It took more than 30 years for a suspect to be charged in the gruesome 1986 murder of Tracy Gilpin in Plymouth’s Myles Standish State Forest, a case that attracted widespread attention.
It wasn’t until 2018 — when Gilpin’s sister Kerry, who was then head of the Massachusetts State Police — that a renewed investigation led to Michael Hand, who was charged with killing 15-year-old Gilpin.
Hand is accused of dropping a 74-pound rock on the Kingston girl’s head in October 1986 and covering her body with leaves near the entrance to the state forest. Hand, who lived in Kingston at the time of Gilpin’s murder, has been held without bail since his arrest.
The case has been scheduled for trial three times, but it has been repeatedly postponed while prosecutors and defense lawyers file dueling motions.
It will likely be delayed once again after a state Appeals Court Monday threw out a key piece of evidence against Hand.
The court won’t allow an alleged confession Hand made to his pastor to be presented at trial. It found that Hand was “disturbed,” “distressed” and “desperate” when he spoke to his pastor six years ago in North Carolina, where he was living when he was arrested.
A Superior Court judge had already ruled that statements Hand had made to police before he spoke to his pastor, Rev. David Troutman, were coerced and couldn’t be used against him.
“After two days of intense interrogation, during which the troopers repeatedly threw accusations at the defendant, called him names, misrepresented his previous statements, and told him that (a) polygraph proved he was lying, the defendant was emotionally and physically exhausted and wanted to go home,” wrote Appeals Court Justice Joseph Ditkoff, quoting a Superior Court ruling.
Beth Stone, spokeswoman for Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, said that the office has received the decision and is weighing its “next steps.”
Prosecutors can appeal the ruling or rely on other evidence to move forward, including incriminating statements Hand allegedly made to other inmates at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility off Long Pond Road, where he’s being held.
The Appeals Court, in a footnote, noted that DNA found on Gilpin did not match Hand’s.
In light of the new ruling, a hearing in the case scheduled for Friday has been postponed until next month.
Hand’s lawyer, Craig Tavares, said Monday’s ruling “resolved some important legal issues in the case” and represents a major step forward in his effort to free Hand, who is now 67 years old.
“We’re delighted by the decision and looking forward to clearing his name after all this time,” Tavares said.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.