Eric Napoletano and Marilyn Coludro

2007: You don't hear a lot about this particular story. The story made headlines mostly in New York and New Jersey. There is also a book written about the case. The book is called Mama's Boy by Richard T. Pienciak. It's a good read.

Brief timeline of Eric Napoletano

by Traciy Curry-Reyes

September 1984

Wanda marries Eric Napoletano. The two start having major problems and Wanda's mother, Gladys Matos suggests that her daughter leave Eric. On April 29, 1985, Gladys Matos is shot to death as she was leaving to go to work. 

1990

Eric is married to his wife second wife Myra Acevedo Napoletano. His mother doesn't like her or any of his girlfriends because he usually chooses very ethnic looking young ladies. Myra thought that Eric was so nice and sweet in the beginning of the relationship, but he became a monster. Not being able to take it anymore, she told Eric that she was leaving him and taking the boys to live in Puerto Rico with her family. Then, she just disappeared from their home in Clifton. Her mom filed a missing person's report, but the report was never transferred to the correct department. According to Penciak's book, Napoletano's mother was responsible for the miscommunication.

July 9, 1990

 Myra Acevedo's body was later found buried in a make shift grave in a remote part of New Castle County, Delaware bordering New Jersey. She was just 22 years old at the time.

 1993 The Conviction

In May 1993 when Eric Napoletano was found guilty of the murder of his wife Myra Acevedo Napoletano. He is sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.

 1996

Eric's mother was in all kinds of trouble. His mother 56 year old Carolyn Napoletano was under investigation for obstructing justice and lying to the police regarding Eric during the New Jersey investigation of Myra Acevedo Napoletano. Myra had been reported missing by her mother, but the police department never got the communication. His mother who was working in the communication division at the time was suspected of not sending the missing person's report.  But, Eric Napoletano came to his mother's rescue by pleading guilty to murdering Marilyn Coludro. He was found guilty of her murder. In exchange the charges against his mother were dropped. Carolyn Napoletano worked for the New York Police Department. She ended up quitting her job at the Midtown South precinct in 1997. She was 57 years old at the time.

Tidbits

Sources say this woman protected her son's wrong doing all of his life. All the while she was working as a fill in cop and administrative assistant at the NYPD. They also say that Carolyn never liked his wife Myra. In fact, she made a disparaging comment about the girl when she was finally identified as a murder victim. She left the NYPD.

When the verdict was read, Eric showed very little emotion at the first trial. At the second trial he constantly smiled and smirked in court.

An ex girlfriend of Eric Napoletano named Jennifer Meade testified on the stand that while they were dating Eric told her that his wife was not coming back.

The races were changed to white in the movie. The girls and wives were mostly all Hispanic.

When Eric was growing up his life was unstable and turbulent. He and his mother fought constantly. Carolyn Napoletano stated that they were very close, but that the relationship was more like friends or a sibling relationship instead of mother and son. In fact, when she did not want to deal with Eric any longer, she allowed him to stay with an older man. They ended up becoming lovers. This ex lover actually testified in court against Eric.

2012: It appears that Carolyn Margaret Napoletano is still alive and living in an apartment in New York. She is about 72 years old now. 

The Bad Son True Story Basis for the Movie

The Bad Son is really based on this book. 

 

Read the true story here

The Bad Son's Synopsis and Spoiler

 The names and locations were all changed during the movie.
   
Ronnie McAdams : the female detective
Mark Petrocelli : the other tenacious detective.
John David Finn: the Seattle Killer
Frances Reynolds : John David Finn's mother




The Bad Son Part 1

The movie starts with the scene of a crime in which a woman is found dead. It appears the cause of death is strangulation. The crime seems to be motivated by rage. The next scene shows a police woman arguing with her daughter. The daughter is having a hard time dealing with her parents divorce. The mother tries to reason with her that she is just 16 years old and to young to make her own decisions.

The victim was a runaway who had been reported missing. The police detective tels her father that she has a history of running away. The father says he has a feeling that something was very wrong. He tried to call her on the phone, but the person held the phone, and then hung up. The female detective listens carefully to what he has stated, and she begins to take the missing person's case very seriously.

The detective goes to find the last person to have contact with the missing woman. The man's name is John David Finn. Instead she finds John David Finn's uncle. He indicates that the last time he saw Colleen was the week before. He said that everything seemed fine. He cuts the conversation short.
Next Detective goes to another address where she finds John Finn's mother, and she is as mean as a snake. The detective lets her know real quick who is in charge. The detective lets her know that her son's fiancee has been missing for five days. But, the mother is not willing to help. John comes to the door dressed in a police or security guard uniform as they are talking. He agrees to speak with the detective, but he said that she went to visit relatives in Ohio, and that is the last time that he saw her. He said that she left her cell phone, and she did not take her son. In fact, the son was downstairs asleep. The police detective tells him that it is strange that no one is worried about the young woman's whereabouts. The detective knows it doesn't feel right.

