Fugitive Couple May Be in Peabody Area

A New Hampshire couple on the run from authorities in connection with a horrific child abuse case may be in the Peabody area, according to police.

Peabody police released an alert Sunday around 12:45 p.m., saying the couple was believed to be in the area and asking the public to call 911 or the department's business line if anyone spots the fugitives or has any information on their whereabouts.

No specific information was given on where they might have been sighted in Peabody.

Jessica Linscott, 23, and boyfriend Roland Dow, 27, of Plaistow, N.H., are wanted on numerous charges of assault and neglect of a child -- Linscott's three-year-old son.

Authorities are accusing the couple of inflicting brutal beatings and injuries on the child, including burning him and causing a serious brain injury.

State police were also searching for the fugitives near River Street in Middleton around 5 p.m. after a report came in of a possible sighting there around 3 p.m. on Sunday. Troopers reported they did not find anything, however, not even a sign of the vehicle authorities believe the couple are using.

Linscott and Dow may be in a blue Dodge Caravan with New Hampshire license plates -- the vehicle is registered to a relative who lives in Newton, N.H. and was seen headed north from Beverly on Saturday evening.

The latest report of a sighting of Linscott and Dow comes after police engaged in a prolonged manhunt in Beverly Saturday night for the fugitives, which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity and several coincidences.

Several other possible sightings have been reported around the North Shore over the past week.

For non-emergencies, the Peabody police can be contacted at 978-531-1212.