FILE 42 / 1 November 2017 / 118 MIN / full

Kitchen Table Murder

Burke, VermontListen

The town

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

James says they are going to Burke (transcribed 'Birk'), Vermont, in the Northeast Kingdom, Caledonia County, zip code 05871, area code 802 about 0:06:37

History, in brief

Town note

Burke lies in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom (NEK), the northeast corner made up of Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties.

about 0:08:57

1792

The first settlers arrived in 1792; a man named Lemuel Walker cleared land and built a cabin, and the town was organised in his home in 1796.

about 0:09:33

Town note

Surveyors divided the town into lots of about 160 acres, and many went to Revolutionary War soldiers who were paid in land.

about 0:11:09

Town note

The original charter granted land to sixty-five people, most of them from Connecticut.

about 0:12:13
All 9 history facts

Town note

Burke lies in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom (NEK), the northeast corner made up of Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties.

about 0:08:57

1792

The first settlers arrived in 1792; a man named Lemuel Walker cleared land and built a cabin, and the town was organised in his home in 1796.

about 0:09:33

Town note

Surveyors divided the town into lots of about 160 acres, and many went to Revolutionary War soldiers who were paid in land.

about 0:11:09

Town note

The original charter granted land to sixty-five people, most of them from Connecticut.

about 0:12:13

Town note

The town is named after Sir Edmund Burke, the member of parliament who tried to promote peace with the American colonies.

about 0:12:29

Town note

Forest and water brought lumber and sawmills as the first industry, then farming; by the late 1800s the sawmills and lumber were over and it was mainly farming, with dairy farms big by the 1940s.

about 0:13:31

1953

In 1953, thirteen men formed a corporation that started the development of the Burke Mountain ski area; vacation homes followed and changed the town.

about 0:14:03

Town note

The town has no motto, on its website or anywhere else.

about 0:23:57

The figures, as told

Religious

33.42%

Biggest faith: Catholic, 14%

about 0:17:26

Who lives here

White 96.49% · Hispanic 0.47%

Ethnicity can overlap race.

Crime / national average

Property crime
exactly at the national average

about 0:23:21

Violent crime
▲ almost 20% higher

about 0:23:31

Money

Median home value$149,000
Two-bedroom rent$847 a month
Median household incomeabout $49,000
Cost of living97

For sale

$119,000

Two bed, one bath, 920 sq ft starter house

about 0:21:49

For sale

$175,000

Three bed, two bath, 1,660 sq ft house needing work

about 0:22:03

For sale

$340,000

Three bed, two bath, 1,850 sq ft house, move-in ready

about 0:22:27
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2017

Area

"34 square miles"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:08:32

Population

"1,722"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:14:40

Population growth since 1990

"up 22.5%"

Direction: above.

As told in 2017 about 0:14:47

Median age

"43.5"

Comparison: "37.4 nationally". No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:15:08

Married population

"about 61%"

Comparison: "normally about 50-50". No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:16:08

Non-Hispanic

"99.53%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:17:13

Democrat voters

"60%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:18:27

Republican voters

"37%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:19:27

Independent voters

"about 3%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:19:27

Unemployment rate

"in line with the national average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2017 about 0:19:27

Religious population

"33.42%"

Comparison: "usually 50-50". Direction: below.

As told in 2017 about 0:17:26

LDS (Mormon)

"1.26%"

Comparison: "last week's town (Utah) was 78% religious". No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:17:44

Eastern faiths

"1%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:18:27

Household income

"about $49,000"

Comparison: "$53,500 national average". No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:19:27

Cost of living

"97"

Comparison: "100 is average". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2017 about 0:20:07

Housing cost index

"80 out of 100"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:20:36

Median home cost

"$149,000"

Comparison: "$35,000 less than the average". Direction: below.

As told in 2017 about 0:20:41

Share of houses priced $150,000 to $300,000

"about 55%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:21:10

Two-bedroom apartment rent

"$847 a month"

Comparison: "$200 less than the national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2017 about 0:21:33

Two bed, one bath, 920 sq ft starter house

"$119,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:21:49

Three bed, two bath, 1,660 sq ft house needing work

"$175,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:22:03

Three bed, two bath, 1,850 sq ft house, move-in ready

"$340,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2017 about 0:22:27

Property crime

"exactly at the national average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2017 about 0:23:21

Violent crime

"almost 20% higher"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2017 about 0:23:31

The reviews

No rated reviews

No reviews recorded.

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The story

Burke is a town of about 1,722 people spread over 34 square miles in Caledonia County, in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. It was first settled in 1792 and organised in 1796, is named after Sir Edmund Burke, and has lived on lumber, farming and, since the 1950s, skiing and vacation homes.

