Did convicted murderer Adam Emery jump to a watery grave? ![]() Adam Emery Suspect: Gender: Male CASE DETAILS The Newport Bridge stands a majestic 219 feet above the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. But on the evening of November 10, 1993, the bridge was the scene of a sobering discovery, the latest twist in one of the state’s most sensational murder cases. ![]() Adam and Elena Emery Shortly before 7:00 PM, a bridge supervisor and a state trooper investigated an empty car that was blocking one of the westbound lanes. The engine was running and the headlights were on. On the back seat were several articles of clothing, neatly folded. Up front, there was cash, cut up credit cards, and a driver’s license. Robert Moorehead was the bridge supervisor on duty that evening:
Most anyone in Rhode Island would have recognized the name Emery. That very day, Adam Emery, the car’s owner, had been convicted of murder. Though he was free on bail, Emery faced 20 years to life in the state penitentiary. Now it appeared that Adam and his wife, Elena, had found a way out of their impeding separation–by jumping to their deaths off the Newport Bridge. ![]() Newport Bridge, Rhode Island The apparent double suicide of Adam and Elena was shocking news. But soon authorities began to suspect that the Emerys were in fact, alive. They believed the abandoned car was just the final touch in a well-planned escape to freedom. It all began three years earlier, on August 30, 1990. Adam Emery, his wife Elena, and another couple stopped for dinner at a local seafood stand. It was just before 9:00 PM when a car whizzed by and sideswiped Adam’s car. The car then sped away and disappeared around a corner. Reporter Elizabeth Rau covered the Emery trial for the Providence Journal :
The car they were chasing was driven by 20-year-old Jason Bass. His cousin, Joshua Post, was in the car with him:
![]() Adam and Elena after the trial It was at that moment that Adam pulled out a knife and jumped on the hood of Jason’s car. While clinging to the car, Adam began to slash at Jason with the knife. Jason put the car in reverse and attempted to flee, but it was too late. He was stabbed once through the heart and died instantly. Neighbors rushed out to help. They were soon joined by Kevin Hopkins, an off-duty detective for the Rhode Island State Police who lived just down the street:
The tragedy of Jason’s death was compounded by the facts that soon emerged. According to Detective Hopkins, Jason never so much as touched Adam Emery’s car:
![]() An extensive search was conducted Those who knew Adam were stunned by the turn of events. He had never been in trouble with the law. Now, Adam Emery stood accused of second-degree murder. Reporter Elizabeth Rau was in attendance at Adam Emery’s trial:
The trial ended on November 10 th , Adam Emery’s 31 st birthday. Adam Emery was found guilty of second degree murder. The judge allowed him to remain free on bail pending formal sentencing a month later. But by nightfall, Adam and Elena were dead. Or so it seemed. After the police found the car, they began to reconstruct the events leading up to the apparent double suicide. At 3:00 PM, Adam left the courthouse with Elena. A half hour later, the Emerys showed up at a local sporting goods store. Joel Smith, the store’s manager, was working that day:
The Emery’s bought sweatsuits, athletic socks, and 80 pounds of strap-on exercise weights. But curiously, the salesman reported that Adam was disturbed by the total bill. To police, saving money seemed an unlikely concern for someone about to take his own life. An hour later, at 4:45 PM, Adam and Elena pulled up at the Newport Bridge. The previous hour, they had been observed, calmly dining at a fast food restaurant, which also seemed out of character for a couple bent on suicide. At 4:50 PM, eye-witnesses recalled seeing the Emerys on the walkway of the bridge. By 5:15, Adam and Elena had driven away. Two hours later, their car was found back on the Newport bridge. Apparently the Emerys had returned to the bridge, but what happened then is still a mystery. The search for the bodies of Adam and Elena Emery was one of the most extensive in the history of Rhode Island. In the end, not a single scrap of evidence was recovered from the bay. Then, Detective Hopkins remembered a taped conversation Adam and Elena were having in the courtroom following Adam’s guilty verdict:
Hours of replaying the tape finally revealed Elena’s words. According to the lip reader, Elena told Adam, “We’re gonna do what we originally said you promised me.” Clearly, the Emerys had a plan … but was it a desperate suicide pact or a bold scheme to fool the authorities and run away? Months after the Emerys disappeared, a fisherman working in the bay found two human leg bones in his net. Clinging to one was a fragment of a sock that was identical to those purchased by Adam and Elena. Authorities compared the DNA sample from the bone with DNA samples of both Elena’s mother and sister. It was a match. Then a few weeks later, Detective Hopkins responded to an urgent call from the harbor. Narragansett Bay had given up another grim piece of evidence. A skull recovered from the east passage of the bay was positively identified as that of Elena Emery. Elena had at last been found. But to date, there’s been no trace of Adam. Perhaps, his bones are deep in Narragansett Bay. Or perhaps, the day will come when Adam Emery turns up alive. Officially, the case is still open. Reliable sources say there’s no reason to believe Adam Emery ever committed suicide. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season seven with Robert Stack and in season three with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Gigi C.
Edit: How can you NOT want to know more.
