All Along the Watchtower: Murder at Fort Devens

On January 30, 1979, in Ayer, Massachusetts, Elaine Tyree, a mother, wife, and US Army soldier, was killed in her apartment building on Washington Street. Her husband, William Tyree, a Special Forces soldier, was convicted of the murder, which he has consistently denied. The case raises questions about whether the government and military suppressed evidence that could prove Tyree's innocence. Some elements parallel the Jeffrey MacDonald case, in which a military doctor and US Army Captain was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters while maintaining his innocence. MacDonald's case was the subject of the book and film Fatal Vision. The Tyree case generated controversy within the Ayer community, the US Army, and the Massachusetts judicial system. It prompted suspicions of judicial misconduct, government cover-up, clandestine military operations, and various conspiracy theories. The events of that day, the subsequent trial, and ongoing legal battles continue to raise questions about the case.