Nashua Murder Suicide
The investigation continues into a murder/suicide in Nashua on Friday that left a 20-year old woman dead...along with the man who shot her. 21 year old Liam Youens drove up to 20 year old Amy Boyer who had just gotten into her car after leaving work. Youens reportedly pulled out a semi automatic weapon and shot Boyer several times before turning the gun on himself. They died later at separate hospitals.
Police don't believe the couple had been romantically involved but say they knew one another from high school.
Two dead in murder, suicide
By ANDREW WOLFE, Telegraph Staff
NASHUA - A 21-year-old city man ambushed and shot a 20-year-old woman to death as she was leaving her workplace Friday afternoon, and then killed himself, police said.
Police found no apparent motive for the murder and suicide, and said the killer and victim knew each other only from having gone to high school together several years ago.
The shootings took place shortly before 5 p.m. on Auburn Street, just off Amherst Street.
Liam Youens, 21, of Nashua, shot Amy Boyer, 20, of Nashua, several times after pulling up next to her parked car, and then shot himself, police said.
"There is absolutely no indication that there was any type of conversation (between the two)," Detective Sgt. Frank Paison said. "As soon as she got into her vehicle, he pulled abreast of her and began to fire."
Youens apparently had been waiting for Boyer, who worked at a nearby dentist's office at 5 Main St., Paison and Detective Sgt. Donald Campbell said.
"How long he'd been waiting, we don't know, there's no indication of that," Paison said.
Youens left no note, and police found no clear motive for the shootings.
"We're still trying to figure that out ourselves. There's no indication that there was a past relationship. We're still investigating the connection between the two," Campbell said.
"There was never at any time, any relationship between the two. There is no indication at all of him trying to contact her at any point in time," Paison said, although the two knew each other from high school, he said.
According to Boston's WBZ-TV 4 news, Boyer's mother said Youens had been obsessed with Boyer since high school, and had been stalking her.
"The investigation is still in its preliminary stages. I can't comment on anything like that," Paison said.
Paison also declined to comment on whether police had searched Youens' home.
Both Youens and Boyer were single, and neither had children, Paison said. Police refused to release their street addresses out of concern for their families, he said. Neither lived in the Auburn Street area, however, he said.
Police said Youens, driving a metallic tan Nissan sedan, pulled up along Boyer's red Honda sedan, which was parked facing west, away from Amherst Street. The Nissan rolled forward about 15 to 20 feet afterward, still in gear, Detective Capt. Alan Stuart said at the scene.
Police had not yet determined Friday night how many shots Youens fired. Several area residents said they heard six shots, with a slight delay before the last two shots. Youens was armed with a semiautomatic pistol, police said.
"I heard popping," said a witness who asked not to be identified, who works at one of the offices near the shooting scene.
"I heard three or four shots, looked out the window and called 911," he said.
When he looked out the window, he saw Youens' arm sticking out the window of the Nissan, and firing toward the Honda, he said. He couldn't see either person, however.
"He was literally unloading the gun into the car," he said. "I watched it happen, I mean, I was speechless," he said. "I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight."
The shooting left area residents rattled, too.
"I just can't stand that happening, especially at the end of your street. How could anyone be so angry?" Auburn Street resident Jon Hennessey said, adding, "(It's) such a permanent solution to a temporary problem."
Hennessey was outside his home just over a block away from the shootings, but heard nothing at the time, he said.
Murder/Suicide Called 'Bizarre' - (NASHUA) --Nashua Police are still trying to figure out the motive for what they call a bizarre murder/suicide. "The Boston Globe" reports that 21-year-old Liam Youens shot and killed Amy Boyer as she left her job in a dental office last Friday. Police say the killer apparently had some sort of strange fixation on Boyer, whom he apparently barely knew. Youens shot himself in his car shortly after killing Boyer, who apparently never had a romantic relationship or even a friendship with her killer
Nashua Stalker
A 21-year old man who ambushed 20-year old Amy Boyer as she left work on Friday in Nashua was apparently so obsessed with the young woman that he developed a computer website in her name.The site shows 21 year old Liam Youens had kept photos of Boyer since junior high school, but friends says it was a one sided relationship and that she hardly knew him.
Boyer's family say they had no idea he had been stalking her for eight years. Youens shot and killed Boyer on Friday afternoon then shot himself. Police are not commenting on the investigation.
Anti-violence fund pledged by family of murder victim
By ANDREW NELSON, Telegraph Staff
NASHUA - The family of the local woman gunned down Friday afternoon wants her memory kept alive by beginning an anti-violence fund.
The family of Amy Boyer opened an account at the BankBoston branch on Main Street over the weekend in her name. It is called the "Amy Lynn Memorial Fund Against Criminal Violence."
