Wayne Chapman, Convicted Serial Child Rapist, Dead

BOSTON (CBS) – Wayne Chapman, a convicted serial child rapist whose release from prison was criticized by victims' advocates, died Wednesday.

Attorney Eric Tennen confirmed Chapman's death on Thursday, saying it was of natural causes.

Chapman served 30 years for five convictions involving child rape. He was also a prime suspect in the disappearance of a 10-year-old boy from a South Lawrence pool in the 1970s.

In 2018, two psychiatrists concluded Chapman should be released, citing his age and his Parkinson's disease. A short time later, however, nurses at the correctional facility in Shirley accused Chapman of exposing himself and performing lewd acts.

A guilty verdict would have kept Chapman behind bars. Instead, he was found not guilty and was released in 2019.