BURLINGTON — 1971 · Murder

The Rita Curran case

SolvedSources: CLast updated: 14 October 2026

In 1971, in Burlington, Vermont, 24-year-old teacher Rita Curran was killed in her apartment. The investigation, using the resources available at the time, questioned a large number of people, but the case remained unsolved. Roughly fifty years later, an analysis of biological samples taken from the crime scene using forensic genetic genealogy identified as the perpetrator a man who had been briefly questioned back in 1971. A sample from a relative confirmed the match; the suspect was no longer alive.

Date
1971
Place
Vermont, USA, Burlington, US
Category
Murder
Case Status
Solved
Coordinates
44.4759, -73.2121 ↗

Timeline of Events

  1. 1971The killing took place
  2. 1971A large number of people were questioned; the case remained unsolved
  3. 2021Forensic genetic genealogy identified the perpetrator

Sources

  • Official Report
  • Forensic Medicine Report

Source grade C: no linked source yet; details rely on the general press archive. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.

Related Cases

More cases from the 1970s

See all ›

Categories

🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.