June 24, 2010: An unsolved mystery in Beverly

MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO, NANCY MERSON WAS STABBED TO DEATH IN A BEVERLY PARK.

MORE THAN 80 PEOPLE HAD BEEN QUESTIONED IN HER MURDER.

NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN CHARGED.

NOW, MERSON'S SISTER HAS DECIDED TO HELP INVESTIGATE HER.

SHE'S PUT UP THIS BILLBOARD IN BEVERLY.

SOMEONE CALLED NANCY MERSON, DO YOU KNOW KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT?

HOPING SOMEONE WILL COME FORWARD TO HELP SOLVE THE CASE.

JOINING ME IS HER SISTER, SUSAN DROHAN.

WELCOME.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Emily: IT HAS BEEN 26 YEARS.

WHY NOW?

>> WHY NOW?

I HAVE BEEN HOPING TO MAKE IT PUBLIC FOR SIX YEARS NOW AND REALLY ALL THE YEARS BEFORE THAT I ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD DO.

SO NOW IS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE BRINGING IT TO LIGHT, IN THE ACTIVITIES I WAS TRYING TO GET IT TO BE SPOTLIGHTED I REALIZED I'D HAVE TO GO BIG AND PUBLIC.

>> Emily: WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THE NEWSROOM AND WE'RE ALL NEWSROOM AND WE REMEMBER CASES THAT YOU CAN'T BELIEVE, BUT THIS ONE DIDN'T GET A LOT OF ATTENTION.

YOU DESCRIBED YOUR SISTER AT THE TIME, YOU SAID SHE WAS A LOST SOUL, SHE WAS A DRIFTER.

SHE DIDN'T SEE A NEED TO GET A JOB OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, SHE MAYBE GOT CAUGHT UP WITH THE WRONG CROWD DOING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.

DO YOU THINK THAT WAS RELATED TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO HER?

SHE WAS FOUND IN A PARK?

>> IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT I STRONGLY FEEL THIS WAY OR THAT.

YOU USED THE TERM LOST SOUL, BUT I THINK THAT WAS SOMEONE ELSE'S DESCRIPTION.

>> Emily: REALLY?

>> YEAH.

SHE WAS MORE, YOU KNOW -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT DROVE HER AND WHY, YOU KNOW, WAS WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, BE OUT ON THE STREETS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND WHAT NOT.

AND NOT ALWAYS BE AT HOME.

SHE WASN'T FAR FROM WHERE MY PARENTS LIVED.

>> Emily: DID SHE GO ALONG?

>> WELL, SHE DIDN'T LIVE AT ANY PLACE EXCEPT WHEN SHE STAYED AT THEIR HOUSE.

>> Emily: SHE WAS A GRIFTER?

>> YEAH.

>> Emily: SHE LIVED IN THE STREET.

>> YEAH, IT WAS MORE BY CHOICE.

SO TO GO PUBLIC WITH IT, IT WAS MORE FRUSTRATION THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT DROVE ME BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WAS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

>> Emily: BUT THE PEOPLE THEY INTERVIEWED, WHO WERE THEY?

DID ANYBODY SAY THEY KNEW OR SAW ANYTHING?

>> WELL, WE ASKED THEM QUESTIONS AND A GROUP OF US SAT WITH THE D.A.'S --

>> Emily: RECENTLY?

>> YEAH, IN MARCH.

THERE'S NOT A LOT THEY CAN TELL YOU WHERE IT'S AN OPEN CASE AND THEY WANT TO KEEP THEIR HAND COVERED.

THEY DON'T WANT TO EXPOSE WHAT THEY DO HAVE.

THEY DIDN'T TELL US EITHER.

>> Emily: BUT CLEARLY YOU FELT THEY DIDN'T DO ENOUGH.

>> CERTAINLY.

TO GET IT GOING AND START WITH A DIFFERENT TELEVISION BROADCAST, IT WAS UNSOLVED.

>> Emily: YEAH.

>> AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT WAS DONE, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS ON THE WEB PAGE AT THAT PARTICULAR TV STATION AND IT WASN'T MUCH AT ALL.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE, BUT THE BIG THING WAS THE --

>> Emily: YEAH, YOU PAID FOR THIS WITH YOUR OWN MONEY.