Her 27-year-old brother Brian said the family is now considering how to spend money donated to the acount. The family asked friends to donate money to the fund instead of sending flowers to Boyer's funeral, scheduled for Tuesday.
The fund's goal is to "make people aware this violence exists in our community," he said.
While the family decides whether the money should go to advocates for crime victims or to a mental health agency, Boyer said the family's feeling is the money should help "increase the policing of the Internet" and "better our community and other communities."
"This is a loss for our family and the whole community. That's how my family feels," he said Sunday night. Boyer also asked the media to be sympathetic to the family of the gunman, Liam Youens.
"I don't want to badmouth his family," Boyer said.
Amy Boyer, 20, was leaving her work at a Main Street dental office Friday in her Honda sedan when Youens, 21, pulled up beside her in his car and shot her dead. Minutes later, Youens killed himself.
While authorities have not offiially announced a motive for the murder-suicide, it appears Youens had a long infatuation with Boyer. He apparently set up a Web site that featured pictures of Boyer and dispirited poetry about death and being an outcast.
Brian Boyer said Sunday night neither his family nor his sister's friends knew of the Web site until they were by questioned by police Friday.
It is this type of Internet activity the memorial fund would try to curb, Boyer said. This is "hurting our society," he said.
Youen's use of the Internet is not the first. Other shooters, like the student gunmen in Littleton, Colo., have also left hints about their violent intentions on Internet sites.
Boyer, who was born in Manchester but lived on Woodbury Drive here, was a student at New Hampshire Technical College where she was a member of an academic honor society. She was in her final year before earning a degree in dental hygiene.
Before beginning a career, Boyer was working in the dental office of
Dr. John Bednar at 5 Main St. Bednar could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Before college, she was a member of the National Honor Society at Nashua High School and the Spanish Honor Society. She graduated in 1997.
Boyer's family described her as an outdoorsy young woman, who liked camping, biking, skiing and boating, and who "always enjoyed life to the
fullest."
Both Youens and Boyer will be buried from The Church of the Good Shepherd, on Wednesday and Tuesday, respectively. Years ago in junior high, both attended the church's youth group.
Brian Boyer said the youth group was the only time his sister and Youens' paths crossed. "She never knew that he had any feelings for her whatsoever," he said.
Youens had lived in Nashua for more than eight years. He was born
in Boston and was schooled in Massachusetts, before moving to Nashua. He graduated from high school in 1997 also. He attended the Rochester Insti
tute of Technology in New York for a time, but was heading back to college locally at Daniel Webster College in January. In a Web site, Youens described himself as a software engineer.
According to his family, his jobs were more mundane. He worked once as a short-order cook at Burger King and 7-Eleven night clerk. He loved animals, especially his family's cats, and enjoyed computers, according to his family.
Youens' family could not be reached for comment.
Liam D. Youens
Enjoyed computers, animals
Liam Dennis Youens, 21, of Nashua, died unexpectedly Friday, Oct. 15, 1999, in Nashua.
Mr. Youens was born Aug. 27, 1978, in Boston, son of Leonard Youens of Cambridge, Mass., and Clarissa (Stackhouse) Youens of Nashua. He had lived in Newton, Mass., before moving to Nashua more than eight years ago.
He had worked at Burger King as a short order chef and at 7-Eleven as a night clerk.
Mr. Youens enjoyed computers and animals, especially the family cats.
He had attended Church of the Good Shepherd in Nashua, where he was a member of the youth group.
He attended Lexington, Mass., and Newton schools and graduated from Nashua High School. He had attended Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester and was planning to attend Daniel Webster College in January 2000.
Besides his parents, survivors include a brother, Stephen Youens of Nashua; four sisters, Susan Youens of Fort Jackson, S.C., Robyn Youens of Billerica, Mass., Trish Youens of Boston, and Shivaun Youens of Nashua; a niece, Ambre Foreman of Nashua; a nephew, Daniel Crestcitelli of Northboro, Mass.; and an aunt, Rosemary Stackhouse of Nashua.
The Davis Funeral Home in Nashua is in charge of arrangements.
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YOUENS - Died in Nashua, NH, Oct. 15, 1999. Liam Dennis Youens of Nashua; son of Leonard Youens of Cambridge, Mass. and Clarissa (Stackhouse) Youens of Nashua. Visiting hours will be held at The DAVIS FUNERAL HOME, One Lock Street, Nashua on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A Funeral Service will be celebrated at The Church of the Good Shepherd, 214 Main Street, Nashua on Wednesday morning at ten-thirty o'clock. The Reverend Dr. Robert W. Odierna, pastor, will officiate. Interment will follow immediately in Riverside Cemetery, Milford. Arrangements are in the care of locally owned The DAVIS FUNERAL HOME, One Lock Street, Nashua, 603 883-3401.
