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	Victim's Family to Address Findings By Brian R. Ballou Boston Globe January 14, 2008 http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/14/victims_family_to_address_findings/ The parents of a 13-year-old altar boy whose 1972 homicide remains unsolved are expected to speak out today about newly released investigative records on their son's case. "We've been kept in the dark for 36 years, and now there's some light finally being shed on the murder of our son," said Carl Croteau, 77, of Springfield, in a phone interview yesterday. His son, Danny Croteau, died from a severe blow to the head on April 15, 1972, and his body was dumped on the banks of the Chicopee River. Last Wednesday, Springfield Superior Court Judge John A. Agostini ordered Hampden District Attorney William M. Bennett to release more investigative files on the case, prompted by an appeal filed by The Republican, a Springfield newspaper. Almost from the beginning of the case, former Catholic priest Richard R. Lavigne of Chicopee was considered a suspect in the killing, but police did not publicly name him as a suspect until the 1990s. Lavigne served 10 years probation for molesting two altar boys in 1992 and was defrocked by the Roman Catholic Diocese. Lavigne, who served as the Croteau family's parish priest, has never been arrested or charged in connection with the Croteau case, and has denied any involvement. Lavigne's lawyer, Patricia Garin, maintained her client's innocence and said he has withstood previous allegations linking him to the crime. "There is a wealth of information indicating that he did not commit murder," she said. Croteau said he has read over much of the more than 2,000 pages and was particularly concerned about allegations made by a female witness that she was pressured by the district attorney and the bishop on what to say. "She was told by the DA and the bishop then not to come forward, that she could lose her job and be sued for defamation of character," Croteau said. "Our family, we've had no closure in all these years, but maybe, this is a start."
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