$2,000.

DID ANYBODY ELSE HELP YOU WITH IT?

>> FAMILY WILL HELP.

TO ME, I EVEN IF IT WAS MORE MONEY, IT WAS WORTH THE INVESTMENT TO TRY TO DRUM UP --

>> Emily: HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY RESPONSE FROM IT?

>> NO, I DON'T KNOW.

>> Emily: BUT THE TIP LINE GOES INTO THE BEVERLY POLICE.

>> RIGHT.

>> Emily: THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE BEVERLY POLICE SO THAT'S NOT COMING TO YOU ANYWAY.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

AND EVEN IF THE CALLS COME IN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO IMMEDIATELY CALL ME.

>> Emily: RIGHT, EXACTLY.

>> BUT THE GOAL IS THEY'LL INVESTIGATE THEM.

I'LL CONTINUE WITH, YOU KNOW, TO HELP THE FAMILY TO KEEP REQUESTING AND MAKING IT PUBLIC.

SOMEBODY KNOWS SOMETHING.

COME FORWARD, YOU KNOW?

>> Emily: WELL, THERE WAS A RUMOR AT THE TIME THAT NANCY, YOUR SISTER, MIGHT HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING ABOUT WHO STARTED A ROOMING HOUSE FIRE THAT ENDED UP KILLING 15 PEOPLE.

THAT WAS A BIG STORY AT THE TIME.

>> YES.

>> Emily: HUGE.

15 PEOPLE IN ONE SWOOP, IT WAS BIG.

THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING.

WERE THERE PEOPLE STILL ALIVE THAT KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT THE CASE AT THE TIME THAT YOU KNOW OF FOR SURE THAT THE POLICE HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT?

>> AS FAR AS HER CASE INVOLVED WITH THAT CASE?

>> Emily: WAS ANYBODY EVER BROUGHT TO JUSTICE?

>> THERE'S SOMEBODY IN JAIL RIGHT NOW.

>> Emily: HAVE THEY BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THAT PERSON?

>> THEY HAVEN'T SAID, THEY WON'T TELL ME THAT.

>> Emily: THAT PERSON MUST HAVE A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

>> DO YOU KNOW TO KNOW HIS NAME?

>> Emily: SURE.

>> JAMES CARVER, IS IN JAIL.

>> Emily: DID HE GET A LIFE SENTENCE?

>> YES.

>> Emily: HE'LL BE THERE LONG NO MATTER IF HE SPILLS HIS GUTS.

>> BUT HE HAS A FOLLOWING OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T BELIEVE HE DID IT.

BUT HE'S BEEN CONVICTED.

BUT AT THE TIME WE CAN TELL YOU THAT WE SUSPECTED IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN -- IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SHE KNEW SOMETHING TOO.

>> Emily: WHY WOULD SHE HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING?

>> BECAUSE, BASICALLY, THERE WAS A SCHOOL AT THE TIME DIAGONALLY ACROSS FROM THE ROOMING HOUSE, CALLED THE ELLIOTT CHAMBERS AND SHE USED TO SIT ON THE STAIR, 2:00 OR 3:00 IN THE MORNING.

IN FACT, THE NIGHT SHE WAS KILLED SHE HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE STAIRS AND MADE HER WAY DOWN TO THE PARK.

THEY BELIEVE IT WAS A 15-MINUTE PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE ATTACKER ATTACKED HER.

>> Emily: ARE YOU GETTING SUPPORT FROM THE BEVERLY POLICE?

>> THEY'RE OFFERING TO HELP AND THEY'RE HOPING THAT SOMEONE PROVIDES NEW INFORMATION TO GO BEYOND WHERE THEY ARE.

THEY NEED MORE TO GO ON.

>> Emily: ALL RIGHT.

SUSAN DROHAN THIS IS GREAT THING.

I WOULD DO THE SAME THING IF IT WAS MY SISTER.

THANK YOU FOR COMING ON.

WHEN WE COME COME ON, MOTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNG WRITERS.