 He had been visiting his girlfriend at her parents' home in nearby Amesbury, Massachusetts; since he did not own a car, he would hitchhike to and from his girlfriend's home, a distance of about ten miles; however, at that hour of the morning there was little traffic on the highway, and Muscarello had walked a good part of the distance.After reaching Kensington, a few miles from Exeter, Muscarello noticed five flashing bright red lights in a field, which he initially thought might be the lights of a police car or fire engine.The lights illuminated the surrounding woods and two nearby houses in brilliant red light.