Vermont police solve 52-year-old killing with DNA evidence
Tom Curran, brother of 1971 murder victim Rita Curran, faces reporters during a news conference, Tuesday Feb. 21, 2023, at the Burlington Police Department in Burlington, Vt., after police announced they had identified the man who killed Curran’s sister. Police announced Tuesday they had solved Curran’s murder, although the man they say killed her died in 1986, so he can never be prosecuted. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring)
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(NewsNation) — Police in Burlington, Vermont, have solved a 52-year cold case thanks to the help of a cigarette butt that was found at the scene of the crime.
The Burlington Police Department on Tuesday announced that DNA evidence helped them uncover who killed Rita Curran, who was found dead July 20, 1971. The 24-year-old woman was beaten and sexually assaulted before she was strangled inside her Burlington apartment.
Police said at a news conference that DNA found on a cigarette butt has been linked to William DeRoos, Curran’s neighbor at the time.
Burlington Police Lt. James Trieb said DeRoos went to Thailand after the killing and later turned up in San Francisco.
“Then we see the propensity of violence, unprovoked violence,” Trieb said. “Given all this information, our detective bureau, myself, the chief, we’re all confident that William DeRoos was responsible for the aggravated murder of Rita Curran.”
DeRoos died in 1986 from a drug overdose, so no charges will be filed, but the case has been closed.
Police said DeRoos lived upstairs from Curran with his wife at the time of the killing. On the night of the killing, police said DeRoos had an argument with his wife and left the apartment to cool off.
The next morning when police questioned the couple, DeRoos’ wife Michelle gave an alibi for her husband, acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said.
“Five decades later, she gave our detectives a different story: the truth,” Murad said.
Police used a public genealogy database to help link DeRoos’ DNA with that found on the cigarette butt found at the scene. Traces of DeRoos’ DNA was also found on Curran’s coat from the night of the murder.
Though charges won’t be filed, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George found enough probable cause for aggravated first-degree murder, the Vermont Digger reported.
Curran’s parents died without learning who had killed their daughter, but the victim’s brother and sister attended the event held at Burlington Police Headquarters.
“I don’t think so much about the guy who did this as I do about Rita, my parents and what they went through,” Curran’s brother Tom said during the event. “I pray to Rita and I pray to my parents.”
Now-retired U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, who was the Chittenden County state’s attorney when Curran was killed, and who went to the crime scene that night, attended the Tuesday event. Asked if he felt the case would ever be solved, he said that he had hoped it would.
“I must admit after 20 and 30, 40 years, I figured it never would. … It was a terrible thing,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
