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After 31 years, a cold case homicide in Springfield has been solved

New England Public Media | By Nirvani Williams
Published July 22, 2026 at 6:52 PM EDT
Springfield Police Superintendent, Lawrence Akers [left], Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble [right] and Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni [center], speaking to the press about 24-year-old Springfield resident and a mom, Celestina Perez, and her solved murder.
Hampden District Attorney Office
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Submitted
Springfield Police Superintendent, Lawrence Akers [left], Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble [right] and Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni [center], speaking to the press about 24-year-old Springfield resident and a mom, Celestina Perez, and her solved murder.

After 31 years, a cold case in Springfield has been solved by the Hampden District Attorney's office and Springfield Police Department.

Celestina Perez, whose 1995 murder was solved more than three decades later through a renewed investigation and advances in forensic technology.
Hampden District Attorney Office
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Submitted
Celestina Perez, whose 1995 murder was solved more than three decades later through a renewed investigation and advances in forensic technology.

Celestina Perez, a 24-year-old Springfield resident and a mom, was found dead in Gurdon Bill Park back in 1995.

The causes were asphyxiation and blunt force trauma. Investigators ruled her death a homicide, but could not find a killer until now. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni announced in a press conference Wednesday that forensic scientists were able to identify Perez's murderer with new technology.

A photograph of Joseph James Ceravolo Jr., who authorities identify as the man responsible for the 1995 murder of Celestina Perez, a 24-year-old Springfield resident and mother.
Hampden District Attorney's Office
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Submitted
A photograph of Joseph James Ceravolo Jr., who authorities identify as the man responsible for the 1995 murder of Celestina Perez, a 24-year-old Springfield resident and mother.

“During my administration, we requested new testing of Celestina's preserved clothing, including her underwear and socks. Testing by the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab detected blood on her underwear and developed a major male DNA profile suitable for entry into the combined DNA index system, commonly known as CODIS,” Gulluni said.

According to the FBI, the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, is a tool blending forensic science with computer technology. It enables federal, state, and local forensic laboratories to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, which could link serial violent crimes to each other and to known offenders.

Gulluni said the man who killed Perez, Joseph James Ceravolo Jr., had a 99.99% evidentiary match in the CODIS system.

Ceravolo died in 2013, so no charges have been filed, but the DA notified Perez’s family of the news.

Perez's nephew, Jose Reyes, said knowing the truth of what happened has allowed him and his family to "find a little peace" in the situation.

Tags
Regional News POLICEGOVERNMENT & POLITICSCRIMINAL JUSTICE
Nirvani Williams
Nirvani Williams covers socioeconomic disparities for New England Public Media, joining the news team in June 2021 through Report for America.
See stories by Nirvani Williams
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