As the investigation continued, several people were being considered as potential suspects. One individual was already under suspicion for an unrelated assault and robbery that had occurred in Somersworth. Trooper Newhall had received information that this same person was the owner of a .22-caliber revolver, so on Jan. 16, Newhall, Trooper Emidy and Andre Bolduc from the Somersworth PD brought him in for questioning. It’s likely that, learning he was under consideration for the Dodge murder, he fessed up to the Somersworth charge but denied ever owning a gun. A year previous, he said, he had a blank pistol, but that had been taken from him by Chief Grey of the Wakefield PD. (Grey later confirmed this, and in fact, still had the gun.) As to his whereabouts on the evening of Jan. 1, he had a solid alibi, and further, when asked, agreed to take a polygraph test, which he passed. So, no contact with the Dodge case, but off to jail for the matter in Somersworth.

As noted, the New Hampshire State Police played a substantial role in the ongoing investigation. Chances are that much of the time spent was in addition to the officers’ regular hours. Schedules may have consisted of four 10-hour days, leaving time open for overtime if needed or for a second part-time job, at a time when law enforcement salaries were relatively low. In any event, it’s obvious that a number of troopers from the local area contributed many hours to this case. And one of the more unusual assignments fell to Trooper Adrien Therrien, who, as early as Jan. 5, had been chosen to spend some time “undercover” in several designated local-area drinking establishments. Introducing himself as “an unemployed jack of all trades here from Jacksonville,” his role was to try to pick up any information that the locals might have regarding the recent homicide in Dover.

Over the next several weeks, he ran into a person in Portsmouth bars whom he came to know as “Pete.” On the 13th, he learned that Pete had worked in the kitchen at Rosa’s Restaurant at times, and he became a person of interest because Bob Dodge’s brother also worked there on weekends, so it was believed there might be a connection. (Dover police had learned previously of several phone calls Bob Dodge had made to a number at that restaurant.) A record check was made for Pete, whose real name was Pedro and who had recently come to this area from Florida, which turned up an extensive criminal background, including but not limited to charges of burglary and armed robbery. Further investigation as to his whereabouts on the date of the murder ruled him out as a suspect.

Back in Dover, Inspector Rowe had obtained a list of 241 Kidder Press employees, with names and dates of birth, who had been “let go or got done” during 1970. (The figure seems to be a substantial turnover for a single year. The list indicates a fairly large number laid off in the latter months.) This information was forwarded to the records bureau at state police headquarters, with a request to check for any prior criminal records. (It may have happened, but there is no mention in the file of a similar review of current Kidder employees. Had that occurred, as we shall see, there may have been a clue leading to an earlier end to the investigation.)

On the 18th, Inspector Rowe sent a letter to the FBI with fingerprints of possible suspects, “for the purpose of elimination and/or future evidence against the subject responsible.” This followed receipt of an earlier FBI report on fingerprints found on items taken from the interior of Kidder Press and on the vehicle found at the Portsmouth parking garage. Other than Dodge family members, there was nothing that would point to the person or persons responsible for the killing. Then, in the midst of all this activity, there was a bank robbery on the 19th in South Berwick. As to the New Hampshire State Police in the seacoast area, “All investigative teams were brought into that investigation.” Their participation in the Dodge case may have slowed for a time, but local PDs continued to seek out possible witnesses, identify potential suspects, and hope for someone to come forward with a break in the ongoing search for the killer(s).

(to be continued)