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Celestina Perez
Status: SOLVED
City: Springfield
State: Massachusetts
County: Hampden County
Date of birth: November 30, 1970
Date of death: June 2, 1995
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Race: Hispanic/Latino
Cause of death: Ligature Strangulation
Anniversary month: June
LEA: Massachusetts State Police, Springfield, Massachusetts
Case Description
***UPDATE*** - On Wednesday, July 21, 2026, Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni announced that DNA evidence identified Joseph James Ceravolo Jr. as Celestina Perez's killer. Ceravolo died of natural causes in 2013, preventing criminal prosecution.
On June 2, 1995, Celestina Perez, 24, was found in Gurdon Bill Park in Springfield, MA. She had been beaten and strangled. What should have been a place of peace became the scene of a tragedy that left her family and loved ones devastated. Celestina’s death left behind grief, unanswered questions, and a family still waiting for justice. She was a young woman with her life ahead of her, and those who love her continue to carry the pain of her absence while hoping for answers.
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