In July 1999 he was charged with felony grand larceny for stealing a motorcycle. In September he pleaded no contest and received a three-year deferred sentence and 100 hours of community service. In January 2000, with several other youths, he took the keys to the Adams School in St. Johnsbury, broke in, vandalised the building and stole Ritalin and other medication from the nurse's office. He was charged with burglary, petty larceny and unlawful trespass, pleaded not guilty and was released on conditions.

Randy got out, called police and said his foster son had shot his wife. Detective Dante Anacelli spotted the car, followed it and called for backup. When it was seen on South Main Street in St. Johnsbury a chase began. About twenty officers were there. Both were handcuffed.

Meanwhile the school held a vigil on the day of the murder and closed the next day with counsellors on hand.

The case

Murder of Vicky Campbell-Beer

Victims

Vicky Campbell-Beer. seventh grade teacher at Lyndon Town School, foster mother to , wife of Randy Beer and stepmother; shot in the back of the head at her kitchen table

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 1 November 2017.

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Randy Beer. Vicky's husband and father; locked in the basement during the shooting
Detective Dante Anacelli. investigating officer who spotted the Isuzu Rodeo and interviewed
Detective Sergeant Martin Hatch. interviewed with Anacelli
Mary Ellen Royce. school principal who spoke after the murder
Gina Campbell. Vicky's sister, spoke at the October 2017 hearing
Jimmy Barton. probation officer in 2014

The timeline

  1. February 16, 2000, about 8am shoots Vicky Campbell-Beer in the back of the head with a .22 rifle as she grades papers at the kitchen table (Campbell-Beer house)about 0:41:31
  2. February 16, 2000 locks Randy Beer in the basement, takes Vicky's red Isuzu Rodeo and drives off with (Campbell-Beer house)about 0:42:18
  3. February 16, 2000 Randy breaks out of the basement and calls police, saying his foster son shot his wife (Campbell-Beer house)about 0:43:25
  4. February 16, 2000 Detective Anacelli spots the Rodeo and follows it; another officer sees it on South Main Street and the chase begins (South Main Street)about 0:49:16
  5. February 16, 2000 drives round a cruiser blocking the ramp and leads police on a 30 mile chase up Interstate 91 (Interstate 91)about 0:49:34
  6. February 16, 2000 stops at a state police roadblock in Bradford and says 'it was all me, she had nothing to do with it'; is handcuffed and placed with the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (Bradford roadblock)about 0:53:30
  7. February 16, 2000 tells police kept pestering him to kill Vicky and he agreed to get her off his backabout 0:57:04
  8. February 16, 2000 Lyndon Town School tells pupils, holds a vigil with parents and students, and closes the next day with counsellors available (Lyndon Town School)about 1:01:25
  9. February 16, 2000, 10am to 11am Anacelli and Hatch interview unrecorded, then repeat it on tape from about 11am, without Miranda warnings or an adult presentabout 1:05:51
  10. February 16, 2000, 4pm Randy Beer arrives at the barracks and says he does not want home; an emergency detention order follows and she goes to social services at about 6:45pmabout 1:09:32
  11. the next day The state moves to hold as a material witness; family court orders placement at Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center; a $10,000 appearance bond is set that nobody posts (Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center)about 1:12:12
  12. 2001 Still held, tells a newspaper there is not enough long-term therapy for young peopleabout 1:13:27
  13. October 5, 2001 Her request is granted but held over to a further hearing on the 30thabout 1:14:36
  14. January 2002 A permanency placement hearing is held for about 1:14:44
  15. 2013 motion to cancel her probation is deniedabout 1:26:59
  16. August 2013 has another hearing; Randy Beer says he will not fight her request (Las Vegas)about 1:27:23
  17. April 2014 files another motion to end her probationabout 1:28:30
  18. May 5, 2014 A newspaper piece says lives in Brattleboro, works in a restaurant and lives with his girlfriend and her seven-year-old son (Brattleboro)about 1:28:51
  19. October 13, 2014 walks off his restaurant shift in Brattleboro, leaving his phone behind (Brattleboro)about 1:33:02
  20. August 9, 2017 is recharged with first-degree murder and held without bailabout 1:38:14
  21. August 18, 2017 has a hearing; the court acknowledges it failed to schedule reviews, but does not end her probationabout 1:41:49
  22. October 2017 seeks home detention at a hearing; Randy Beer and Gina Campbell oppose it (Caledonia Superior Court)about 1:43:22
  23. Friday November 3rd next hearing is set for 11:45am (Caledonia Superior Court)about 1:44:17

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode