Maggie Long: Resources/media

[Jay7777]

Nothing new here but at least it brings attention back to the case and it was just posted by NBC News:

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/fbi-investigating-2017-death-of-maggie-long-as-hate-crime-four-years-after-she-was-killed-in-colorado-house-fire/ar-AASmv7K?ocid=msedgntp

FBI investigating 2017 death of Maggie Long as hate crime four years after she was killed in Colorado house fire
Andrea Cavallier - 3h ago

Every December for the past four years, Maggie Long’s family and friends have gathered on her birthday to remember her ambitious spirit, her positive attitude and her contagious laugh.

“When we’re with her friends, and we’re all together, we feel Maggie’s vibe, and it’s like we’re with Maggie,” Maggie’s sister Connie told Dateline. “We want to make sure she’s never forgotten.”


Maggie would have turned 18 on December 17, 2017. But she never made it.

On December 1, 2017, just weeks before the holidays, Maggie had plans to go Christmas shopping with her sisters and help with the annual concert at school. But Maggie’s life was tragically cut short when she was set on fire and burned alive inside her family’s mountain community home in Bailey, Colorado.

“Every day is hard,” Connie said. “But this time of year is especially tough.”

Earlier this year, three and a half years after Maggie was killed, the FBI announced that it is investigating the Asian American teenager’s killing as a hate crime.

“The FBI is investigating the murder of Maggie Long as a Hate Crime Matter, the FBI released in a statement. “A Hate Crime is a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by the individual’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnicity/national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.”

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw told NBC affiliate 9news back in May that the reclassification will allow more resources to be put on Maggie’s case. He added that he was not aware of specific evidence leading to the change in the investigation.

It’s an angle Connie said was surprising because her family had not noticed any overt Asian discrimination when they lived in the community.

Their parents were born in a Chinese community in North Vietnam and fled to the United States during the Vietnam War, Connie told Dateline. They owned several area restaurants and were well-known in the community.

“It isn’t something we had thought about in the past,” Connie said. “But knowing how awful the crime was, and knowing the details of the crime scene, it makes sense that this was caused by hatred, by someone who thought of us as less than human.”

Connie told Dateline she still vividly remembers the day she lost her baby sister.

That night, Maggie was supposed to be working the VIP lounge for a holiday concert at Platte Canyon High School, where she was a senior. Described as an overachiever by her sister, Maggie, who was set to graduate in the spring, was involved in many extracurricular activities at school and was always the first to volunteer.

FBI investigating 2017 death of Maggie Long as hate crime four years after she was killed in Colorado house fire
“She was a very involved student,” Connie said. “She had so many interests and just loved trying new things and being part of as much of life as she could.”

On the night of December 1, 2017, Connie, who is six years older than Maggie and already out on her own, left work and headed for the school concert. But when she arrived, Maggie’s friends asked for her, explaining she hadn’t shown up to work the VIP lounge.

“Right away I had a gut feeling,” Connie said. “Something wasn’t right. Maggie is very responsible and would’ve never flaked on something like this.”

Connie said she called Maggie's cell phone, but only got her voicemail. Something told her to drive over to the family’s home.

“I drove over to the house and when I got closer, my gut feeling just got worse,” Connie said. “I drove up as close as I could and that’s when I saw the chaos. The fire trucks. Our house had burned.”

And in the driveway was Maggie’s car. Connie said right then she knew something horrible had happened.

According to a press release issued by the Park County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a house fire at the Longs’ home around 7 p.m. after a 911 caller reported individuals causing a disturbance which led to the fire.

Connie sprung into action, calling her family and friends, posting to social media to spread the word that her sister was missing, pleading and hoping someone knew where she was.

But hours later, the sheriff’s office delivered heartbreaking news to the family. Once the fire was extinguished, fire personnel discovered human remains among the ashes of the burned house. It was Maggie.

According to a statement made in January 2019 by the Park County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, it’s believed Maggie walked in on a burglary at her family’s home as it was happening.