Amy L. Boyer
Dental hygiene student at N.H. Technical College
Amy Lynn Boyer, 20, of 10 Woodbury Drive, Nashua, died unexpectedly Friday, Oct. 15, 1999, in Nashua.
Ms. Boyer was born May 4, 1979, in Manchester, daughter of George Boyer of Townsend, Mass., and Helen (Carlson) Remsburg of Nashua, and stepdaughter of Tim Remsburg of Nashua.
She played softball for the Hudson Wildcats. Ms. Boyer also enjoyed camping, biking, skiing, boating and horseback riding with friends and family.
Ms. Boyer graduated from Nashua High School in 1997. She was a dental hygiene student at New Hampshire Technical College, where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. In high school, Ms. Boyer was a member of National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.
Besides her parents and stepfather, survivors include a brother, Brian Boyer, of Nashua; a sister, Jenna Remsburg of Nashua; her boyfriend, Jeremy Desgagne of Nashua; a dear friend, Ginja Piper of Pepperell, Mass.; her maternal grandparents, Catherine Boardman of Sheffield, Pa., and Dwight Carlson, of Tiona, Pa.; her paternal grandparents, George and Rachel Boyer of Warren, Pa.; her stepgrandparents, Edward and Betty Remsburg of Derry; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins, mostly from Pennsylvania.
The Dumont-Sullivan Funeral Home in Nashua is in charge of arrangements.
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BOYER - Amy Lynn Boyer, 20, of 10 Woodbury Dr., Nashua, NH died Friday October 15, 1999 as the result of a tragedy. A Funeral Service will be held in The Church of the Good Shepherd, 214 Main St., Nashua, NH Tuesday at 1:00 pm. All are invited to attend and may meet at church. Visiting hours will be Monday from 7-9pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to AMY LYNN MEMORIAL FUND, against Criminal Violence, c/o Bank Boston, 157 Main St., Nashua, NH 03060. Burial will be in Edgewood Cemetery. The DUMONT-SULLIVAN FUNERAL HOME 370 Main St., Nashua, NH locally owned and family operated is in charge of arrangements.
Saturday, October 23, 1999
Insensitive placement
To the Editor:
I have been following with horror the story of Amy Boyer being stalked and murdered by Liam Youens, who then committed suicide. More information has become available, including that he had a Web site on her, which included his plans to murder her, and that Amy's family will be starting an anti-violence fund in her memory.
How absolutely insensitive to run his obituary on the same page, the same day, as hers - "enjoyed computers, animals," indeed. It seems that after death he is stalking her still. Does The Telegraph have no compassion for the true victim?
Paula Gillen
Tyngsborough, Mass.
What can be done to spot people who might kill others?
To the Editor:
It is late at night, and I can't get Amy Boyer out of my head. The fact that a former classmate of mine was murdered last week, and by another former classmate, at that, seems unbelievable.
I did not know Amy well, and I'm not going to postulate that I did or that I am grieving for her in a way that a family member or friend would. But even sitting here in Syracuse, N.Y., three years after high school, I can still see Amy's face.
And that means something to me because it could have been any of my classmates. It could have been me.
After my mother told me the news of Amy's death, I went on the Internet to try to figure out who Liam Youens was. Unlike Amy, I cannot picture Liam's face. I'm sure I passed him in the halls of Nashua High many times, without ever seeing the sick, crazy, hurting person that was my classmate, Liam.
So what did I find after 20 minutes of searching the Internet?
1. Liam Youens had a working Web page titled, "Hi Amy Boyer" which reads, "Amy Boyer Hi, my name is Liam and this site is dedicated to that wonderful person Amy Boyer" This site is rightfully no longer accessible, but you can still read this much of it under the Web page description.
2. Liam Youens visited another Web site Feb. 16, and left us his thoughts on his favorite murderers. Barry Loukaitis was his favorite killer, followed by Martin Bryant and Luke Woodham. All three were teen-age mass murderers. Barry Loukaitis was the teen who opened fire in his algebra class, shooting his teacher and two students in Oregon in 1996.
Youens commented: "Barry Loukaitis is by far my favorite killer. He was completely justified in what he did, and killed someone that deserved to die. But too much emphasis is put on serial killers, most of them are just losers who can't get a date."
Discovering these Web sites sent chills down my spine, and staring at the evidence in front of me, which clearly shows Liam was a highly disturbed, ill individual, I am sick to my stomach.
How do people like Liam slip through the system? Why can't we, as a community, detect this type of mental illness before someone like me (a college journalist) goes hunting for answers on the Internet in the aftermath of death?
After it is too late to save Amy Boyer. I don't know how to make sense of it all. I hope people are shocked by these findings. I hope there is a lesson to be learned in this, and that Amy truly did not die, at the age of 20, in vain.
Please remember her.
Erin Harleman
Syracuse, N.Y.
