A Murder in Wellesley

July 16, 2012
The bizarre case of the 1999 murder of May Greineder of Wellesley, Mass., is explored in all its unsettling detail by Boston Herald reporter Farmer and former Massachusetts State Police detective Foley, a key investigator. The Greineder family seemed picture-perfect: a rock-solid 31-year marriage and three successful children. But on Halloween, 1999, Dr. Dirk Greineder and his wife, May, took their dog for a walk in the woods; hours later, May was dead with a fractured skull and multiple stab wounds. From the outset, Dirk was the main suspect. The police found work gloves, a folding knife, and a small hammer hurriedly stashed near where witnesses saw Dirk emerge from the woods, contradicting Dirk’s story that he left May, who had a bad back, took their dog to the pond, and returned to find May’s mutilated corpse. Damning evidence mounted, including revelations that Dirk visited hardcore porn sites online and solicited prostitutes. While his guilt is never in question for the reader, Farmer and Foley imbue the investigation and subsequent trial with suspense, going to great lengths to flesh out the players. 20 illus., 1 map.