Her family says they believe Maggie had gone home to change clothes and gather snacks she had prepared for the VIP lounge at the school concert that night.

According to the FBI, investigative efforts at the scene revealed a physical altercation took place between Maggie and her assailants before the fire started. The suspects stole a Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition, a green safe, and jade figurines.

The El Paso County Coroner's Office ruled Maggie’s death a homicide, and authorities later released composite sketches of three men they believed were involved in her death. It’s believed they were driving a late 1990s to 2000 light-colored Chevy Astro van and a Ford pickup. No arrests have been made and no suspects have been named.

FBI investigating 2017 death of Maggie Long as hate crime four years after she was killed in Colorado house fire
“She absolutely did not know them,” Connie told Dateline. “There’s no way that anyone who knew my sister would do something so horrific to her. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The FBI along with the family are offering a reward that was recently increased to $75,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

Connie said her family hopes the reward money will entice someone with information to come forward. In the meantime, the family has moved from Bailey to Denver, where they treasure their time together, especially around the holidays.

As they continue their fight for justice, Connie says most of all, they want to make sure Maggie is never forgotten.

“I don’t think that’ll ever happen,” Connie said. “The legacy she’s left behind is pretty amazing. She left a lasting impact on people.”

At the Venue Theatre in Conifer, Colorado, where Maggie performed, she is honored with a scholarship fund and seat plaque bearing her name.

“It’s a seat she would always sit in,” Connie explained. “She loved being in the theater. And you can see how her legacy lives on here, in the place she loved.”

FBI investigating 2017 death of Maggie Long as hate crime four years after she was killed in Colorado house fire
Four years have passed since Maggie’s death and Connie says she often wonders what her little sister would have been like now - what she would have become.

“When we get together with her friends for her birthday, I love seeing how they’ve changed and what their lives are like now,” Connie said. “So many paths she could’ve gone… but hers was cut short,” she said. “It’s not fair and I don’t think we’ll ever understand why. But we can’t let her be forgotten.”

Anyone with information about Maggie’s case is asked to call the Maggie Long Task Force at [phone], FBI Denver at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at fbi.gov/tips.

[Jay7777]

I reached out to the TV show Unsolved through Oxygen to hopefully get some more PR for this case. Lets see what happens? Just want to get this case solved anyway possible.

[Jay7777]

www.cpr.org/2022/03/25/more-than-four-years-later-memories-of-maggie-long-linger-for-friends-family/

More than four years later, memories of Maggie Long linger for friends, family

When her former high school principal talks about 17-year-old Maggie Long, killed during an apparent burglary of her home four years ago in rural Bailey, he breaks down. So do her theater company director, her two older sisters, and her best friend.

“I definitely do feel her still,” said Katy Monahan, who lives two miles away in this rural town of nearly 9,000 about 40 miles outside Denver. “I just see her, like randomly. . . and sometimes, like, songs will come on that I remember listening to with her and stuff like that.”

Seventeen-year-old Maggie Long was a high school senior who drove home from school just before a concert on December 1, 2017. She parked her car, went inside, and never came out.

It could have been because she stumbled upon a burglary in progress. It could have been because she was Asian – the Longs, Chinese-Vietnamese immigrants who came to the US 40 years before, were one of few Asian families in the area. It could have been motivated by their economic success, because Maggie's parents were doing well financially. They were running several Chinese restaurants and investing in real estate.

But exactly what happened to Maggie, and why, remains an unsolved mystery four years later.


Though some in town question the initial response of the Park County Sheriff’s Office, the agency eventually requested help with the investigation. The effort to solve the crime also received a boost when it was reclassified eight months ago as a possible hate crime, and the investigation spruced up with a new five-person task force.

But these changes haven’t yielded new leads, at least none that have been disclosed, and the case remains a triggering topic for family and community alike.

Maggie’s parents have since relocated from Bailey to the Denver suburbs, where they devoted a room to their daughter that contains items salvaged after the fire.