Anonymous
The detectives had access to the weights they purchased. Those people didn’t know the detectives would have found out. I don’t want to be too graphic in describing their possible stigma. But I don’t think they staged a disappearance.
Gigi C.
Huh? How can weights be graphic? Why?
I can’t imagine their pain or is there any, anymore? You never hear of families too much. How can you want to know more? Justice is inconveniencing, but necessary. If only to ensure your tax dollars are being properly spent. Thankfully UM fans continue to be the voice when everyone else chooses to be silent. They reach out. I don’t understand why this hasn’t been part of, “Have You Seen This Man” or Crystaldawn’s blog.
Anonymous
New laws require discretion disclaimers to discuss things like that. (To avoid what they call the Werther effect.)
Anon
Glad the FBI got involved. The local DA was going easy on them. You know how it is. Hope they did their duty and confiscated the bail houses
Gigi C.
There’s no update they did. Who checked? If you can put house up. You don’t want it anymore or there’s a loophole where they can keep it. Weird to cheer for an organization that picks and chooses which people are of value to propogandize. Mostly through covering up, dramatizing easily solved, allowing distraction of purposely unsolved cases, or straight up not investigating. Nevertheless really great guys.
Bill Blask
I understand the FBI said there was a serious update in the case. They also said he’d be caught in 5yrs? Anyone know what the update was?
Lucy Rollins
Nearly 25 Years Ago Morgan Nick, described as having a big Heart with a fire of conviction and Loved Cats She had a Cat Named Emily She set her heart on that Cat and it slept in Her bed every night, She rescued the Little Kitten from Sebastian county Humane society, when She was 5 in October 1994, She took one look around around the cat room and picked out the ugliest, scrawniest, most pitiful looking kitten in the entire place. Such a tiny little thing that it was mostly all eyes and declared that was Her Cat and a day later Morgan got Her Kitten, Where Morgan gets used to, Emily gets used to. They played together. They ate together. They watched Barney together. They slept together Morgan cherished Emily for nearly two years before she was kidnapped. After that day Emily would not rest at night. For weeks and weeks she wandered through our house, crying out, looking for Morgan. It was heartbreaking to watch her kitten grieving. Finally, one night, Emily came into Colleen’s room and nestled up on my left shoulder and went to sleep and She did that ever since until She passed away
She was only 6 Years Old when She was cruelly ripped away from Her Family while She was catching Fireflies with 2 Older Friends, at an Alma ball park in Alma, Arkansas on June 9th 1995
Morgan went with Her Mom and their Friends to watch their Friends Child play in a little league baseball game in Alma Arkansas, a small town 30 minutes away from where they lived in Ozark, Arkansas
The Little league game started late around 9pm and Morgan sat with Her Mom Colleen the entire game, At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked Her Mother if She could catch Fireflies with Her 2 Older Friends at first Morgans Mother wasn’t sure but Her Moms Friend said that it was safe and Children played their all the time so She let Morgan go it was only a few ft away
Morgans Mom recalls Her Daughter “throwing Her arms around Her neck in a Bear Hug and planted a Kiss on Her cheek and ran to catch fireflies with Her friends” that’s the last time She saw Her Daughter Morgan, She was last seen by Her Friends at 10:45pm emptying sand out of Her shoes near Her Mother’s car
Morgans Friends that were playing with Her separately told the police about seeing a creepy man with a red pick-up truck and a white camper shell on the back, talking to Morgan. Police have never identified the man despite thousands of leads
He was described as white, 6 feet tall, with a mustache and a beard. He was believed to be between 23 to 38 years old although police believe he could of been younger police suspect he’s a loner by nature and probably doesn’t have alot of friends or family and probably never told anyone
Within minutes, a bystander called police to report Morgan missing and authorities arived at the scene six minutes later,
Authorities launched their investigation immediately reaching out for help from local agencies, the state police, the FBI, The FBI brought in lots of extra people and resources they did not have, like a computer system that could handle this kind of case in 1995 which helped tremendously
Police even turned a courtroom into a call center for all the tips that were pouring in that night. The FBI brought a mobile command center to the courthouse parking lot. The volunteer fire station was across the street, and Colleen said she and her family moved in there for six weeks and it became the volunteer headquarters, Friends and Family and Volunteers conducted grid searches, investigators gathered home videos from the surrounding areas to search for vehicles matching the description the kids at the ball game had given
Authorities also collected bottles, cigarette butts and other various items from the ball fields, they have tons of DNA but don’t know if they match their suspect, they’ve had dozen of leads and continue to get leads on Morgans Case today, but She hasn’t been found
In Alma police station theirs a room dedicated to Morgan Nicks Case
morgannickfoundation.com
Mr. R
Why are you posting a completely unrelated story here? Unsolved Mysteries already covered this case so what exactly is your point? Do you even have one? Save the rambling diatribes for where they belong.
Sasha the Aussie
Oh please. STFU! U are rambling about another case…WHY?!
Naynay
I live in AR, and this was and is a heart wrenching case. Thanks for posting.
Chet white
Why do you uaeblack lettering on a black background? I can’t read any of the comments?? Lol great idea!
