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James Kater, who was once convicted after multiple re-trials in the 1978 disappearance and killing of 15-year-old Raynham cheerleader Mary-Lou Arruda, died from cancer in January 2016 while still serving a life sentence behind bars. Reports state that Kater was convicted in his fourth trial in 1996 and had served nearly 20 years in the Shirley State Prison at the time of his death.
The case was a classic example of one related to an early release from prison at the time. James Kater was already convicted in a similar case in 1968 and his arrest after local police's efforts to link him to Arruda's murder helped quell a potential threat because as per Wicked Local, former Raynham selectman Don McKinon said that he believed "he had all the markings of a serial killer."
ID's Killer Cheer chronicles Mary-Lou Arruda's case in an episode titled Monster in Our Midst. The synopsis for the episode states:
"The townspeople of Raynham, Mass., fear the worst when a local girl's bike turns up at the edge of a forest, but a manhunt exposes a truth that is every mother's worst nightmare."
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of violence and murder. Reader discretion is advised.
James Kater was convicted in Mary-Lou Arruda's case in a fourth trial in 1996
Residents of Raynham were relieved when they learned that James Kater, who was behind bars for the 1978 murder of 15-year-old Mary-Lou Arruda, died on January 23, 2016, of cancer. On January 9 that year, Kater, who was 69 at the time and was serving life in the state prison in Shirley, became unwell and was sent to Lemuel Shattuck Hospital.
People expressed mixed feelings of relief and joy upon learning of Kater's passing. Ginny Jacques, a longtime resident of Raynham, Massachusetts, told The Enterprise that she did not harbor any remorse for James Kater's crimes and that she thought Kater's death was "long overdue" and even "wished it happened years ago." Jacques also said:
"The Arruda family has suffered so much for so long and they are such wonderful people."
Mary-Lou Arruda went missing on September 8, 1978, two days after her 15th birthday, while cycling outside. Arruda's bicycle was found that same evening, but it took the police and search parties about nine weeks to locate her decomposing dead body tied to a tree in the Freetown State Forest. A subsequent autopsy determined the cause of death to be asphyxia.
According to reports, James Kater got married and left the country for a honeymoon the day after Arruda went missing. A week later, he walked into the police station looking uncannily similar to a composite sketch created with the help of an eyewitness. He worked at a local donut store at the time of the killing.
Afterwards, due to the endless efforts of local police and eyewitnesses, he was linked to the crime using multiple pieces of evidence, the most important one being tire tracks found near Arruda's cycles which matched the unusual patterns made by his car tires.
Kater was found guilty in 1978 and 1986, but both convictions were overturned on appeal due to hypnotized witness evidence. The 1992 trial resulted in a mistrial, which was followed by another one in 1996, when he was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Killer Cheer on ID further delves into the decades-old case.
