Montgomery County police again seeking leads as Kathy Beatty cold case reaches 50 yr. milestone

One of the highest-profile and tragic homicide cold cases in Montgomery County history is again getting a fresh look from Montgomery County police detectives. Yesterday marked exactly 50 years to the day that 15-year-old Kathy Beatty was found dying in the woods behind the Aspen Hill Kmart at 14014 Connecticut Avenue by her sister on July 25, 1975. She had been reported missing the previous night. 

The story would only grow worse, as she never regained consciousness, and would pass away a week later in the hospital. Detectives determined she had been sexually assaulted, and had been struck in the head with a rock, causing traumatic injury. The case was one that shook parents across Montgomery County in 1975, along with the disappearance of the Lyon sisters in Wheaton only a few months earlier. To mark yesterday's dark anniversary, police released a new podcast to help younger or new residents get up to speed on the case (and help jog the memories of older residents), and issued their latest plea for public assistance in solving the case.

If you were a nearby resident at the time, is there any detail you might have noticed on the night of May 24 to 25, 1975 that you didn't focus on at the time? And even if you are younger, have you heard any stories from acquaintances or relatives who might have talked, as criminals and their associates tend to do over time? Perhaps listening to the podcast might surface such details in your mind. These are just some of the types of leads police need to solve this case, something they promised Kathy Beatty's late mother they would do. One tiny piece of evidence can snowball into the breaking of a case, no matter how cold.

Anyone with information regarding the death of Kathy Beatty is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page, or call 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.