Lent abducts 12-year-old James Bernardo from his bicycle near a Pittsfield, MA movie theater where Lent works as a janitor. Lent later told police that he told Jimmy that he would kill him if he didn't comply, guaranteeing that he would be forced into his van. Lent threw his bicycle into a nearby lake. Lent later took the boy back to his home, assaulted, and tortured him, before murdering the boy. He left his naked body in a remote part of New York State, where it would be found in exactly one month.

Pittsfield, MA

James' nude body is discovered by hunters on Thanksgiving Day 1990; he was 180 miles away from his hometown.

Newfield, NY Woods

On her bicycle, Sara leaves the nearby church where she attends Bible school and where her father works as a reverend. Sara picked up some posterboard, a church song book, and some 8-by-10-inch plastic transparencies at the church before heading home to Hadacam Road, a short distance around the corner. When she didn't come home that evening, Sara's parents searched the street and found her bicycle leaning up against a tree, and the items she picked up scattered amongst some bushes. Sara's parents report her as missing, but there are no clues or leads.

Norwich Corners Christian Church

Pittsfield, MA girl Rebecca Saravese successfully avoids being kidnapped by Lent. Saravese told police that Lent was trying to force her into his truck at gunpoint, but she faked an asthma attack to distract him. She then ran away, and shimmied out of her backpack when Lent tried to grab her. Lent chased her until she flagged down another adult; then Lent began to run to evade identification. However, it was too late and the make, model, and license plates traced him back to the attempted abduction.

Pittsfield, MA

When confronted with the evidence against him, Lent confessed to the murders of James Bernardo and Sara Wood. Lent claims that he abducted Sara, murdered her, and buried her body near Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. He drew a map to the precise location where he deposited her body. Police immediately search the area, but the ground is too hard to dig. Officials wait until the springtime to resume searching.

Raquette Lake

On this day, officials broke ground in the search for Sara Wood; it would last one month.

Raquette Lake

Officials have thoroughly searched the area where Sara was allegedly buried and find nothing. Lent has since recanted his testimonies and claimed that he won't divulge Sara's burial site, as he placed another body nearby that he does not want to be discovered.

Raquette Lake

After navigating jurisdictional issues related to transportation of James Bernardo across state lines, Lent is convicted of murdering Sara and James. He is sent to prison for 25 years to life with no possibility of parole and is housed in Massachussets.

MCI- Concord

More than 80 officers from the New York State Police, including the New York State Forest Rangers, and the Vermont State Police assisted in the search for the remains of Sara Anne Wood. Police searched approximately 29 acres near the Dome Hiking Trail in Pownal.

Dome Hiking Trail

A joint law enforcement effort conducted a search of a property in Lanesborough in connection to unsolved crimes police believe were committed by Lent. A number of law enforcement agencies were part of the search Tuesday, including the Hampden County District Attorney’s office, Massachusetts State Police, New York State Police, the Herkimer District Attorney’s office and the Berkshire District Attorney’s office.