“Every year on the anniversary of her death, I would kind of go through her personal stuff,” recalled her sister Connie. She said that not long ago, “I opened up her computer and I found a note that she wrote to herself for when she turns 18 . . . The main message that she was giving herself was: ‘No matter what you decide to do with your life, just be a good person.’”

That was just what she’d been doing, say those who knew her. Shannon Monahan, Katy’s mother, remembered her as almost a bonus daughter.

“She would show up with food or just to hang out, watch Netflix … Maggie had such a huge heart and a wonderful spirit, a wonderful smile. She loved everyone,” Monahan said.


Platte Canyon High School Principal Mike Schmidt pauses for a moment while recalling Maggie Long, whose framed softball team jersey and photo await permanent placement on a school wall. He says it’s important to keep the story of Maggie Long’s murder alive, in the hope that eventually there will be closure in the case.
At her high school, which had about 300 students, Maggie’s memory remains alive. Her softball jersey with #30 sits in a frame in the office of Principal Mike Schmidt, who is in the process of deciding where to place it permanently.

Sitting in his office flipping through a yearbook containing a picture of Maggie in a costume for one of the plays she took part in, he was easily drawn back to memories of the horrible night Maggie died. He remembered a concert at the school that night, with several bands from Denver playing. Maggie was part of the crew that set it up.

“She had just gone home to pick up some snacks for the concert, and then she was gone,” he recalled.

What happened next remains unclear. At about 7:00 pm, Park County deputies went to the Long’s 6,000-square foot ranch-style home, located at the top of a quarter-mile long driveway on County Road 43 in Bailey, near streets with names like Hangman’s Road, Gunsmoke Drive and Vigilante Avenue, about three miles from any main road.

FBI Investigating Asian American Teen’s Murder As Potential Hate Crime
“It was reported in a 9-1-1 call that people were inside the residence causing damage,” according to an FBI press release. “At least one male was on the property.”

Connie found out about what had happened after she went to one of the four Chinese restaurants her parents ran, before the concert began.

“My mom was working and she was stressed out. She was like, ‘Where's Maggie? I thought Maggie’s gonna come and work tonight,’ “ she remembered. “At the time, I was actually getting text messages from our tenant who lived in the upstairs unit of the house. And he was telling me that there were a lot of loud noises that he was hearing downstairs.”

Connie went to the high school, hoping to find Maggie there.

“So I waited in the auditorium and just kept looking at the door to see if Maggie was gonna come through. And then when the opening band started, I just felt like I couldn’t stay cause it was like just, I just had a gut feeling that something was wrong…. So then I just thought, ‘I just need to drive home.’ ”

When she got home at about 7:20 pm, she could smell smoke and there were firefighters in the driveway, she said. For the next four hours, she and other family members were not allowed to go inside. “It wasn’t until 11 when the Park County Sheriff came out and said they did find a female body,” she said.

Maggie’s death was ruled a homicide, according to the press release.

“Investigative efforts at the scene revealed a physical altercation took place between Long and her assailants before the fire started. The suspects stole a Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition, a green safe, and jade figurines.”

It’s something that still causes Connie’s voice to fill with emotion.

“I think we need to be very clear that Maggie was murdered in a very violent, heinous manner. She was essentially burned alive,” Connie Long said. “And anyone who could do something to our sister who did not deserve it at all is a threat to the community.”

Connie, who had picked up their younger brother Derek from a friend’s house after the concert, said that they stayed at their grandparents’ house that night, with Lynna returning from Minnesota, where she had been working at the time, early the next morning.

It took four days for them to get back inside their home and find out more details about the fire. According to Lynna: “We were not allowed to be anywhere near the home because it was a crime scene….so we actually didn’t even see the house until four days . . . when we got a tour of the house by the sheriff, basically showing us where the damage was. And we saw just the damage in the garage as well. Because the perpetrators were trying to set multiple starting points of the fire around the house.”

Their parents were forever changed, recalled Connie.

