SOLVED: The 1971 Murder of Rita Curran

1971 - Burlington, Vermont.

In July of 1971, a 23-year-old elementary school teacher named Rita Curran was brutally attacked and murdered as she slept in her own bed in Burlington, VT. Her roommates just happened to be away, and in the span of 70 minutes, an unknown man entered the apartment and took her life. Rita’s murder shook the small city. It was brazen; and police had zero leads.

For 51 years, Rita’s case remained unsolved. It was Burlington’s oldest cold case, and one of the most infamous true crime cases in New England. Ted Bundy was even considered to be a suspect at one point. Rita’s family came to the conclusion that her case may never be solved.

Until February 21st, 2023, when Burlington police detectives and other officials announced that through genetic genealogy, they had solved the case: her killer was a man named William DeRoos, who was 31 at the time and lived just 2 floors above her. But who was he? And why did he murder Rita?

This is a story of hope, and modern forensics. This is the story of Rita Curran; Burlington's newest solved case.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/rita-curran

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