NJ NJ - Walter 'Whitey' Burd, 57, Ledgewood, 8 July 1980

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ClaireNC

ClaireNC

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This case has haunted me for years. I grew up and lived very close to where this happened. Here is the link the the Morris County, NJ CrimeStoppers site that is the only place I have found it mentioned.

http://mccrimehomicides.blogspot.com/2003/03/7880-walter-whitey-burd.asp

Here is the listing from Crimestoppers:
On Tuesday, July 8, 1980 at approximately 7:00 a.m. the victim, Walter "Whitey" Burd, age 57 was discovered deceased inside the Circle Lanes Bowling Alley, Route 46, Ledgewood, NJ. The victim was employed as a maintenance worker at the bowling alley and had been murdered during an apparent robbery of the safe in the bowling alley. The victim was last seen alive at approximately 4:00 a.m. on 7/8/80 at a local restaurant and had been assaulted and stabbed prior to his death. The bowling alley had been closed at the time of the homicide.
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I was teen at the time this happened. Ledgewood was a still small town with one traffic light. Everybody pretty much knew everybody. While the above reference says it was a robbery attempt, Whitey's murder was much more.

He was a local character and was often seen walking around. He was probably homeless or living in a nearby low income boarding house or fleabag hotel. There were a few such characters that we called "hobos". We knew them, they always waved and said Hello. They were never seen as a threat of any kind.

Now, back to the murder, there was no robbery. According to some township workers at the time, Whitey was tortured and brutally murdered. His eyes, tongue and ears were cut out. The local LE thought it was a message of some sort, possibly mob related. The hypothesis was that Whitey, and, some of his friends or the other homeless people in the area, might have witnessed something "big" and the message was to keep quiet. The ears, eyes and tongue being removed were interpreted as a "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" kind of gesture.

Since he was just a "throwaway kind of human" (sarcastic), the local police never did much to try to solve the case. The thought at the time among LE was that eventually somebody would talk/brag and the case would be solved. Well it's been 30+ years and nobody has.
 
Whitey had "shell shock" from the Korean War, lived in the bowling alley and was its janitor and nightwatchman.
This is all hearsay from a former Hackettstown police officer who had grew up in Landing and had close ties to the Roxbury police force. This case was uncharged but not unsolved. Whitey died a slow, horrible death - the cache was his prized coins but the "boys" who did it, did it not only for the coins but for the fun of it. The officer told me the guys were watched very closely after that, but, their parents had ties to the force and they were never charged out of respect for their dads.

ClaireNC said:
This case has haunted me for years. I grew up and lived very close to where this happened. Here is the link the the Morris County, NJ CrimeStoppers site that is the only place I have found it mentioned.

http://mccrimehomicides.blogspot.com/2003/03/7880-walter-whitey-burd.asp

Here is the listing from Crimestoppers:


I was teen at the time this happened. Ledgewood was a still small town with one traffic light. Everybody pretty much knew everybody. While the above reference says it was a robbery attempt, Whitey's murder was much more.

He was a local character and was often seen walking around. He was probably homeless or living in a nearby low income boarding house or fleabag hotel. There were a few such characters that we called "hobos". We knew them, they always waved and said Hello. They were never seen as a threat of any kind.

Now, back to the murder, there was no robbery. According to some township workers at the time, Whitey was tortured and brutally murdered. His eyes, tongue and ears were cut out. The local LE thought it was a message of some sort, possibly mob related. The hypothesis was that Whitey, and, some of his friends or the other homeless people in the area, might have witnessed something "big" and the message was to keep quiet. The ears, eyes and tongue being removed were interpreted as a "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" kind of gesture.

Since he was just a "throwaway kind of human" (sarcastic), the local police never did much to try to solve the case. The thought at the time among LE was that eventually somebody would talk/brag and the case would be solved. Well it's been 30+ years and nobody has.
Click to expand...
 
acanfld said:
Whitey had "shell shock" from the Korean War, lived in the bowling alley and was its janitor and nightwatchman.
This is all hearsay from a former Hackettstown police officer who had grew up in Landing and had close ties to the Roxbury police force. This case was uncharged but not unsolved. Whitey died a slow, horrible death - the cache was his prized coins but the "boys" who did it, did it not only for the coins but for the fun of it. The officer told me the guys were watched very closely after that, but, their parents had ties to the force and they were never charged out of respect for their dads.
Click to expand...

