Three Bodies. No Arrests. A City Left in the Dark.

NORTHAMPTON — A 16 year old Northampton High School student whose mother was found traumatized after a Thursday night home invasion has become the city's third homicide victim since late March, according to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office.

Lauren Harrogate's body was discovered tied to a decommissioned transmission tower off Childes Park around 6:15 a.m. Friday by two joggers. She had been reported missing from her family's Crescent Street home hours earlier, following what police are calling a "violent" home invasion.

Her mother, Raleigh Harrogate, 39, was found inside the residence in a state of profound psychological distress and remains hospitalized at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Neighbors told the Independent they heard breaking glass and screams shortly after 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

The killing follows two other unsolved homicides that have rattled the Pioneer Valley's largest small city.

On March 24, the body of Dr. Carl Maretti, a 34 year old local dentist, was discovered along the Connecticut River Oxbow conservation area. On April 23, Vanessa Hatvan, a 37 year old librarian, was found suspended from a tree on school grounds. Both deaths have been ruled homicides.

Police have not said whether the three cases are connected. The Northwestern District Attorney's Office declined to comment on any shared evidentiary links, and officials have not confirmed whether the FBI or Massachusetts State Police have been brought in beyond routine consultation.

'We don't know if there's a killer on the loose'

Northampton Police Detective Marcus Cole, in a brief statement Saturday, said only: "We are pursuing every lead. This is an active homicide investigation."

When asked whether residents should be concerned for their safety, Cole added: "I would tell people to be aware of their surroundings. Lock your doors. Report anything suspicious. And if you know anything about any of these deaths, call us."

Margaret Delaney, 71, who lives next door to the Harrogate home and was the first to call 911 Thursday night, said the lack of information has become its own source of fear.

"It's not just that people are dying," Delaney said. "It's that nobody will tell us anything. We don't know if there's a killer on the loose. We don't know if we should be afraid. And three people are dead."

Grief counselors at high school

At Northampton High School, grief counselors were made available to students Friday and will remain on site through the coming week.

Classmates described Lauren Harrogate as a quiet sophomore who kept mostly to herself. "She was nice," one student said, asking not to be named. "She never had anything bad to say about anyone."

Friends of the family say Lauren's father, Jonathan Harrogate, died by suicide in April 2025, and that her mother had been struggling with depression since the loss.

"She was barely holding on," said a family friend who spoke on condition of anonymity. "And now this. I don't know how she survives it."

A vigil, tip lines, and watches

A vigil organized by classmates is scheduled for Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Pulaski Park in downtown Northampton. Meanwhile, some residents have started informal neighborhood watches.

"We're not panicking," Delaney said. "But we're paying attention. That's all you can do when you don't have answers."