Episode 206: The Murder of Leslie Spellman
Leslie Endicott Spellman was born in the fall of 1949 in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up near Boston with her parents John and Betsy Spellman and a sister named Amy. At the time of her murder she was 27-years-old living in Hingham, Massachusetts and working as a yoga instructor. Leslie was kind and free spirited, and she and her sister Amy had been planning an exciting summer trip together. The two would hitchhike from Hingham, Massachusetts to Barre, Vermont and then part ways so Amy could go to New York to see some friends and Leslie could go up to Acadia National Park.
In addition to spending time out in nature, there was an Ashram community, or a community that focused on spiritual practice, self-reflection, and community living, usually with meditation and yoga involved, outside of Acadia. This was a really exciting opportunity for Leslie as she could learn a lot, especially to share in her own practice as a yoga teacher.
In a later interview, Amy had shared that she was worried because Leslie was hitchhiking “people would have the image of her as some crazy hippie. Instead, she was a highly motivated, hard-working woman... There seemed no end to what she could do. Her artwork began to look as if she had studied art for years. She made jewelry. She bought a mandolin, and she knew how to play it before she got home. She was doing everything perfectly, whether it was backpacking or jogging along the beach. She had a lot of faith in God and the more faith she had, the more beautiful she became." Amy also said that Leslie had worked in Boston for years, so that experience really allowed her to cherish and appreciate being outside in nature. She had been working at the R. H. Stearns store in Boston in addition to teaching yoga so she could buy more camping gear. Amy also emphasized that Leslie “was trusting but not to the point of being really foolish." She said after what happened that she herself wouldn’t hitchhike anymore, but also said “It's not hitchhiking that killed her but a society which could bring so much hurt and pain on someone that a person could strike out at something so beautiful as Leslie."
On June 18th, 1977, Leslie and her sister Amy parted ways in Barre as planned and said their goodbyes. This was the last time Amy would see her sister. Hitchhiking in general is incredibly unsafe and dangerous, but Leslie felt safer as she was traveling with her beloved dog, a sweet mutt named Taylor.
The next day on June 19th, at around 9:45 a.m., a tourist in Acadia National Park came across the body of a young woman along the walking trail at the Asticou Azalea Gardens in Northeast Harbor, right outside of the national park. The young woman had been badly beaten. She was identified as 27-year-old Leslie Spellman. Initially her dog Taylor was nowhere to be found, but she was later found about a mile from where Leslie’s body was found. She had not suffered any external injuries but it was clear she was shaken up. About a week after her death, her family arrived in Maine to identify her body as well as take over custody of Taylor.
Leslie had been badly beaten and her cause of death was ruled as trauma to the head from a blunt instrument. There was no evidence of sexual assault. She had been killed earlier that same morning before her body had been found.
Police believe Leslie got into the car of someone who picked her up while hitchhiking, and that person is responsible for her murder. There are several ideas of possible suspects, but no one has ever been charged with Leslie’s murder.
Leslie’s sister Amy stated “It’s never over. It never goes away. I would like to know who did it and where they are now.”
Anyone with any information on the murder of Leslie Spellman is asked to please call Maine State Police at (207) 973-3750 or toll free at 800–432–7381.
Image sources:
maine.gov - “Spellman, Leslie”
findagrave.com - “Leslie Endicott Spellman”