The captain lets her know that they found a body of a missing woman six years prior. They finally found the identity of the missing girl. He informs her that the deceased woman was also a former girlfriend of John David Finn and that he wants her to work on the case with the other detective who investigated the prior disappearances.

Back at home, the female detective's daughter is packing up and getting ready to leave home.
Another detective shows up at the home to let her know that he has worked two prior cases involving girls who went missing who last had contact with John David Finn. He informs her that he was not able to make an arrest in the case because John David Finn's mother is an employee for the Seattle Police Department.

The Bad Son Part 2


The two detectives start working together. The female detective is not pleased to be working with the detective, but she is intrigued by the case. The old time detective is pretty knowledgeable about the case. All of the women have something in common: they are all runaways.
The next scene is a flashback of how John met Colleen. He actually spots her at the bus station, I believe. He talks to her and realizes that she really is a runaway with no real place to go. He sits down next to her. The two have a sandwich together and instantly fall for one another.
Meantime John David Finn's viscious mother complains about Detective Pettrocelli. She says her son has rights. She begins to talk bad about Colleen. She indicates that Colleen was probably having an affair since she likes to stay out late.

True: this part is true. The real killer's mother hated his fiancee mainly because of her race.  The real girl was Hispanic instead of Italian as depicted in the movie.

In the next scene detectives find another victim. Cause of death is not determined.
There is another flashback. John David Finn tells Colleen that he is now free to pursue a relationship with her. He asks Colleen to marry him, and she eagerly accepts his marriage proposal.

The Bad Son Part 3

John's mother Frances, is known for filing false internal affairs reports and burying other police reports so that they cannot arrest her son.

At the engagement part for John and Colleen, he and his mother argue over Colleen. His mother calls Colleen trashy. She tells her son that he is handsome and that he can do better. He tells her that Colleen is pregnant with his child. He then starts to call his own mother names. Colleen walks in and overhears the entire conversation.

The detectives inform John's mother that they have a positive id on Colleen. His mother made some terrible accusations about Colleen and her character. She will not tell detectives how to get in touch with her son. She claims not to know how to get in touch with him. She goes on about their rights and indicates that she will be filing a complaint with internal affairs. During surveillance, they spot John with a new girl.
True: most everything here is true. Especially the part about the mother burying police reports and reporting fellow employees to the Department of Internal Affairs.  

 The Bad Son Part 4

The police inform Colleen that her fiancee is a suspect in several murders/ She tells him that two weeks earlier he showed up in a totally different car. She didn't want to get him in trouble. But, she suspected that something was wrong. She also noticed that a large blanket was missing.

In the meantime, the detectives still continue to trail John David Finn. The finally locate the car that Colleen talked about. He starts to make some statements to police and his mother tells him to shut up. They question John's uncle. He is uncooperative because he is scared of his sister Frances.

The female detective's daughter is arrested for joy riding in a stolen car.

The Bad Son Part 5

In another flashback John and his mother still scheme on how to get full custody of his son. Colleen is angry that they are living in bad conditions. She is tired of moving from place to place. John strikes her in front of his mother and uncle. They do nothing to help Colleen.

In the next scene the detectives finally get the approval they need to take both the mother and son down. They pay a visit to John David Finn. Finn threatens to look up the detectives daughter who is often left all alone. After they leave, his new girlfriend, nervously asks him if he has done anything wrong. He makes up some lies and tells her that the police are always harassing them because of his mother's complains to Internal Affairs. She believes everything he tells her.

 The Bad Son Part 6 The Ending

Colleen packs her stuff and threatens to leave. They have a big blow up. John starts dumping out her suitcases and begins to hit her with them. He kills her in the process.  His mother is in the other room with her grandson. She turns up the volume on the tv so that she can't hear. John is freaking out about what the police have on him. He tells his uncle that he will go down with him. John's uncle goes to find John's latest girlfriend Becky to see what she knows. The uncle locates her and takes her to John. John becomes abusive. Meantime, his mother is eating chips and enjoying her show.

Police head out to make the arrest and arrive just in time to save Becky. Police search Frances home and find police files on all the girls. She is arrested. Police realize that all of John's problems stem from his love-hate relationship with his mother Frances.

During the interrogation both John and his mother Frances are as cold as ice.

When the uncle is arrested, he confessed to everything. The two detectives say their goodbyes. The movie ends with Detective Emilie's daughter moving back home. She realizes that her boyfriend is not a good person. She tells her mom that she is glad to be home.

True: this part is also true. John had a crude sense of humor and his mother was one scary lady according to sources.


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Traciy's Review

I think this movie was really good. It didn't evoke a lot of emotion or sympathy, but it was a good dramatic movie. I think letting us get to know the characters. The real case is a lot more sad than the movie version.rs a little bit better would have been more effective.