“My parents’ retirement from the restaurant business was kind of in-the-making, but Maggie’s death really catapulted that process. The night that she died, they stopped working and they did not return to the restaurant,” Connie said. “It’s been a huge change in both of my parents. …I don’t think they’ll ever truly heal from the death of our sister.”

Sheriff's deputies asked everyone close to Maggie not to talk to the media or discuss details in town for a week after the fire. The department didn’t issue a press release until February, almost six weeks later, when the people they had in mind as possible suspects could easily have long since fled, Maggie’s relatives and friends said.

220225-LONG-MURDER
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Deer Creek Road, County Road 43, north of Bailey in Park County, near the home once owned by the Long family before their daughter Maggie, 17, was killed there, and the house was set on fire in 2017.
The decision to withhold information about the murder remains a sticking point for some in the community, who question whether the Park County sheriff needed to call in additional help sooner.

“How sloppy this thing was from the very beginning, in terms of the investigation, in terms of the decision-making about what they thought they were doing or trying to achieve,” said Nelson Conway, founder and creative director of The Venue Theater Company, a performing arts space in the neighboring town of Conifer, where Maggie also performed in community theater.

Initially, it seemed the police had some investigative leads to follow. According to Maggie’s sister Lynna, a 31-year-old ICU nurse.

“From conversations we had with our FBI contact, there were dozens of different people that they were looking into – young white men who had had police called on them for threatening neighbors,” Lynna said. “But then that lead ended up going dead, because they had alibis or whatever.”

On December 17, 2017, two and a half weeks after her death, on the day that Maggie would have turned 18, a celebration of her life was held at her high school. By then, police had cleared suspects, including a tenant who lived on the property.

Since then, nothing.

“Over the last four and a half years, it’s from our experience shown that there aren’t any developments and part of us wonders, you know, is that due to the nature of the case, lack of evidence, or is it perhaps due to lack of effort and interest by individuals and department that are located in Bailey?,” Connie wondered.

A new boost occurred when Maggie’s murder was classified as a possible hate crime in May, 2021. The reclassification added financial resources, and the participation of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI. But it hasn't impacted the investigation in ways that are tangible for the Longs.

Since then, there haven’t been any breaks in the case, and some wonder whether the new designation makes any difference.

“Whatever their motivations were – could have been racial, could have been socioeconomic, could have been anything – I don’t really care about that,” said Platte Canyon High Principal Mike Schmidt. “I care about them solving that crime.”

Determining whether hate against Maggie because she was Asian was a factor in the crime is tricky.

“Hate crimes is not something that is new for the Asian community; it has existed well before 2016 and it’s certainly still happening right now,” says Harry Budisidharta, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Development Center, a non-profit organization in Aurora that helps Asian immigrants with resettlement in Colorado.

“Hate crimes against Asian people are not uncommon, but it’s vague as to whether it was the case here. It’s difficult to know whether what happened to Maggie was a hate crime, because we do not know the details.”

He noted that there have been spikes in hate crimes against Asians, one occurring in 2016, around the time of a contentious presidential election, and another occurring in 2020, related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was said to have originated in China, setting off episodes of violence against Asians around the country. Maggie’s death not having been within either period doesn’t point toward – or against – it being hate-related.

The ongoing case is now being handled by a five-person task force consisting of law enforcement officials from the FBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Park County Sheriff’s Office, according to Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw.

“We are actively investigating this case,” he said in a phone interview. “There are leads we are following up on. We are pursuing things. We are pursuing leads on it.”

He said he is not a part of the task force himself, and none of the current task force members were involved when the crime happened in December, 2017. “They’re not the original same group,” he said. “Some have moved on, some have retired.”

Lynna Long looks at a seat at The Venue Theatre Company in Conifer named for her sister Maggie, who was murdered in 2017.
The Long sisters said they do not have regular contact with the task force, and aren’t clear on what is happening with the investigation currently.

“I feel the frustration because it feels like our case is just being handed off from one person to another,” Lynna says.

