Alleged killer bragged about burying missing woman under his garage, police say
TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. (TMX) – The remains of a woman missing for more than a year have tentatively been located after her alleged murderer recently bragged about the killing to a friend, authorities said.
The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced on Tuesday that 40-year-old Shawn Sullivan was arrested by Tyngsborough police and charged with murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and improper disposal of human remains.
Speaking at a press conference, District Attorney Marian Ryan and Tyngsborough Chief of Police Shaun Woods said the case took a recent turn when the Nashua Police Department in New Hampshire was contacted about a possible homicide.
The caller reported that Sullivan allegedly told him he had shot and killed a woman named “Jill” at his home in Tyngsborough in or around January 2025, and had buried her under the floor of his garage.
Searching a missing persons database, Nashua police learned Jill Kloppenburg was reported missing to Tewksbury law enforcement in Massachusetts in February 2025. Investigators further learned Sullivan knew Kloppenburg, and that she had been in his home and was with him around the time of her disappearance.
Detectives from the Tyngsborough Police Department, Tewksbury Police Department and Massachusetts State Police executed a search warrant at Sullivan’s home on Audrey Avenue on March 15. They spotted “what appeared to be a large, patched area in the garage.”
Ground-penetrating radar confirmed an area of the garage had been cut and patched. After cutting through the floor, investigators discovered a bag containing human remains.
The identity of the victim has not yet been positively confirmed. The remains were transferred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which will make an identification along with determining the cause and manner of death.
Authorities said the investigation remains active. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Massachusetts State Police at 781-897-8300.
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