WORCESTER—On Feb. 23, 1991, Bruce Wood, 28, walked out of the McDonald’s on Main Street with his 5-year-old son, Bruce Jr. A half hour later, he was dead on the ground, his son sobbing beside his body.
“Worcester police received a call for an unconscious male lying on the street with a young boy,” Worcester Public Information Officer Sean Murtha said. “Officers arrived on scene and Mr. Wood was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”
Wood was a single dad who had a friendly relationship with his son’s mother, and took the boy every other weekend. Part of their routine was to buy young Bruce a Happy Meal.
That Saturday night was very cold, as the pair walked from McDonald’s – where Woosta Pizza was until fairly recently – back to Wood’s apartment on Quincy Street. As they passed the intersection of Chestnut and Aldrich streets, behind Fanning Trade High School, a man ran up and demanded money. When Wood said he had no money, the man stabbed him several times, stole his wallet, and fled.
When police arrived, they tried to provide aid, but Wood was pronounced dead when he arrived at the former Worcester City Hospital.
Bruce Junior’s mother told reporters her son said Wood kept trying to get up and walk, and finally, told the boy he loved him, and laid down. Young Bruce lay down next to his dad.
Wood was described as “rugged and someone who would handle himself,” and had studied martial arts. Police believed the killer used the element of surprise to get the upper hand. The fatal wound entered Wood’s heart, and while his wallet was stolen, four dollars were found in his pocket.
The city rallied behind the Wood family. Wood’s employer, Everett E. Mink Company, started a memorial fund and took up a collection. The students at Fanning Trade High School took up a collection of their own, and donated more than $250 to the family.
As the investigation continued, police didn’t interview Bruce Junior. They believed it was unlikely he could provide a description of his father’s killer, and they worried about causing further trauma. There was, however, one witness – a passerby who called the police to report the assault. He described the suspect as a black man, 20 to 25 years old, six feet tall, approximately 165 pounds, with short black hair, wearing a knee-length brown jacket, white sneakers, and a black hat.
Police released a composite sketch on Feb. 27, the day of Wood’s funeral, hoping someone could identify his killer. Local businessman Paul Ricard offered a $5,000 reward for any information that would lead to an apprehension. Although there were six detectives assigned to the case, and several tips came in, they were all dead ends and no arrest was ever made.
Bruce Wood left his parents, son, and five siblings.
The case remains open and under investigation. Anyone with any information regarding Wood’s murder should send an anonymous text to 274637 (TIPWPD) or an anonymous web-based message at worcesterma.gov/police. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.
Information from the Unsolved Worcester podcast with Dan Yeager, and Telegram & Gazette archives were used in this story.
This is the latest in The Worcester Guardian’s series about cold cases – unsolved incidents still under investigation by the Worcester Police Department. According to the WPD’s public information officer, Lt. Sean Murtha, the department has 75 unresolved homicides and 10 missing or endangered persons. The Worcester Guardian’s “Unsolved Chronicles” delves into these cold cases and mysteries that happened in Worcester, Massachusetts. Stay tuned for more in this series.
Christine M. Quirk is the former editor of MotherTown and has written for the Telegram & Gazette, Bay State Parent and Times & Courier. She is a novelist and educator and lives with her family in West Boylston. She can be reached at cmqwriter@gmail.comBruce
