Details of Disappearance

Mary was employed as a house cleaner in Sherman, Connecticut in 1984. She had a stormy relationship with her husband, Dominic Badaracco, and left him for short periods of time in the past. He reportedly physically abused her, leaving bruises. Shortly before she disappeared, Mary found out Dominic was having an affair. She decided to file for divorce. Mary’s adult daughters from her previous marriage reported her as a missing person on August 31, after they had not been contacted by their mother since the 19th.

Dominic Badaracco Sr ( Named in 2009 as suspect in Mary's disappearance)Mary Badaracco

Dominic claimed that he saw Mary for the last time on August 20, when she packed all of her belongings and left their residence in the 20 block of Wakeman Road. None of Mary’s personal items were located inside the house by her daughters. Her 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier was parked outside of their home, at the end of the long driveway. The windshield on the driver’s side of the vehicle had been smashed inward and shards of glass were on the front seat.

Mary’s car keys and her wedding ring were placed on the kitchen counter. Some of her clothes were missing, as were all of the framed photos of her. Dominic claimed that he gave Mary between $100,000 and $250,000 to leave their residence and as an informal settlement. He maintained that she simply packed her things and left after receiving the cash. Her daughters had a close relationship with Mary and other loved ones stated she would never leave the vicinity without sharing her plans.

A woman and her daughters moved in with Dominic less than a week after Mary disappeared. Dominic said he had moved in with his sister and was only renting his house to the woman, but he later married her. Two days before Mary was reported missing, Dominic filed for divorce on grounds of abandonment. Divorce proceedings for Mary and Dominic took place in August 1985, nine months after she vanished. Mary was not represented at the hearing and Dominic continued to insist that she left their home after receiving his cash offering. There has not been any evidence of the cash or any trace of Mary’s belongings since her disappearance.

Mary’s case was upgraded from a missing person’s case to that of a homicide in 1990, six years after she disappeared.

Authorities searched the backyard of Ernest Dachenhausen’s former home in September 2007, and also brought him to the search site. He said he knew Dominic, but he had nothing to do with Mary’s disappearance. Some buried cars were located during the search. In April 2008, Dachenhausen was charged with a misdemeanor count of interfering with a police investigation in Mary’s disappearance. Authorities stated he gave false and leading information to the police. He was acquitted at his trial in May 2009.

Mary has eleven siblings. She attended Danbury High School, but dropped out at sixteen to marry her first husband. They had two daughters and divorced a few years later. Mary worked sporadically as a bartender and a house cleaner after the divorce, and frequently changed residences. She enjoyed painting and drawing as a hobby. She married Dominic in 1970.

Some agencies may list Southbury, Connecticut as the location of Mary’s disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

The Connecticut State Police

Detective Joseph Bukowski
203-267-2200

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CUE CENTER FOR MISSING PERSONS-(910) 232-1687 -24 Hour Line Tipline