Rita Curran, 24, returned home on July 19, 1971, around 10 PM after practice with her barbershop quartet. Curran was notably shy and quiet, the quartet had been a chance for her to open herself up. Approximately an hour after her return to the ground-level apartment on Brooks Avenue, Burlington, VT, her roommates, Beverly Lamphere,24, and Kerry Duame 19, left to meet up with their friend, Paul Robinson. Curran was left alone in the apartment with the doors unlocked until the three returned to the apartment at 1 AM. Under the impression that Curran must have gone to bed, the three spent time together in the living room before Lamphere discovered Curran’s nude body in her bedroom (Farrow)(Melendez)(Ring)(Rita Curran: The unsolved case of a 24-year-old elementary school teacher who was found murdered inside her bedroom).
Curran was found laying on the ground of her bedroom, naked with her torn underwear hidden under the body. Her autopsy revealed that she had been sexually assaulted before her death, as well as beaten on her head and face, mostly likely with a fist. The autopsy showed signs that she had fought back against her attacker. Her cause of death was deemed to be asphyxia; signs pointed to manual strangulation. She had curlers in her hair, suggesting she was prepared for bed at the time of the attack. Investigators found nothing had been stolen and her car was untouched in the parking area, suggesting that robbery had not been the motive. Despite thin walls, no neighbors remember hearing anything that night (Farrow)(Melendez)(Ring)(Rita Curran: The unsolved case of a 24-year-old elementary school teacher who was found murdered inside her bedroom).
Curran had moved into the apartment just that June, keeping close to the South Burlington Colonial Motor Inn, which she worked part-time at during summers, and the University of Vermont, where she was attending some courses. She worked as a second grade teacher during the school year at Milton Elementary. She ended up living near the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers – the birthplace of notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. Unsurprisingly, given that her murder occurred during Bundy’s active era and Bundy was reportedly in Vermont during 1971, Bundy has been investigated as a suspect (Farrow)(Melendez)(Ring)(Rita Curran: The unsolved case of a 24-year-old elementary school teacher who was found murdered inside her bedroom).
Ann Rule, notable author of The Stranger Beside Me, suggested in the book that Curran could potentially have been one of Bundy’s victims. While the exact dates are unverified, Bundy is believed to have been in Vermont for part of 1971, possibly trying to find out who his biological father was. According to Rule, who has since passed, retired FBI agent John Bassett told her that Curran held a remarkable resemblance to Bundy’s ex-girlfriend. However, upon investigation, detective Tom Chenette, determined that evidence suggested Bundy was not in Vermont at the time of the murder though he remains on the suspect list. Bundy denied being invovled in the murder in a five minute confessional before his execution, also denying having any involvement with any murders in Burlington, VT. Despite this, some still believe Bundy may be responsible, as her death was reminiscent of his known victims (Farrow)(Melendez)(Ring)(Rita Curran: The unsolved case of a 24-year-old elementary school teacher who was found murdered inside her bedroom).
Rita Curran would be in her 70s if she were alive now. If her killer was similarly aged, they could still be alive today, perhaps waiting for their actions to come back to them. Nearly 200 people were questioned in relation to the case, many close to Curran and many taking polygraphs. While polygraphs aren’t reliable, at the time they were regularly used. There were many false confessions over the years, likely due to the high profile of the case. Curran’s mother, who passed in 2002, had said before that she believed there was a “cover-up” with her daughter’s case, but never elaborated on what she meant. As it stands, the case is still open and unsolved, and perhaps with new forensics being applied to evidence, we may get answers (Farrow)(Melendez)(Ring)(Rita Curran: The unsolved case of a 24-year-old elementary school teacher who was found murdered inside her bedroom).
“Rita Curran: The Unsolved Case of a 24-Year-Old Elementary School Teacher Who Was Found Murdered inside Her Bedroom.” The Criminal Journal, 13 Apr. 2021, https://www.thecriminaljournal.com/rita-curran-the-unsolved-murder-of-a-24-year-old-elementary-school-teacher-whose-battered-body-was-found-in-her-bedroom/.
(Rita Curran: The unsolved case of a 24-year-old elementary school teacher who was found murdered inside her bedroom)
Ring, Wilson. “Police: Modern Tools Help in 1971 Unsolved Killing.” The Burlington Free Press, Burlington Free Press, 28 July 2016, https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2016/07/28/modern-tools-1971-unsolved-killing-rita-curran/87682744/.
Melendez, Pilar. “Her Murder Was Tied to Ted Bundy. Then the Case Went Cold.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 27 Sept. 2021, https://www.thedailybeast.com/her-murder-was-tied-to-ted-bundy-then-the-case-went-cold.
Farrow, Libbi. “Mystery in the Mountains: Rita Curran’s Murder Is Burlington, Vermont’s Oldest Cold Case.” NEWS10 ABC, NEWS10 ABC, 26 July 2021, https://www.news10.com/news/mystery-in-the-mountains-rita-currans-murder-is-burlington-vermonts-oldest-cold-case/.
Syn Writes 