MISSING: Marilee Burt

In 1970, the state of Colorado had a population of around 2.2 million people, and 137 of those Colorado residents were murdered that year.

Crime in the 1970s in the United States skyrocketed from the previous decade.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the homicide rate increased from “4.6 per 100,000 U.S. residents in 1962 to 9.7 per 100,000 by 1979,” a 100% increase. 

Also in the 1970s, the term “femicide” started being widely used and it’s not hard to see why. In 1973, 467 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 were killed in the U.S. 4,625 total women were murdered in the United States that year. We tried to find statistics that focused on the murder of teenage girls in the 1970s but it was hard to come by a study that focused on that specific demographic. 

Marilee Burt was one of these teenage girls in Colorado.

Photo of Marilee

Photo of Marilee

Marilee with older brother, Ramon

Bridge in Deer Canyon Creek

Marilee’s body was found, nude, under this bridge.

Cheerleading uniform

Investigators never found Marilee’s cheerleading uniform (among other unaccounted for items such as her books and purse). The photo shows what the uniform looked like.

If you have any information about the murder of Marilee Burt you can call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or visit metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Resources

• Researched by Haley Gray

• https://littletonindependent.net/stories/cheerleader-murder-remains-a-mystery,277301

• https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/marilee-burt-cold-case-crime-stoppers-reward/73-56878c32-7b8a-4012-93f5-f38cfb3d787d

• https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/marilee-burt-colorado-cold-case-50-years-unsolved/73-e4554999-1a54-427f-bce9-5364fe523025

• https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/coldcase/casedetail.html?id=93

• https://www.arapahoegov.com/DocumentCenter/View/1990/70-2172-Marilee-Burt?bidId=

• https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/crime/the-murder-of-colorado-teen-marilee-burt-remains-a-mystery-50-years-later

• https://kdvr.com/news/recent-tips-make-1970-killing-of-marilee-burt-top-priority-for-arapahoe-county-cold-case-unit/

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/25065112/?terms=marilee%20burt&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/536261248/?terms=marilee%20burt&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/589511128/?terms=marilee%20burt&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/589511705/?terms=marilee%20burt&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/536262033/?terms=marilee%20burt&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/25082628/?terms=marilee%20burt&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/589505703/?terms=marilee%20burt&match=1

• http://forums.delphiforums.com/coldcases/messages?msg=2420.9

• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/87339349/person/48551445551/story

• https://www.disastercenter.com/crime/cocrime.htm

• https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf 

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1435670/pdf/pubhealthrep00160-0005.pdf 

• https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/gsh/Booklet1.pdf