Post by тσρтєиhυитєя on Nov 13, 2016 13:32:26 GMT -5
An image i had taken myself of the exact K-Mart; behind the store is where Beatty was discovered, that location behind the K-Mart was known to many back then as "The Rocks" where teens would smoke and drink.
WASHINGTON –It was the summer of 1975 when 15-year-old Kathy Lynn Beatty disappeared.
The next day, it was her own sister, just a few years older, who discovered the seriously wounded Kathy in a wooded area not far from their Aspen Hill, Md., home. Police say she’d been sexually assaulted, and her skull crushed. She died days later.
Now, nearly 40 years later, Kathy Beatty’s memory is still very much alive for Steve Kerpelman. A retired Prince George’s County Police officer-turned-private- investigator, Kerpelman says Beatty’s case “Is one of these things that you never forgot”.
That’s because Kerpelman was a classmate of Kathy Beatty’s. She even signed his yearbook. He remembers Kathy’s red hair and sweet nature. “She was quiet, smiled a lot.” she was, he says, ” just easy to get along with.”
That night, in July of 1975, 15-year-old Kathy left her Aspen Hill, Md., home headed to a friend’s house. Her mother says Kathy had left a note, saying she’d gone to a party and that she’d be back by 10 p.m. “That was unusual for her,” says her mom, adding that the rules were Kathy was to be home by the time it got dark.
Her mother, now 80, remembers that on the night that Kathy went missing, there was a violent thunderstorm. It pains her to think of her injured daughter, left helpless in the storm. “She must have been terrified. It’s a terrible thing to be laying there, and you can’t get away and you can’t do anything.” Her thin voice trails off on the phone line. “Oh, if I just could have been there that night…”
Kerpelman has been on this case for six years, and he’s hoping that new appeals on social media may generate the information that might lead to a break in the cold case. He urges people to call him (1-240-304-8633), even if they think what they have to tell him is insignificant. “Over the last couple of month we’ve received a lot of information” and he attributes that to new outreach on a Facebook page dedicated to Kathy Beatty.
Kathy’s mom shares Kerpelman’s sense of encouragement, saying, “this time, I have more hope than I’ve ever had before. I really think that we’re going to get answers to this”. She’s grateful for Kerpelman’s doggedness. “I just pray with my whole heart that this will be solved before I leave this world”.
wtop.com/news/2014/05/social-media-may-thaw-local-cold-case/
ASPEN HILL - On July 24, 1975, 15-year-old Kathy Lynn Beatty was assaulted in the wooded area near the Aspen Hill K-Mart and 7-11. She was taken to the hospital but died as a result of her injuries on Aug. 5. Nearly 40 years later, a former classmate of Beatty’s believes that he is close to discovering the truth about that night’s tragic events.
Steve Kerpelman was a member of Beatty’s class, which had just graduated from ninth grade at Parkland Middle School – then known as Parkland Junior High School. Although he did not know Beatty well, he remembers her as “A kind, quiet girl who had a nice smile.” Kerpelman said that her death was devastating to the community, which was still reeling from the disappearance of the Lyon sisters three months earlier, a case which also remains unsolved.
Kerpelman would pursue a career in law enforcement, spending 21 years as a member of the Prince George’s County Police department, more than half of that time as an investigator. After retiring, he became a licensed private investigator based in Gambrills. For the past six years, as a service to Beatty’s mother, Patricia Haberman, Kerpelman has been investigating Beatty’s death free of charge.
Kerpelman said his firm has received a good amount of valuable information since initiating social media outreach in March.
“We’ve gotten in touch with some people who have been harder to locate, and we’ve received a constant flow of tips,” Kerpelman said. “We’re trying to reach the older residents.”
Kerpelman uses his old Parkland yearbooks as a means of beginning a dialogue with former classmates.
“It’s likely that Kathy knew the people who assaulted her, that something just got out of hand that night,” Kerpelman said. “We believe that somebody out there knows the truth about what happened.”
Kerpelman expressed optimism that the case will someday be solved. His investigation has been aided by several friends of Beatty and longtime county residents.
“Everyone involved is doing this for Kathy’s mother,” Kerpelman said.
Haberman praised Kerpelman’s efforts.
“Steve is a wonderful investigator,” Haberman said. “He knocked on my door six years ago and volunteered to work the case, and he won’t take a dime from me. I’m so appreciative for what everybody has done. Kathy was a sweet girl. She wouldn’t let me swat a fly that got into the house. She deserves closure.”
Haberman said she shares Kerpelman’s confidence that the truth about her daughter’s death will come to light.
Kerpelman’s firm, SMK Investigations, is offering a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the identity of the person or people who were with Beatty on the night of her assault. Anyone with any information, however trivial it may seem, is encouraged to e-mail reward@kathybeatty.com or call 240-304-8633.
A vigil for Beatty will be held July 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Aspen Hill Kmart parking lot. All are welcome.
www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=711:closure-sought-in-decades-old-case&Itemid=766
Any thoughts??? Its close to where the Lyon sisters vanished and only 4 months after they disappeared.
kathybeatty.com
www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?38914-The-Murder-of-Kathy-Lynn-Beatty
Admin Note #1: According to online articles, Anyone with information regarding Beatty’s death is encouraged to email reward@kathybeatty.com or contact SMK Investigations at 240-304-8633.
Admin Note #2: If you have any (news-related) updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
