BOSTON — In a telephone interview with me, Lilice Shader fondly remembered her son, David Shader.
“He was a sweetheart,” Lilice told me of her son, who served as a U.S. Marine in Afghanistan.
Lilice last spoke to her son during a telephone call on May 11, Mother’s Day.
“He called me for the last time on Mother’s Day,” she remembered.
“How was he when you talked to him?” I asked.
“He sounded fine. I don’t remember much. He just said ‘I love you,’” Lilice said.
On July 13, tuna fishermen found a man’s body floating in the Atlantic Ocean nine miles off the coast of Rye, New Hampshire, near the Isle of Shoals.
David Shader’s ID was found on his body. The 35-year-old war veteran was eventually identified through his fingerprints.
Authorities don’t know how or where David Shader got into the water, but he was last seen on June 13 in South Boston.
A source tells me Shader quit his job in March, cleared out his living space on June 13, and was last seen riding a bicycle in South Boston.
A medical examiner will ultimately determine the cause and manner of death.
I’m told it is possible Shader went into the water in Boston, and the currents carried his remains to New Hampshire, where the fishermen found his body.
At this point, investigators do not suspect foul play.
And they do not believe David’s case is related to any other case.
For immediately, David’s mother is waiting for the results of the investigation into her son’s death.
“What do you think could have happened to him?” I asked.
“I really (would) rather not discuss it,” Lilice Shader said.
As the investigation continues, David’s family is planning a memorial for him in Saratoga, New York.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | movie Boston 25 News immediately
©2025 Cox Media Group
About the Author
