The death of Tommy Burkett - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Kane · 07-18-2002, 01:46 PM

Many of you will probably remember the segment on the 1991 death of Tommy Burkett. It aired during the 1994-95 season, and is the kind of case that is bound to outrage you. This is because his family has been stonewalled by the authorities, who claim that Tommy Burkett killed himself, despite overpowering evidence to the contrary! Here is the link to the Tommy Burkett case:

http://www.thepacc.org

Hope this helps.

SitcomsAreTheWay · 07-19-2002, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kane
Many of you will probably remember the segment on the 1991 death of Tommy Burkett. It aired during the 1994-95 season, and is the kind of case that is bound to outrage you. This is because his family has been stonewalled by the authorities, who claim that Tommy Burkett killed himself, despite overpowering evidence to the contrary! Here is the link to the Tommy Burkett case:

http://www.thepacc.org

Hope this helps.

I've read his story and I just can't stand when cases such as his are overlooked.

kadrmas15 · 08-25-2006, 04:39 PM

Sorry for bringing this case back up but I just saw it for the first time on the best of UM volume 2. This case is an obvious murder there is really no question and I am just shocked at not only the amount of crappy police work but at the amount of covering up and in some cases down right lying by not only the Fairfax County, Virginia sheriff's department but also by the Drug Enforcement Administration. There is someone lying here. Either it is the Burketts or is it the sheriff's department and government. I think it is the latter two. The Burkett's got more out of their investigation and did more investigating than the sheriff's department did. I dont think the sheriff's department even really talked to the neighbors about what they saw the evening of Tommy's murder because the sheriff's department was conviced from the start it was a suicide. I think Tommy was working for the DEA as a paid informant, I think some drug dealers on his campus found out about this and didnt want to get in trouble and so they figured they would shut up. They beat him up in the hallway of a building first but it didnt work and so they decided to kill him. They chased him to his house got in the house, took him into his room and beat him to death, thus explaining the broken jaw. Then they staged it to make it look like a suicide. There was also when the paramedicas said that Tommy had been dead for several hours and then the cops said he had only been dead a few minutes. The DEA didnt want to look bad because an informant of theirs got killed so they lied about it. The police didnt want to look bad because they had failed to protect him as well as answer the 911 calls that Tommy had placed so they lied about it too.

Bazorro · 08-26-2006, 01:17 AM

these cases always piss me off because someone is going to get away with murder all because the cops are too lazy to do their jobs.

Just like the Keith Warren case, they will never find out who killed him.

DarkDante · 08-26-2006, 04:28 AM

^ I never felt that in the case of Tommy Burkett that it was a case of laziness on the police's part that caused this case from being solved. Actually its quite the opposite, I feel that this case could be solved very easily because the authorities know who murdered Tommy but they don't want this case solved.

The Tommy Burkett case from what has been put forth by Tommy's parents has something to do with the DEA. Tommy was either an informent for the DEA or worked with them and possibly was killed because he either became expendable or a security risk to someone.

You will find that a lot of the cases that UM has profiled which are the most intriguing have something to do with some form of government corruption usually involved drugs (such as the Ives & Henry "Train deaths and this case)

If Burkett was indeed working for some covert government agency trying to bring down high levels of drug activity at his college and was murdered while doing so, obviously the people who may have information as to who killed Tommy and why don't want that information revealed as it would probably expose too much about their operation.

kadrmas15 · 08-30-2006, 11:07 PM

I am watching this case again. It just makes me more mad everytime I watch it. My blood is boiling right now. I am just totally disappointed in the Fairfax County Police Department. That is just downright scary to me that the police would not investigate this because they didnt want the true cause of his death known. Just horrible. There was such a massive cover up of this on a couple levels of goverment. I think there should have been a congressional investigation into this because of the massive coverup. This is obviously a homicide. There was the car chase the day of Tommy's death. There was his injuries that he received from a beating. There was the staged suicide with the bullet still in the wall. His jaw was broken. The gun couldnt even have fired and the way it was resting in his lap was a little too convinent. How the baseball bat of his was missing. How just weeks before he was beaten pretty good by a guy in the dorm. How this same guy had Tommy's drivers license after he was dead. Also how the cops covered up the fact that Tommy called 911 and said that he must have never called. However notice how the spokesman didnt deny there was a record of Tommy calling he said that the department had erased the copy of his calls after 30 days but he never actually denied there was record of Tommy calling. Interesting.