'Her heart was so big, she wore it on the outside, too'
Line of mourners stretches outside funeral home for wake of Amy Boyer.
By ANDREW NELSON, Telegraph Staff
NASHUA - Scores of mourners lined up and waited in Monday's cold night air to say farewell to Amy Boyer.
The long line of family, friends and co-workers stretched outside the Dumont-Sullivan Funeral Home on Main Street, passing the time with talk, hugs and quiet tears before the line moved a few feet forward and the wait continued. The funeral home was so crowded with friends paying their respects to Boyer's family that the line reached outside just minutes after the wake began.
The 20-year-old was killed Friday by Liam Youens, 21, of Nashua, who apparently stalked her for several years. He then killed himself.
Boyer befriended many different people, from co-workers at the Hudson Dairy Queen who considered her more than just a manager to high school friends who shared prom memories and family members who remembered her affection.
A group of teenagers, who worked with Boyer at the Dairy Queen, huddled together in the slow-moving line.
"She was an All-American person. She had a lot going for her. She helped anyone with their problems," said Amy Deschenes, 16, of Hudson.
Boyer's co-workers remembered her as a trustworthy supervisor, the kind they could talk to about life's difficulties as well as pleasures.
"When you talk about your boyfriend, she always had good advice for that," said Kara Maynard, 16, of Hudson.
"She was a boss-slash-friend," Deschenes said.
Joe Hileman, 17, talked last week with Boyer about the playoff success of her beloved Boston Red Sox. "She was wicked into sports. She was psyched," he said.
Boyer was completing a degree in dental hygiene at New Hampshire Technical College when she was murdered. Her high grades earned her a place in one of the college's academic honor societies. A hard worker, friends said Boyer worked two jobs to earn money for college. She also worked at a dental office here.
In her memory, the Boyer family has begun a fund against criminal violence.
In July, Tom Ackerman hosted a family reunion in western Pennsylvania.
"Amy never left a room without giving a relative a hug and a kiss and saying, 'I love you,' " said the 34-year-old cousin, a Pennsylvania corrections officer. A goodbye hug from Amy was the last time he saw her.
"If you ever want to have a perfect individual to be around, that describes Amy to the fullest. She never had anything negative to say," he remembered.
Boyer loved the outdoors, spending time camping, horseback riding, hiking and playing sports, according to her family. And friends were important to her, too.
Two of them talked about attending the prom with Boyer and her longtime boyfriend, Jeremy Desgagne, of Nashua.
"If anyone could be cast as a angel, it'd be her," said Denise Moquin, 22, of Nashua.
At that prom night a few years ago, Boyer and her boyfriend were part of a large group who celebrated the night.
Police find cache of weapons at killer's house
By ANDREW NELSON, Telegraph Staff
NASHUA - Police investigators found a cache of loaded rifles in the bedroom closet of Liam Youens after searching his room Friday.
Youens, 21, killed Amy Boyer, 20, on Friday afternoon with his Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun, shooting her on Auburn Street as she was leaving her work at a dental office on Main Street. A short time after, he killed himself.
In his bedroom, Youens stored the firearms in a closet, with the door removed, police said. Six rifles were lined up in the back of the closet.
Authorities seized three .22-caliber rifles, one .44-caliber "lever action" rifle, and two AR-15 assault rifles.
Family members consented to the search of the 21 Mahogany Drive home Friday, relieving police of the need for a search warrant. The family told police they were not aware that Youens owned weapons, Detective Sgt. Donald Campbell said.
"He was pretty much a recluse," he said, adding the family gave Youens his privacy in his bedroom.
Authorities have sought the help of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to help track down how Youens bought the rifles. Nashua detectives gave the federal agency the serial numbers from the rifles, and the firearms will be traced from the manufacturers to when they were purchased, Campbell said
But so far the origin of any of the weapons hasn't raised any eyebrows. "From what we can determine, the weapons were legally purchased," Campbell said, adding he didn't know where Youens bought them.
"All the weapons were loaded when we found them," he said. Police also found a large amount of ammunition in the bedroom.
While the weapons are "not exotic," Campbell called the find "unsettling."
The AR-15 rifle is called a "semiautomatic assault weapon" in the 1994 Federal Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The rifle is the civilian version of the standard military rifle, the M16. There are 19 named assault-type rifles regulated by the federal government, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Web page.
The "lever action" rifle, often pictured in Western movies, requires the user to rotate the lever forward to eject the used cartridge and back to load a bullet in the chamber, Campbell said.
Authorities have had to rely on pages on the Internet suspected to have been designed by Youens to get a sense of the young man.
"His family said he kept very much to himself. (They) didn't know any friends to refer us to. There was no suicide note left," Campbell said.
So police were left to interpret his actions through the Web pages and the dark poetry Youens is believed to have written.
