DNA from cigarette butt solves 52-year-old murder case
More than half a century after a Vermont woman's murder, DNA from a discarded cigarette butt found near her body has finally identified her killer, officials said Tuesday.
The Burlington Police Department announced during a press conference that they had solved the death of Rita Curran, a 24-year-old schoolteacher who was murdered in her apartment in 1971. Police said that DNA found on the cigarette butt was matched to Curran's clothing, and after 52 years, her killer was conclusively identified as William DeRoos.
DeRoos lived in Curran's apartment building at the time of her murder, police said, and died of a drug overdose in 1986.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We're all confident that William DeRoos is responsible for the aggravated murder of Rita Curran," Burlington Police Detective Lt. James Trieb said, but he added that "because he died in a hotel room of a drug overdose, he will not be held accountable for his actions, but this case will be closed."
According to a Burlington investigation report obtained by CNN, DeRoos, "who lived with his wife two floors above Curran, had a fight with his spouse and left their apartment to 'cool down.'" Curran was later found dead, having been beaten severely.
While the case remained cold for years, Trieb said that a break finally came in 2014 when the DNA was extracted from the nearby cigarette butt. USA Today reported that a lab in Florida was finally able to match the cigarette to DeRoos from a DNA database in 2022.
"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, per The Associated Press. "I pray to Rita and I pray to my parents."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
'Sleaze baack!'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 20 - 26 April
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Humza Yousaf clears the decks to battle no-confidence vote
Speed Read First minister is 'done', according to insider, but a single vote could change the balance
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
The new powers to stop stalking in the UK
The Explainer Updated guidance could help protect more victims, but public is losing trust in police and battered criminal justice system
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Trump criminal trial starts with rulings, reminder
Speed Read The first day of his historic trial over hush money payments was mostly focused on jury selection
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Parents of school shooter sentenced to 10-15 years
Speed Read Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents to be convicted in a US mass shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Unlicensed dealers and black market guns
Speed Read 68,000 illegally trafficked guns were sold in a five year period, said ATF
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
A Mexican cartel is trapping unsuspecting tourists in a timeshare scam
Under the Radar Thousands of people have reportedly fallen victim to the scams over the last few years
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Bankman-Fried gets 25 years for fraud
Speed Read Former "crypto king" Sam Bankman-Fried will report to federal prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Goon Squad' cops sentenced for torturing 2 Black men
Speed Read The former Mississippi law enforcement officers pleaded guilty last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published