DarkDante · 08-31-2006, 12:42 AM

Amen kadrmas15, the thing is Beth George passed away a few years ago and was the main advocate for the PACC. The website now has been taken down (I hope its being revamped and not that it has just expired)

Tommy's dad, Tom Burkett is still alive though and I assume is still persuing the case. The thing is more people need to get involved in this one and find out what really happened. I don't know what they can do because from what I remember the cover-up spans many levels.

I think I remember reading either on the PACC or somewhere, Tommy Burkett was put into these situations by the DEA to try to expose a scandal of drug use on the Marymount campus. Apparently from what I recall there may have been a pay off of some sort because one of the boys Tommy was going to implicate was the grandson or relation of Linda McMahon who was the President of the college or was somehow related to some higher up in Virginia government.

Suddenly Tommy Burkett became the sacrificial lamb so to speak at this stage in the game and someone helped whatever college students who murdered him, set it up to look like a suicide.

Tom and Beth George both stated they had a good idea who these people were but could not name them publically for lack of evidence.

wiseguy182 · 08-31-2006, 01:13 AM

So sad to hear about Beth George's passing. When I saw what position Tommy was in when his parents found him, I knew he couldn't have possibly committed suicide. Had he shot himself while sitting on the couch, he would have been slumped over on the couch or fell down to the floor, he would have not been in the position he was found in: sitting upright. And I highly doubt he would have retained the gun in his hand as well. Obviously staged. The erased 911calls made my blood boil as well. I certainly hope as well that the PACC website is put back up, I'm sure it was a great service and could continue to be.

DarkDante, you mentioned a Linda McMahon. Would this be the a different Linda McMahon than the one that is married to the professional wrestling mogul Vince McMahon?

DarkDante · 08-31-2006, 01:36 AM

The Linda McMahon I speak of is the vice President for Student Services at Marymount University. Beth George implicated her heavily on the PACC in having a lot to do with Tommy's death and the subsequent cover up from what I remember.

Apparently she denied the Burkett's access to information that would have shed new light on Tommy's death. In addition Beth George also alleges that the FBI has several thousand pages worth of information related to Tommy Burkett which they would not let his family or anyone else see. They stem from their investigation into the case and are deemed classified.

I will say one thing though, the investigator interviewed in that segment appears to be crooked to my eyes. I just re-watched it and you'll notice him either avoiding direct eye contact with the camera or looking down on occasion towards his shoes which to me is the sign of someone not being straightforward with the viewer.

Awsi Dooger · 08-31-2006, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkDante

Amen kadrmas15, the thing is Beth George passed away a few years ago and was the main advocate for the PACC. The website now has been taken down (I hope its being revamped and not that it has just expired)

You can still read the pages by using Google cache. Takes some different search terms to get all the pages since the links don't work, but here are a few. The others are probably retrievable if someone looks at the titles atop the first link and tries some creative searching:

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:...s&ct=clnk&cd=1

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:...s&ct=clnk&cd=2

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:...s&ct=clnk&cd=1

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:...s&ct=clnk&cd=2

NDAlum2003 · 08-31-2006, 07:11 PM

I think Linda still works for the university.

Agent Harland · 01-28-2009, 03:53 AM

Actually, I think so too, but apparently not as Vice Pres of Resident Life anymore, just a professor of History now, I think. Anyhow, looked up a little bit...get a load of this!

http://www.cacsports.com/general_rel...8MMUHallOfFame

Apparently, she's being inducted into the school's hall of fame, and to be honored with some big banquet there on May 2nd... Would be funny if someone popped up there and brought up the question "So the name of the student that had Burkett's ID and assaulted him, come to you yet?" :P

unidentified · 02-23-2010, 11:21 PM

Quote:

I think I remember reading either on the PACC or somewhere, Tommy Burkett was put into these situations by the DEA to try to expose a scandal of drug use on the Marymount campus. Apparently from what I recall there may have been a pay off of some sort because one of the boys Tommy was going to implicate was the grandson or relation of Linda McMahon who was the President of the college or was somehow related to some higher up in Virginia government.

Which is more than likely what REALLY happened here... Even if he wasn't put in there/working for the DEA, by doing simple dot to dot to solve the puzzle - some crazy high school kids dealing drugs got in a fight and whenever they found out Tommy was gonna rat them out they chased him home and maybe just meant to rough him up but took it a little too far.