The dispirited, untitled poems muse over pain, dying and loneliness.
Another Internet entry gives instructions for slashing one's wrists. A note after detailing how to cut through veins notes, "when I tried this, right before I cut, I dropped the knife and vomited."
The Web pages portray Youens' one-way infatuation for Boyer. They both graduated from Nashua High in 1997 and attended a church-sponsored camp in junior high.
But Boyer's friends and family said Boyer wasn't aware of Youens and his apparent feelings toward her.
Boyer's family has established an anti-violence memorial fund to advocate for the regulation of the Internet, like for companies that host Web pages when its users advocate criminal action.
Andrew Nelson can be reached by calling 594-6413 or by e-mail at nelsona@telegraph-nh.com
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"She made every little moment special," Moquin said, recalling her friend's playful humor putting people in a good mood. "In the limo, we had fun. Just goofing around like high school students," said the massage therapist.
Amy Reczko, 22, who works in the high-tech industry, also shared that prom limousine. The Nashua resident said Boyer's goodness was obvious to all. "Her heart was so big, she wore it on the outside, too," she said.
Andrew Nelson can be reached by calling 594-6413 or by e-mail at nelsona@telegraph-nh.com
Hello,
Time flies when you're alive. Gotta try and squeeze in THREE more new thread
posts, and I'm afraid that'll have to be it for today. The below item only
deals with a SOLO murder-suicide, but it still caught my eye, for several
reasons, and is quite an unusual case. Over in New Hampshire, a 21 year old
fellow named Liam Youens became obsessed with a girl that he met 6 years ago,
when both of them were in the eigth grade. Liam did NOT really TRY to establish
a relationship with Amy Boyer. Instead he HID his obsession from everyone, her
included, in REAL life, but DID create WEB SITES in which he revealed his
obsession towards her, to the cyberspace world.
This past Friday, he SHOT 20 year old Amy to death, ambushing her outside of
the dental office where she worked, then killed himself. A check of his web
pages has yielded VERY interesting info, including the fact that Liam POSTED
his PLANS to murder Amy, at his web site! Hopefully he only did so RECENTLY,
just before undertaking his attack, because otherwise he seriously jeopardized
his chances for success. It IS true that you can create a "secret" web page,
and as long as you NEVER give the URL out to anyone, it's pretty safe and will
NOT gain any visitors. But the netmaster of the service you are using could
still view the page, and other people could conceivably stumble across it by
accident.
Very interesting to see cyberspace technology play a role in a murder case,
as is the situation here. Any's friends say that she absolutely did NOT have
any type of sustained contact with Liam. And yet he constructed an ELABORATE
web site, complete with PHOTOS of Amy, anmd a WRITTEN plan to KILL her. Says
her stepDaddy: "''He openly talked about what he planned to do, for anyone who
found his page to see. The only problem for us is that we didn't know about it.
Nobody in her family, none of her friends, Amy herself never knew about it."
Well, the fact is that web pages are NOT easily "found" by anyone, ever, even
if they have been posted online, unless the CREATOR specifically TELLS people
that he has a web page, and provides them with the URL address, or a specific
type of search that they can do, to locate his or her page. So, if Liam did NOT
do this, he was FAIRLY safe, although I certainly would NOT recommend that
anyone create a site in which they even SUGGEST a personal plan to commit any
type of illegal act.
The stepDaddy goes on to tell us that at his web site, Liam expressed a plan
to kill Amy, AND to MASSACRE as many students at Nashua High School as he
could! Obviously he did NOT follow through on that "plan". Nashua WAS the high
school that he had attended and graduated from. We also learn that this web
site HAS been operational for at least TWO YEARS. Declares the stepDaddy: "I'm
angry because we as a public have so little control over what is on the
Internet." Deal with it, pops. Intelligent and cunning societal victims turned
predators will always find a way to do what they desire. Liam clearly felt SOME
desire to express his feelings and emotions and desires, in a "public" forum.
Perhaps the creation of the web site allowed him to BETTER cope with his
obsession/rage/hate? To PUT OFF an act of murder that he may otherwise have
committed even SOONER than he did?
I am SAD to have to report that this very cool web site has been REMOVED from
cyberspace. It must have been taken off in just the past 24-48 hours, right
AFTER police discovered it. Bummer, I certainly would have enjoyed checked the
site out.
Like many enraged societal victims, Liam was a FAN of mass and serial
killers, and expressed his appreciation, singling out a few in particular, at
his web sites. He "reviewed" another web site that had LOTS of info on serial &
mass killers, and stated at his own site: "BTW [by the way] too much emphisis
[sic] is put on serial killers, most of them are losers who can't get a date.
