone in Geremia’s apartment on that date, and they helped move her body from the residence to the Narrow River on August 30.

A second witness told police that Geremia said he “had to” kill Stone because she was stealing from him, according to the AG.

Geremia was interviewed by investigators and claimed that Stone had overdosed despite the ME’s report pointing to damage inflicted to Stone’s neck.

The case was picked up again in 2023 by the AG Office’s Cold Case Unit and Narragansett police, reviewing all records and interviewing 32 witnesses in just under a year.

The reexamination of the evidence and the ME’s conclusion in the death established beyond a reasonable doubt that Geremia had murdered Stone, according to Neronha’s office.

Geremia died in 1995.

“For over four decades, Debra’s family remained without answers after her life was tragically cut short,” said Narragansett Police Chief Kyle Rekas.

“Through re-examining evidence and re-interviewing witnesses, our collaboration with the Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit has delivered answers for all who loved Debra. I commend our detectives and officers, as well as our partners in the Attorney General’s Office, for their tireless efforts in closing this case.”

Cynthia McKenna

Cynthia McKenna was found unresponsive in her bed on February 21, 2007 by North Providence police.

Her cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to blocked airways, and witness statements recounted a rocky relationship between McKenna and Robert J. Corry, Jr.

Throughout the investigation police learned about domestic violence charges filed by McKenna against Corry and claims of Corry owing money to McKenna.

Corry’s known whereabouts at the time McKenna’s death were found to have significant gaps, according to Neronha’s office.

Police intercepted two letters in a single envelope in late 2007, apparently written by Corry, with one of the letters containing a confession to Stone’s murder, according to the AG.

DNA evidence found on the envelope proved inconclusive as Corry did not have a profile in the database.

The case was reopened in 2024 by the Cold Cast Unit and North Providence police.

New forensic and investigative methods were utilized to match the DNA on the confession envelope to a direct male family member of Corry, according to Neronha.

The unit concluded that Corry wrote the confession letter, and coupled with holes in his whereabouts, established beyond a reasonable doubt that he killed McKenna in 2007, according to AG Neronha.

Corry died in 2014.

“This case represents the best of our collaborative investigative efforts with the Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit,” said North Providence Police Chief Alfredo Ruggiero Jr.

“Using the latest forensic technology, our team has finally found answers for Cynthia’s family. I am thankful for the hard work of our detectives, as well as in the Attorney General’s Office, throughout the investigation.”