Then they panicked and needed help in clearing up the crime scene and the rest is history, because of "people who know" it was all able to be covered up... not to mention that if those people hadn't covered it up, their political or otherwise public or high-profile careers would most probably have been over for good.

The motto of the story is - Always watch your own back.

DarkDante · 09-03-2010, 06:00 PM

For what it's worth I've just been alerted to the fact that Tom Burkett Sr. has also passed on. So both of Tommy's parents are now deceased.

TracyLynnS · 09-03-2010, 06:35 PM

Thanks for the update DarkDante.

What terrible news.

My feeling is that Tommy Burkett was murdered, for whatever reason, and it's upsetting to know that both of his parents have now passed without ever seeing the killers brought to justice.

I believe his parents stated that they thought they knew who did it, but couldn't make a public accusation. Knowing who was responisble must have been at least a bit of comfort to them, but I'm sure seeing the killers convicted would have helped make the last years of their lives a bit easier.

07-18-2002, 01:46 PM	#1
Kane Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 07, 2001 Location: MA, United States Posts: 3,367	The death of Tommy Burkett Many of you will probably remember the segment on the 1991 death of Tommy Burkett. It aired during the 1994-95 season, and is the kind of case that is bound to outrage you. This is because his family has been stonewalled by the authorities, who claim that Tommy Burkett killed himself, despite overpowering evidence to the contrary! Here is the link to the Tommy Burkett case: http://www.thepacc.org Hope this helps.

08-25-2006, 04:39 PM	#3
kadrmas15 Retired from Board 03/03/11 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,910	Sorry for bringing this case back up but I just saw it for the first time on the best of UM volume 2. This case is an obvious murder there is really no question and I am just shocked at not only the amount of crappy police work but at the amount of covering up and in some cases down right lying by not only the Fairfax County, Virginia sheriff's department but also by the Drug Enforcement Administration. There is someone lying here. Either it is the Burketts or is it the sheriff's department and government. I think it is the latter two. The Burkett's got more out of their investigation and did more investigating than the sheriff's department did. I dont think the sheriff's department even really talked to the neighbors about what they saw the evening of Tommy's murder because the sheriff's department was conviced from the start it was a suicide. I think Tommy was working for the DEA as a paid informant, I think some drug dealers on his campus found out about this and didnt want to get in trouble and so they figured they would shut up. They beat him up in the hallway of a building first but it didnt work and so they decided to kill him. They chased him to his house got in the house, took him into his room and beat him to death, thus explaining the broken jaw. Then they staged it to make it look like a suicide. There was also when the paramedicas said that Tommy had been dead for several hours and then the cops said he had only been dead a few minutes. The DEA didnt want to look bad because an informant of theirs got killed so they lied about it. The police didnt want to look bad because they had failed to protect him as well as answer the 911 calls that Tommy had placed so they lied about it too.

08-26-2006, 01:17 AM	#4
Bazorro Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 41	these cases always piss me off because someone is going to get away with murder all because the cops are too lazy to do their jobs. Just like the Keith Warren case, they will never find out who killed him.

08-26-2006, 04:28 AM	#5
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	^ I never felt that in the case of Tommy Burkett that it was a case of laziness on the police's part that caused this case from being solved. Actually its quite the opposite, I feel that this case could be solved very easily because the authorities know who murdered Tommy but they don't want this case solved. The Tommy Burkett case from what has been put forth by Tommy's parents has something to do with the DEA. Tommy was either an informent for the DEA or worked with them and possibly was killed because he either became expendable or a security risk to someone. You will find that a lot of the cases that UM has profiled which are the most intriguing have something to do with some form of government corruption usually involved drugs (such as the Ives & Henry "Train deaths and this case) If Burkett was indeed working for some covert government agency trying to bring down high levels of drug activity at his college and was murdered while doing so, obviously the people who may have information as to who killed Tommy and why don't want that information revealed as it would probably expose too much about their operation.