Barry Loukaitis, who killed a teacher and two students in Washington in
February 1996, was completely justified in what he did and killed someone who
deserved to die." He NAMED Martin Bryant and Luke Woodham as his favorite
killers. Bryant shot 35 people in Australia in 1996 before killing himself.
Woodham stabbed his mother to death before going to school and killing two
students in Pearl, Miss., in 1997. GREAT choices! It's especially cool that
Liam considered Martin Bryant a favorite, since Martin is the WORLD
RECORDHOLDER for most victims harvested in a lone gunman mass murder rampage,
killing 35, 32 of them shot dead, in his REMARKABLE 1996 Tasmania massacre.
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of the 10/18/99 online edition of The Boston
Globe newspaper:Killer told of his plans on Net site
By Kera Ritter, Globe Staff and Caroline Louise Cole Globe Correspondent,
10/18/99
NASHUA - Liam Youens had barely spoken to Amy Boyer since their initial meeting
in eighth grade, but during the next six years, according to her parents, he
became obsessed with the young woman.
Until Friday, he expressed his infatuation largely on the Internet. On Friday
afternoon, he shot and killed Boyer, 20, and then turned the gun on himself.
Although police said Youens, 21, did not leave a note explaining why he killed
Boyer outside the dentist's office where she worked, he left several entries on
the Internet about the woman and two other interests - suicide and murder.
Boyer's family and friends are puzzled how Youens could have created an
extensive Web site about her, replete with pictures and a plan to kill the
woman, without drawing attention. ''He openly talked about what he planned to
do, for anyone who found his page to see,'' said Tim Remsburg, Boyer's
stepfather.
''The only problem for us is that we didn't know about it. Nobody in her
family, none of her friends, Amy herself never knew about it.''
Remsburg said Youens listed three goals on the Web site - to kill Boyer, a
person identified only as ''Owen,'' and as many students at Nashua High School
as possible. He also explained why he planned to kill the woman.
''He said he loved her, but not anymore, and he didn't know why,'' Remsburg
said. ''But he was doing it to show the family, the Police Department, that he
was in control.''
Investigators are still trying to determine the events that led to Friday's
violence, but Remsburg said the ''why'' is not as important as the ''how.'' He
said police told him Youens had guns, including at least one assault rifle,
registered in his name.
''How could somebody who was unstable and so clearly reaching out for help get
a legal permit for this arsenal of guns?'' Remsburg said.
''I'm angry because we as a public have so little control over what is on the
Internet,'' Remsburg said. The site on the World Wide Web had been on display
for at least two years.
He would like to see a federal regulation requiring companies that host Web
pages to alert police when a user threatens a criminal act.
Youens' Web site, named after Amy Boyer, had pictures of her from junior and
senior high school, as well as of friends from the youth group they both
attended at the Church of the Good Shepherd in downtown Nashua. Boyer only
attended one year.
Youens dedicated the site to her and wrote, ''Amy Boyer. Hi, my name is Liam,
and this site is dedicated to that wonderful person Amy Boyer.''
Youens also included poetry about loneliness. ''Seventy years of misery is my
fate, can anyone have the answer,'' and ''I pretend to be reading. I'm just
thinking about dieing [sic],'' he wrote. The site has been removed since the
murder.On another site, Youens gave advice about committing suicide. After his
instructions on how to cut the veins in the wrist, he added, ''when I tried
this, right before I cut ... I dropped the knife and vomited.''
But Youens' comments on a site about serial killers could have been the first
indication of violent tendencies.
''BTW [by the way] too much emphisis [sic] is put on serial killers, most of
them are losers who can't get a date,'' he wrote. Youens added that Barry
Loukaitis, who killed a teacher and two students in Washington in February
1996, was ''completely justified in what he did and killed someone who deserved
to die.''
Youens included Martin Bryant and Luke Woodham as his favorite killers. Bryant
shot 35 people in Australia in 1996 before killing himself. Woodham stabbed his
mother to death before going to school and killing two students in Pearl,
Miss., in 1997.
Despite his Internet entries, Youens kept details about his own life private.
He was the only graduate of Nashua High School to post an entry on the school's
alumni Web page, but under `life story,' he wrote, ''Ummm ... I better not, but
you can email me if you would like to find out more.'' He gave ''johndoe'' as
his user name.
Youens gave his job title as software engineer and included Rochester Institute
of Technology under education. He was listed in the student directory, but
university officials could not be reached to confirm his status.
Although Boyer's family is grieving and angry, Brian Boyer, Amy's brother, said
they are also sympathetic to Youens' mother.
''We don't understand and no one can understand why he did this awful thing. He
was clearly obsessed with her,'' Boyer said. ''We as a community need to reach
out to people who are struggling with thoughts like this and try to figure out
how to help them.''
Boyer's funeral will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Church of the Good
Shepherd.