Schmidt said the investigative team has been in touch with him.

“The FBi in particular has been good about circling back to say things like, ‘We're still working on this and here's where we are,’ ” Schmidt said. “They’re frustrated by the lack of progress as well. I think they keep trying to come up with ways to create new leads and retill the Earth to see if we can get something else to bubble up to the surface.”

He sees the change in investigators as a possible good thing

“Some new people pick up on the investigation and those new people have kind of a new set of eyes and a new way to look at it and are pursuing some other paths,” Schmidt said. “I’m not privy to the details of that.”

That leaves the family feeling frustrated.

“Now our communication lines with them are not as strong,” said Lynna. “So who is doing something about this, and where is the motivation here to solve this crime? Because we know now that there are multiple people involved and they're still out there, so why aren't people doing more to catch those people, if they’re available to cause harm to others, still?”

As they all wonder whether her case will ever be solved, Maggie’s loved ones continue to hold onto memories of her. A few of them got elephant tattoos, since Maggie loved to collect little elephant trinkets. Her sisters continue to hold onto knick knacks that people left for her at her grave, and things recovered from her car that are now in the family home.

A plaque honoring Maggie Long at The Venue Theater Company in Conifer, where she took part in performances. In the photo she’s costume for her role in “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Police say Long was murdered in 2017 when they believe she surprised burglars at her parents’ home in Bailey. The home was set on fire.

At her high school, there are still pictures of Maggie on the walls. At the community theater, there’s a plaque with Maggie's name on it, which people walk by when they enter the theater space.

“A lot was taken from us when she was killed,” said Conway, the founder. “And a lot was taken from her friends and our community and people at the restaurant, people that she would interact with just randomly at the store or wherever she went. And I think she brought a light that not many people are brave enough to show. It truly was an example to live your truth in that way and be yourself. Be your original self loudly and proudly and to pursue a life that…”

As he searched for words, Connie chimed in to finish his sentence: “Bettered the world for others.”

[Jay7777]

Anyone with information about Maggie’s case is asked to call the Maggie Long Task Force at [phone], FBI Denver at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at fbi.gov/tips.

[Jay7777]

Good to see the case kept in the media:

kdvr.com/news/problem-solvers/cold-case-who-murdered-maggie-long-1651-days-ago/?ipid=promo-link-block2

PROBLEM SOLVERS
Cold case: Who murdered Maggie Long 1,651 days ago?

BAILEY, Colo. (KDVR) — There are hundreds of unsolved homicide cases, long-term missing person cases, and unidentified remains cases in Colorado where at least three years have passed since the crime happened.

The Colorado cold case task force created a list of those cases dating back to 1970. The Problem Solvers are working to highlight cold cases in our state.


Who killed Maggie Long?

It has been more than four years since Maggie Long was found dead in her Bailey home and many are still desperately searching for answers.

It happened in December of 2017, 17-year-old Long was found dead in her home after it was set on fire. The fire was declared an arson and Long’s death was ruled a homicide.

The incident started around 7 p.m. when deputies with the Park County Sheriff’s Office were called to a house fire at 3763 County Road 43 in Bailey. According to a 911 call, people were reportedly inside the home causing damage.

The sheriff’s office said a man was on the property. After the fire was put out, Long’s remains were discovered by firefighters.

Days later, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office ruled her death a homicide.

FBI investigating Maggie Long’s death as a hate crime
Investigators said that the scene showed that a physical altercation took place between Long and assailants before the fire started.

The suspects stole a Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition, a green safe, and jade figurines, the sheriff’s office said.

The FBI released sketches for three possible suspects in the investigation:




A year ago, on May 18, 2021, the FBI announced it is investigation Long’s death as a hate crime.

Investigators said whoever killed Long has either told someone or will tell someone. The truth, they say, will surface.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the FBI or the Park County Sheriff’s Office at 303-239-4243.