08-30-2006, 11:07 PM	#6
kadrmas15 Retired from Board 03/03/11 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,910	I am watching this case again. It just makes me more mad everytime I watch it. My blood is boiling right now. I am just totally disappointed in the Fairfax County Police Department. That is just downright scary to me that the police would not investigate this because they didnt want the true cause of his death known. Just horrible. There was such a massive cover up of this on a couple levels of goverment. I think there should have been a congressional investigation into this because of the massive coverup. This is obviously a homicide. There was the car chase the day of Tommy's death. There was his injuries that he received from a beating. There was the staged suicide with the bullet still in the wall. His jaw was broken. The gun couldnt even have fired and the way it was resting in his lap was a little too convinent. How the baseball bat of his was missing. How just weeks before he was beaten pretty good by a guy in the dorm. How this same guy had Tommy's drivers license after he was dead. Also how the cops covered up the fact that Tommy called 911 and said that he must have never called. However notice how the spokesman didnt deny there was a record of Tommy calling he said that the department had erased the copy of his calls after 30 days but he never actually denied there was record of Tommy calling. Interesting.

08-31-2006, 12:42 AM	#7
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	Amen kadrmas15, the thing is Beth George passed away a few years ago and was the main advocate for the PACC. The website now has been taken down (I hope its being revamped and not that it has just expired) Tommy's dad, Tom Burkett is still alive though and I assume is still persuing the case. The thing is more people need to get involved in this one and find out what really happened. I don't know what they can do because from what I remember the cover-up spans many levels. I think I remember reading either on the PACC or somewhere, Tommy Burkett was put into these situations by the DEA to try to expose a scandal of drug use on the Marymount campus. Apparently from what I recall there may have been a pay off of some sort because one of the boys Tommy was going to implicate was the grandson or relation of Linda McMahon who was the President of the college or was somehow related to some higher up in Virginia government. Suddenly Tommy Burkett became the sacrificial lamb so to speak at this stage in the game and someone helped whatever college students who murdered him, set it up to look like a suicide. Tom and Beth George both stated they had a good idea who these people were but could not name them publically for lack of evidence.

08-31-2006, 01:13 AM	#8
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	So sad to hear about Beth George's passing. When I saw what position Tommy was in when his parents found him, I knew he couldn't have possibly committed suicide. Had he shot himself while sitting on the couch, he would have been slumped over on the couch or fell down to the floor, he would have not been in the position he was found in: sitting upright. And I highly doubt he would have retained the gun in his hand as well. Obviously staged. The erased 911calls made my blood boil as well. I certainly hope as well that the PACC website is put back up, I'm sure it was a great service and could continue to be. DarkDante, you mentioned a Linda McMahon. Would this be the a different Linda McMahon than the one that is married to the professional wrestling mogul Vince McMahon?

08-31-2006, 01:36 AM	#9
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	The Linda McMahon I speak of is the vice President for Student Services at Marymount University. Beth George implicated her heavily on the PACC in having a lot to do with Tommy's death and the subsequent cover up from what I remember. Apparently she denied the Burkett's access to information that would have shed new light on Tommy's death. In addition Beth George also alleges that the FBI has several thousand pages worth of information related to Tommy Burkett which they would not let his family or anyone else see. They stem from their investigation into the case and are deemed classified. I will say one thing though, the investigator interviewed in that segment appears to be crooked to my eyes. I just re-watched it and you'll notice him either avoiding direct eye contact with the camera or looking down on occasion towards his shoes which to me is the sign of someone not being straightforward with the viewer.

08-31-2006, 07:11 PM	#11
NDAlum2003 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 14, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 216	I think Linda still works for the university.

01-28-2009, 03:53 AM	#12
Agent Harland Member First Time Poster Join Date: Jan 28, 2009 Posts: 1	Actually, I think so too, but apparently not as Vice Pres of Resident Life anymore, just a professor of History now, I think. Anyhow, looked up a little bit...get a load of this! http://www.cacsports.com/general_rel...8MMUHallOfFame Apparently, she's being inducted into the school's hall of fame, and to be honored with some big banquet there on May 2nd... Would be funny if someone popped up there and brought up the question "So the name of the student that had Burkett's ID and assaulted him, come to you yet?" :P

09-03-2010, 06:00 PM	#14
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	For what it's worth I've just been alerted to the fact that Tom Burkett Sr. has also passed on. So both of Tommy's parents are now deceased.

09-03-2010, 06:35 PM	#15
TracyLynnS Don't Look Up Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 07, 2009 Posts: 3,107	Thanks for the update DarkDante. What terrible news. My feeling is that Tommy Burkett was murdered, for whatever reason, and it's upsetting to know that both of his parents have now passed without ever seeing the killers brought to justice. I believe his parents stated that they thought they knew who did it, but couldn't make a public accusation. Knowing who was responisble must have been at least a bit of comfort to them, but I'm sure seeing the killers convicted would have helped make the last years of their lives a bit easier.