Contributions can be made to the Amy Boyer Fund Against Criminal Violence, c/o
BankBoston, 157 Main St., Nashua, N.H. 03060.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
This story ran on page A01 of the Boston Globe on 10/18/99.
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The following appears courtesy of today's Associated Press news wire:
Web page offers some info about man in suspected murder-suicide
By Associated Press, 10/18/99 02:02
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) The Web page of a man who police said killed a young woman
and then himself show he apparently was infatuated with her since they attended
junior high school together.
Liam Youens, 21, of Nashua, ambushed and shot Amy Boyer, 20, of Nashua, to
death Friday afternoon as she was leaving work, police said.
The apparently one-sided relationship dated back to a church camp in eighth
grade, friends said Saturday.
Youens apparently was waiting for Boyer outside the dentist's office where she
worked, pulled up next to her, and shot her several times before shooting
himself, police said.
He left no note, and police would not comment Saturday on the investigation.
However, Youens also left a comment in a guest book on a page about serial
killers, listing Barry Loukaitis, Martin Bryant and Luke Woodham as his three
favorite killers, and writing that he preferred mass murder to serial murder.
Loukaitis shot a teacher and two students in Washington State in 1997. Bryant
went on a rampage in 1996 in Australia, shooting 35 people before killing
himself. Woodham stabbed his mother to death in Pearl, Miss., before killing
two students and wounding several others.
Youens wrote last Feb. 16 that Loukaitis was ''completely justified in what he
did, and killed someone who deserved to die. BTW too much emphisis (sic) is put
on serial killers, most of them are losers who can't get a date.''
Bethanie Walters, 21, of Nashua, said she was aware of the Web site, but did
not want to discuss its contents.
There were three pictures of Boyer on the site, and a dedication saying, ''Hi,
this site is dedicated to that wonderful person Amy Boyer.''
Poetry apparently written by Youens refers to being alone and forgotten.
''Amy had no idea of this guy, no idea she was being stalked,'' said Walters,
whose picture was on the site. ''Amy would have spoken out and said something.
She was the type of person who would have said something.''
Walters said she, Amy and Jen vonHagn, all of Nashua, had met Youens at the
church camp.
''He was a very quiet boy,'' Walters said. ''He never spoke out much. He was
just a very quiet boy.''
Through high school, Walters said she and Boyer occasionally would see Youens
on the school bus, but rarely spoke to him.
''He was one of those people you don't even know is there at all,'' VonHagn
said.
Liam Youens murdered Amy Boyer and killed himself. His website on
members.tripod.com was noted and deleted, but the book burners didn't
know about his unfinished web site on geocities, until I found it. Now
that's deleted too. Here's the poetry page. The "Situation" page and
the "Journal Highlights" page were "Under Construction" and no content
was retrieved from them. This is hot stuff because some book burner
doesn't want us to read it. Please cut and paste the HTML code and
place it onto a file if you have to, to read it with your browser; also
forward this post to everybody on your e-mail list. It is very
important that efforts to "burn books" on the Internet not besuccessful.
Tom AlciereNashua NH
untitled no 1
Where I am noone will see me -People only can when they are far-Curled up in myself is where I belong-The pain leaves me empty waiting to die
It's hard to go I fear I never will- Scared to live scared to die-Seventy years of misery is my fate-Can anyone have the answer
untitled no 2
One day fadeds into another-People I used to know go on together- But I stay were I was, were I am-Alone and forgoten, I stay
untitled no 3
I look like I'm sleeping-I'm accually crying I pretend to be reading-I'm just thinking about dieing-Just when I think there's hope-I get crushed once again-I tried to wash it away But I found dirt underneth- That was all yesterday-I have lived and realized- I've been hurt too many time-Now I don't feel anymore
To: alt.suicide.holiday From: "LIAM D YOUENS" <AMYBOYER@prodigy.net>
Date: 15 Dec 1997 10:56:04 GMT The best way to do it is this:-get a very large bowl, full of ice water...lots of ice-put your arm in it for an hour( hurts at first )-get a razor or sharp knife, exactor knife good-cut along the wrist where it meets the hand-then cut 45 degrees down across your wrist-then down center along your arm until it starts to hurt\ note: when I tried this, right before I cut..I dropped the knife and vomited
News - October 16, 1999
Man kills woman, self in Nashua
By DEREK ROSE
Union Leader Staff
NASHUA - A 20-year-old woman was shot to death yesterday by a high school acquaintance who then turned the gun on himself, police said.Amy Boyer of Nashua was pronounced dead at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center after doctors tried briefly to revive her, said Sgt. Donald Campbell. Liam Youens, 21, of Nashua, shot himself in the head and was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Hospital.
