A 63-year-old Walmart worker has been arrested in the 1984 rape and murder of Long Island teen Theresa Fusco, thanks to a DNA match from a discarded smoothie cup.

After more than four decades of heartbreak, false arrests, and unanswered questions, Nassau County prosecutors have finally charged a suspect in one of Long Island’s most haunting cold cases — the brutal 1984 rape and murder of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco.

The alleged killer? A 63-year-old Walmart employee from Suffolk County.

Richard Bilodeau, then 24, was arrested and arraigned Wednesday in the slaying that stunned a quiet suburban community and left the Fusco family shattered for life.

Investigators say Bilodeau was finally identified through cutting-edge DNA testing and an empty smoothie cup discarded just months ago.

“I never gave up hope,” Theresa’s father, Thomas Fusco, said outside court, clutching a photo of his daughter with trembling hands. “I always had faith the truth would come out. And now, after all these years, maybe we can start to heal.”

Theresa, an aspiring dancer described as bubbly and kind-hearted, vanished on November 10, 1984, shortly after being fired from her job at the Hot Skates roller rink in Lynbrook. Witnesses said she left the rink in tears and was never seen alive again.

Nearly a month later, on December 5, her nude and battered body was found buried beneath a pile of leaves in a wooded area just blocks from the rink. She had been raped, beaten, and strangled.

The horror of the crime shocked the tight-knit Nassau County community — and led to one of the most controversial wrongful convictions in state history.

In 1986, three local men — John Restivo, Dennis Halstead, and John Kogut — were arrested and eventually convicted of killing the teenager.

All three maintained their innocence, and DNA evidence would later exonerate them after they had spent up to 18 years behind bars. They were released in 2003 and awarded $43 million in damages after suing Nassau County.

But the real killer remained at large — until now.

In February 2025, investigators trailed Bilodeau to a Tropical Smoothie café near his home. After watching him toss his drink cup into a public trash can, detectives retrieved it and sent it to the FBI for DNA analysis. The results were chilling.

“The DNA from that straw matched the sample taken from Theresa’s body back in 1984,” Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt told the judge during Wednesday’s arraignment. “It is a conclusive, 100% match.”

Bilodeau was arrested at his home and appeared emotionless in court as the charges were read. He offered no plea and was ordered held without bail until his next appearance on November 21. His defense attorney, Daniel Russo, denied his client’s involvement.

“He maintains his innocence,” Russo said flatly. “We will contest the evidence.”

But prosecutors say the evidence is overwhelming.

According to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, Bilodeau was living with his grandparents less than a mile from the crime scene at the time of the murder.

He told police he ran a mobile coffee truck around that time — but when shown photos of Theresa during questioning, he denied knowing her. Then came a chilling admission.

“When told the date of the crime, he said, ‘Yeah, people got away with murder back then,’” Rosenblatt recounted in court.

Donnelly made clear that while past prosecutions in the case may have gone wrong, there is no doubt now.

“Science doesn’t lie,” she told reporters. “In 2025, when you have a DNA match like this, it’s definitive. We got the guy.”

For Theresa’s family, the news was both crushing and comforting — an emotional closing chapter to a 40-year nightmare.

“I heard what I needed to hear,” her father said. “It’s heartbreaking, but now I know who did it. That brings peace.”

Outside the Nassau County Courthouse, the grieving father embraced family members and urged them to hold their loved ones close.

“Now you go home and enjoy the rest of your life,” he told one tearful relative. “Enjoy your daughter.”

Theresa had dreamed of dancing professionally and was known for her infectious smile and sunny demeanor.

A black-and-white photo released by the family shows her beaming, clutching a white stuffed animal — a far cry from the grisly fate that would befall her just weeks later.

For nearly 40 years, her case remained one of Long Island’s darkest mysteries. Rumors swirled. The wrong men went to prison. The pain never left.

And yet, her family never stopped believing.

“This seems like a finalization,” Thomas Fusco said quietly. “I’m very grateful. She lives in my heart — and now we can finally say goodbye.”