Submit a tip to the FBI anonymously
Here’s a timeline following Long’s disappearance:

December 1, 2017: Maggie Long went missing. Her home was set on fire.
December 4, 2017: Judge signs a gag order following fire at Long’s home
December 7, 2017: Maggie Long’s body was discovered in her burned home. Her death was ruled a homicide.
January 18, 2018: Park County Sheriff’s Office announces $15,000 reward for information
May 4, 2018: Sketch released of person possibly connected to Maggie Long’s death
May 18, 2018: Investigators say Maggie Long’s home was targeted
June 8, 2018: Investigators look into case in Missouri similar to Maggie Long’s
December 15, 2018: Theater group raises money for Maggie Long scholarship
April 2, 2019: Sketch of third suspect in Maggie Long homicide released
September 23, 2019: Increase in tips reported in Maggie Long case
November 27, 2019: FBI asks for more help in Maggie Long’s death
December 20, 2019: Loved ones come together to live out Maggie Long’s wishes to give back
May 18, 2021: FBI confirms Maggie Long’s death is being investigated as a hate crime
The Park County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are offering a reward up to $75,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the murder of Long.

[Jay7777]

I reached out tonight to a crime reporter from People Magazine Investigates. I have to keep the PR going for this case, so it doesn't drift away. Justice for Maggie and her Family is the end goal.

[almagata]

Jul 2, 2022 2:59:00 GMT Jay7777 said:

I reached out tonight to a crime reporter from People Magazine Investigates. I have to keep the PR going for this case, so it doesn't drift away. Justice for Maggie and her Family is the end goal.

You are a great advocate.

[Jay7777]

Jul 2, 2022 11:27:00 GMT almagata said:

Jul 2, 2022 2:59:00 GMT Jay7777 said:

I reached out tonight to a crime reporter from People Magazine Investigates. I have to keep the PR going for this case, so it doesn't drift away. Justice for Maggie and her Family is the end goal.

You are a great advocate.

Thank you almagate, this case will get solved one way or another.

Jay 

[Jay7777]

A recent Podcast, general but eye opening:

Suspicious Death Of Maggie Long - Bailey, CO

www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Q-et99xMyaU

From June of this year 2022, if you have 22.30 minutes its worth the viewing, just skip the ads.

[Jay7777]

Another Podcast:

136. The Murder of Maggie Long -- Have You Talked to the Man Upstairs?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujENDFPHee4

[Jay7777]

Another Podcast:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBOU-uf-e0M

Maggie Long | 17 yr old murdered at her family ranch | FBI looking for three men

[Jay7777]

I continue to post on various media outlets and websites to get them to participate here and hopefully keep this case in the spotlight. By keeping this case alive, I believe it will get solved sooner. Maggie and her family still need justice!

[Jay7777]

I saw a Podcast from a Group of Law Enforcement people in California, and they received a number of tips which eventually help them solve a case. There has been general public & podcasters already done on the Maggie's case but not from the angle of Law Enforcement.

Maybe a highly publicized podcast with Law Enforcement, Prosecutor, Detectives, Criminologist, and so on, maybe call it Hunting the Maggie Long Killer(s), it might be very fruitful. Share what information and updates they can, take tips, take public questions and input, who knows what traction it might achieve with this Podcast.

[elir]

Have you talked to our own Bill Thomas to see if he is interested?

Oct 27, 2022 3:16:04 GMT Jay7777 said:

I saw a Podcast from a Group of Law Enforcement people in California, and they received a number of tips which eventually help them solve a case. There has been general public & podcasters already done on the Maggie's case but not from the angle of Law Enforcement.

Maybe a highly publicized podcast with Law Enforcement, Prosecutor, Detectives, Criminologist, and so on, maybe call it Hunting the Maggie Long Killer(s), it might be very fruitful. Share what information and updates they can, take tips, take public questions and input, who knows what traction it might achieve with this Podcast.

[Jay7777]

I sent a message to a member of the Task Force. I guess if they are not interested or can't because their hands are tied, it won't matter or happen.