Oregon man pleads guilty to 1979 Boston murder
BOSTON, April 29, 2026 – An Oregon man who confessed to murdering a 24-year-old woman in a Back Bay apartment building nearly 44 years ago pleaded guilty today to first-degree murder, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
JOHN IRMER, 71, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder before Judge Mary Ames. First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole in Massachusetts.
On October 30, 1979, construction workers at 285 Beacon Street in Boston arrived for work in the morning. A worker entered the apartment and found the body of Susan Rose, 24, inside. Boston police arrived and observed a large amount of blood around Rose’s partially naked body.
A man was arrested for Rose’s murder months after the discovery of her body. The man was indicted, tried and found not guilty.
In 2005, detectives from the Boston Police Unsolved Homicide Unit reexamined the physical evidence from the scene and from Rose’s body. A DNA profile was developed from sperm cells located on a broom found inserted inside Rose’s body. The person previously charged with Rose’s murder was excluded as the contributor of sperm found on the broomstick.
In August of 2023, Irmer walked into the Portland, OR FBI field office and volunteered to agents that he met a woman with red hair at a skating rink around Halloween in Boston in 1979. Irmer said the two walked into 285 Beacon Street, which was under renovation at the time. Irmer said that shortly after they entered the building, he grabbed a nearby hammer and struck the woman on the head, killing her. He then raped her. Irmer said he fled to New York the next day.
Federal agents immediately notified Boston Police Homicide detectives. Detectives flew to Oregon and interviewed Irmer, who again confessed to killing Susan Rose. Irmer told detectives that he had pleaded guilty to a murder in California and had served a lengthy prison sentence. Irmer said that at some point after leaving prison, he got sober, “found Jesus” and needed to confess. Irmer described the murder in precise details that were corroborated by the investigation.
During his interview, Irmer also confessed to killing someone in a southern state. Investigators in that state are reviewing the case.
Susan Rose’s sister delivered an emotional impact statement at today’s hearing, holding a photo of Susan from first grade and saying she wished to remember her that way. Susan’s sister described “Susie” as “caring, intelligent, adventuresome, and curious.” She described living most of her adult life wondering what happened to her only sibling and wondering who could have committed “such a terrible deed.” She said, “now we know that my sister’s life was taken by John Irmer, but he also ruined the lives of my parents and me.”
Hayden praised investigators on the case and expressed sympathy for Susan’s family having spent so many years not knowing the person responsible for her death.
“The answers for Susan Rose’s sister and friends finally came today, though after a very long and sad period of time. I hope other families affected by John Irmer’s murderous behavior find similar answers,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communcations