30 years since 10-year-old Holly Piirainen disappeared in Sturbridge

BRIMFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It has been 30 years since 10-year-old Holly Piirainen disappeared while taking a walk in Sturbridge.

Holly Piirainen was 10 years old when she was vacationing with her father and other family members at a cottage in Sturbridge and disappeared after taking a walk on August 5, 1993. Her father last saw her heading towards a residence in the Allen and South Shore Roads area around 11:45 a.m. to play with puppies. When she did not return an hour later, her father started searching immediately and reported her missing. During his search, he found her sneaker on South Shore Road. 

Her body was found by hunters in a wooded area off Five Bridge Road in Brimfield on October 23, 1993. Items discovered in the area were seized as evidence by the Massachusetts State Police. Some of those items were recently taken for further forensic testing to expand on previous testing. One item particularly, a white tank top with a blue, purple, and pink colored “Boston” motif on the front is an item of interest in the case. The shirt has no tags or size information on it.

The District Attorney is asking for the public’s help with any information about this shirt. They are looking for the origins of where it was known to be sold and its manufacturer. It appears to be a shirt that an adult would wear.

Although there have been several people of interest in the past, no arrests have ever been made in the case.

If you have any information on this case, contact the Hampden District Attorney’s Office at 413-505-5993, or you can text the word Solve to 274637 from your cell phone.