Boyer was in her Honda Accord, leaving her job as a dental hygienist at orthodontist John Bednar's office at 6 Auburn St. around 4:30 p.m. She had not yet pulled away from the curb when Youens drove abreast to her car in his Nissan Sentra and opened fire, Campbell said."There was a series of gunshots fired," Campbell said. "I don't have the exact count." Several of Boyer's co-workers witnessed the shooting, Campbell said. Youens used a semi-automatic handgun, Campbell said. Police have so far been left mystified as to a motive. Campbell said as far as police know, Boyer and Youens just knew each other from having attended Nashua High School.
"Our investigation at this point has nothing as far as any kind of history between them, any kind of relationship," Campbell said. Police will continue to investigate to try and gain more answers, he said. Asked if Youens was known to police, Campbell said, "Nothing like this."
The shooting took place near the corner of Amherst Street, across from a Nashua Fire Station. Police sealed off Auburn from the corner of Amherst to Beard streets as detectives searched one of the cars, doors left open, and the ground around it for evidence.
Wednesday, October 27, 1999
Liam Youens deserves pity
To the Editor:
Insensitive? Lacking compassion? I refer to the letter from Paula Gillen published in The Telegraph on Saturday, Oct. 23.
Liam Youens was obviously a tortured young man, suffering from emotional pain that most of us will never experience or understand. Whatever led him to commit this horrible act we may never discover.
But I hope we can all keep in mind that he was once a child, with hopes and dreams like any one of us, who was loved by his parents, and brother and sisters, and who deserves at the very least to be pitied.
The placement of his obituary should not be a cause for anyone's concern and should certainly not be used as an excuse to further vilify him.
Valerie Rodgers
Londonderry
Month after Amy Boyer's death, many questions, deep anger
To the Editor
On Oct. 15, my daughter lost her best friend. She died. Amy Boyer died, not of "natural causes," but by the hand of a very disturbed individual.
Amy was loved by a lot of people, including my family. Especially hurting the most though, are those of her immediate family. Our hearts and prayers go out to them, and will continue to go out to them all forever.
This indeed was a senseless and horrifying story of a loner with an infatuation, stalking her for a very long time. Liam Youens kept a "diary" of sorts on the Internet and lived in a fantasy world , alone and with no one to share with., including members of his own family!
Many people from all over knew Amy and will miss her to the utmost, all because of one person!
My most deep-felt problem with this whole thing is this: Why didn't anyone see this coming? His parents didn't know about his "personal" life (which included six loaded rifles, two of which are referred to as "anti-person type arms)? They are a civilian version of the M-16, a high powered military rifle used during the Vietnam War. I know, I was there!
How on Earth can his parents honestly admit to not know about stuff like this? That and his "diary" on the Internet which had many private things in it that should have been discovered before this tragedy.
What is wrong with people when they cannot even communicate with their own family members?
Another problem I have is the guns he got so easily. What is wrong with this picture? A total of seven, including the handgun he used. Where the hell were the parents? He was living at home. How could they not have known?
They were kept, loaded, in a closet at home! There was a problem on Mahogany Drive, that's obvious!
We need better gun control laws and we need them soon!
I know the "pro gunners," and NRA-minded people, will say "guns don't kill people, people kill people."
I say bull to that third-grade mentality. They'll always be those that will defend "the right to bear arms" crap forever.
The original right didn't apply to high-powered assault rifles and guns of that nature that virtually anyone 18 or over can get fairly easy.
This was proven right here in Nashua. When will it end?
We need gun laws that make it damn near impossible to purchase any kind of fire arm, especially handguns, selling only to those that can show responsibility to the max. Make a mandatory waiting period long enough to get all the information needed on the purchaser, and under no circumstances allow assault riles to be sold anywhere.
They can't be used for hunting, target practice or anything. The handgun that was used is just one example of what I mean.
My family was questioned and allowed to comment at will recently at the Nashua Police Department.
Because my daughter was so close to Amy and, because it was such a sorrowful time, we were allowed to "talk it out" with a detective assigned to the case.
Do you, the reader, know that Mr. Youens (the killer) allegedly applied for a handgun permit to carry a concealed weapon some time ago? And it was denied! Yet he still got and carried a 9mm Glock?
He was set to "snap" and he did on that fateful day. The scary thought I had was that my daughter, or another daughter, or anyone could have been with Amy when it happened.
The laws have to be changed. Other acts of violence in the news recently and in the not so distant past are proof of this. Put the lid on gun sales and maybe the carnage will stop!
Amy Boyer was a beautiful, caring, full-of-life girl. She had a lot going for her and she is missed. We, here, still cry and wonder why this had to happen.
Please, please, please write to whomever you can and encourage new gun control laws. This has got to stop!
One last thought, and think about this for a long time. A very sad parent full of heartache and grief was heard saying, "Hug your kids and tell them you love them every day." This stupid, senseless and tragic story of Oct. 15 did not have to happen!
Wayne Erickson
Nashua
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