This is so plausible, especially as far as motive and lack of any significant follow up investigation. The interpretation of his mutilation i.e. "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil", remains just that, an interpretation but a fine one nonetheless. I can see, however, jacked up punks with family connections acting out on a defenseless and not clearly thinking easy target. What a horrible ending for Whitey. I'm glad someone remembers and reminds us of him. It is the very least this victim deserves. May his murderer/s receive Life's justice.
 
acanfld said:
Whitey had "shell shock" from the Korean War, lived in the bowling alley and was its janitor and nightwatchman.
This is all hearsay from a former Hackettstown police officer who had grew up in Landing and had close ties to the Roxbury police force. This case was uncharged but not unsolved. Whitey died a slow, horrible death - the cache was his prized coins but the "boys" who did it, did it not only for the coins but for the fun of it. The officer told me the guys were watched very closely after that, but, their parents had ties to the force and they were never charged out of respect for their dads.
Click to expand...

@acanfld so strange I grew up very close to Ledgewood, worked in LE for years and I never heard that.. The janitor and night watchman part yes, but there being POI's in it never. Interesting theory...

Every few years, there is mention of it as one of Morris County's cold cases:

Unsolved Mysteries: 31 Murders In Morris County Under Investigation
 
If I have my locations correct, the circle lanes bowling alley was just renovated in the past year or so. I wonder if anybody was keeping an eye out for anything that might be a clue. Not sure what one might find but you never know what could have fallen from a pocket or slipped down a crack in a floor. Probably a long shot regardless. And of course I may have the wrong place. I am assuming that the Circle bowling is in the same spot it has always been.
 
Yes Rob same spot.. Sadly I doubt anything was found after all this time.
 
Seems like he may have had a routine of cleaning up after closing time and then going to the restaurant afterwards. Maybe he came back to the bowling alley early and interrupted the robbery? Which would probably mean it was done by someone whom knew his schedule and knew that the victim could identify him.
 
Does anyone know what time the bowling alley closed? I would assume 1:00 - 2:00 am. Stand to reason if it takes 2 hours to clean up and walk to the diner he would have locked up. I wonder who may have had a key to the place?
 
acanfld said:
Whitey had "shell shock" from the Korean War, lived in the bowling alley and was its janitor and nightwatchman.
This is all hearsay from a former Hackettstown police officer who had grew up in Landing and had close ties to the Roxbury police force. This case was uncharged but not unsolved. Whitey died a slow, horrible death - the cache was his prized coins but the "boys" who did it, did it not only for the coins but for the fun of it. The officer told me the guys were watched very closely after that, but, their parents had ties to the force and they were never charged out of respect for their dads.
Click to expand...
I have been trying to do so much research on him for his is actually an uncle of mine. I recall watching cold case and my grandfather mentioning about my uncle whiteys case I never really knew the extent to the murder but I'm glad people are still trying to help solve his case. My mom was only 5 when he was killed it was a shock to all my family about the murder and it's sad that to this day none of us know who did it or why
 
akashalynn said:
I have been trying to do so much research on him for his is actually an uncle of mine. I recall watching cold case and my grandfather mentioning about my uncle whiteys case I never really knew the extent to the murder but I'm glad people are still trying to help solve his case. My mom was only 5 when he was killed it was a shock to all my family about the murder and it's sad that to this day none of us know who did it or why
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I am sorry for your family's loss. That your uncle's murder remains a mystery has to be difficult. While I doubt you'll know justice for him at this point, I sincerely hope that I am wrong. The important thing is that he is not forgotten. I admire your efforts to get information and justice for your Uncle Whitey and wish you the best of luck.
 
Thanks JrzyGirl for posting the update. It’s good to see that Whitey has not been forgotten. A few years ago there was some discussion by his family members in a local FB group. He is remembered, I wish justice had been served.

I’d love to see some new detective pick up the case and start digging around.
 
acanfld said:
Whitey had "shell shock" from the Korean War, lived in the bowling alley and was its janitor and nightwatchman.
This is all hearsay from a former Hackettstown police officer who had grew up in Landing and had close ties to the Roxbury police force. This case was uncharged but not unsolved. Whitey died a slow, horrible death - the cache was his prized coins but the "boys" who did it, did it not only for the coins but for the fun of it. The officer told me the guys were watched very closely after that, but, their parents had ties to the force and they were never charged out of respect for their dads.
Click to expand...
Acanfld do you have contact with this former Hackettestown officer?
 
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