New HampshireDepartment of JusticeOffice of the Attorney General

Cold Case UnitStephen Dow

The 1982 suspicious death of Stephen Dow.

photo of victim stephen dow not available

Year of Death or Disappearance: 1982

City/Town: Thornton

Status: Suspicious Death

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on December 10, 1982 a vehicle was discovered at the bottom of an embankment on Route 175 in Thornton, NH. The vehicle, a 1982 Saab 900, was engulfed in flames when emergency personnel arrived. When the fire was extinguished, the police discovered the badly burned bodies of Stephen Dow, age 18, and his mother, Janet Dow, age 40, in the vehicle. Stephen and Janet lived a short distance away from where the burning car was discovered. In 1982, the deaths were ruled a result of a fatal motor vehicle accident. The case was reopened in 1993 based on new evidence. The subsequent investigation indicates that the deaths of Stephen and Janet may have been the result of foul play.

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New Hampshire Department of Justice
1 Granite Place South | Concord, NH | 03301
Telephone: 603-271-3658