Vesper
I’m wondering why he bothered purchasing wetsuits? Perhaps, if he had never done any scuba before, he may not have realized that neoprene is very buoyant. One of the main reasons divers have to wear weight belts is to counteract the buoyancy of the wetsuit. If you’re planning to die (drown) you would not wish to be buoyant, nor would you need to be protected from the cold water, thus making the wetsuit superfluous. The weights would have been sufficient.
Perhaps they didn’t wish to be uncomfortable in their last moments. I mean that sincerely. Perhaps they thought the wetsuits would give them a small amount of protection or comfort in their final moments. Who can know what someone thinks when contemplating his own death?
However, I wonder if maybe he bought the weights for his wife (intending to kill her) and the wetsuit for himself as a way for him to make a long swim without suffering hypothermia in the November water temps. If he survived the jump, it would have been dark enough at that time of year (especially if the wetsuits were a dark color) for him to swim quite a long way without being seen.
Gigi C.
Exactly. It’s her fault, instigated the entire incident. People right now, in that state, serving Life, for less. Why weren’t they ALL charged. Why aren’t the other occupants named? Is this story real or true? More effort was used to get lip reader than to find them. She was Turbo clingy. If he’s as arrogant as they say. Why not get rid of her? I think he is still alive. Happy, healthy, and remarried openly. The family obviously doesn’t care, either. I hope, I’m wrong. I’m just interested at this point why he was allowed clemency.
Bill Blaski
I believe Adam jumped as well. It’s not easy to go this long without slipping up. Very interesting how they brought in the girl who read lips. That alone tells me they both jumped.
R.E
Agreed. The whole “cut-up credit cards in car, Yet-leaving cash” in the car on the Bridge “Before jumping” is such a bogus touch…. But Unfortunately, Elena was the instigator in this case & Dealing with That remorse as well as the pain of losing her husband to prison had her obviously very distraught. I hope Adam is found , in any way. This victims family is getting no justice at all.
Dale Lewis
I also believe Adam pushed his wife off the bridge and either walked away after he pushed his wife or was picked up by a friend. I also believe he had this planned out for awhile, in hopes of people would see them in the sporting good store buying the weights. Adam was hoping bones would be found and they would declare him dead. He’s alive and got away with murder. He’s in a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S. This guy is still alive living it up while his wife is dead.
Chanita
There’s No Way He Had Jumped Off And Had Committed Suicide He’s Out The Some Where Seeing Himself On The FBI Top 10 Most Wanted List!
Nina
Why are you capitalizing every word?
Jack
This entire incident never would have happened if not for that hit and run driver who sideswiped the Emery’s car at Rocky Point, and took off. That person is still living his life. I hope that person at least has lost sleep over it. Did they ever locate that driver? I have not even heard that part of the story since the day after it happened.
Gigi C.
Right! This story can’t be real. Something is off about these case. No one tried. Not your lawyer?! It’s definitely a Rabbit Hole. Seems unreal.
Xavier
Adam is in Italy….
UnsolvedHistory
How do you know?
Mari
Because it was brought that maybe he is in Italy
Steve
So sad and he’s not dead he pushed her off and killed her cause he knows that obviously the cops are gonna look for bones and so forth so he pushed her off and took off and is probably in Mexico or something
Johnny
I think Adam could still be alive. They searched that bay thoroughly. My guess Adam had second thoughts about the suicide pact and was picked up by a driver or a friend. Don’t see why the wife would kill herself when Adam one going to jail. There was cash and credit cards in the car on the bridge. This Adam seems to have a hot temper. That could help police catch him if he’s in Maine or Canada. Adam would be around 53 if he engineered the disappearance. I think this will be a case that is solved soon through skeletal remains in the Bay or Capture.
Esther
He must’ve threw her off the bridge. Why would he kill her? Why couldn’t he go on the run with his wife? He must be hiding in Canada or somewhere else. Have one of you seen this man before?
Anonymous
He’s alive and well and is in Canada too
Anonymous
There are one of two theories. One they planned a false suicide; they both decided OK let’s do it.. He at the last minute changed his mind and let his wife drowed.. A little far fetched… Two they really did it only his bones are deep in there never to be find… Two things bother me one why argue over the price in the sporting goods store if your going commit suicide. Second why leave all your items in the car money; cut up credit cards; clothes; leaving the engine on. If this was planned why did you care at all to leave anything. Double suicide strange.. He was going to prison not her so why say honey the only way out is kill ourselves. More strange. Unless she felt guilty; she did in fact tell her husband to chase the car. Why didn’t they just write down the license plate like normal people instead going psycho. Feel bad for the kid that died.. Shouldn’t have happened. Sick couple… They will never find that guy he probably drowned in the water too.
grahamclayton
A judge declared Adam Emery dead in 2004, but in 2010 the FBI placed Emery on their list of wanted criminals in 2010.
http://www.turnto10.com/story/21111817/presumed-dead-emery-back-on-fbi-list
allan
How can I get the actual program
unsolved
Hi Allan – the show is currently airing on Lifetime (http://bit.ly/1kUd5Fb) and Escape (http://bit.ly/ZsbEHC).