Leo Frederick Burt (born April 18, 1948) is an American man indicted in connection with the August 24, 1970
Sterling Hall bombing
The Sterling Hall bombing occurred on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus on August 24, 1970, and was committed by four men as an action against the university's research connections with the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. It resu ...
at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
campus, a protest against the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. The bombing killed physics researcher
Robert Fassnacht and injured several others. Burt was reportedly involved in making and planting the bomb.
He has been a
fugitive from justice
A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also know ...
since 1970 and his status and whereabouts unknown.
Early life and education
Born in
Darby, Pennsylvania
Darby is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is located along Darby Creek southwest of Center City Philadelphia. The borough of Darby is distinct from the nearby municipality of Darby Township.
History
Darby ...
, Burt grew up in a Catholic family in
Havertown, Pennsylvania
Havertown is a residential suburban unincorporated community in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is located approximately 9 miles west of the center of Philadelphia. Havertown's ZIP Code is 19083 and "Havertown" is a po ...
.
He attended
St. Denis Parochial School and
Monsignor Bonner High School, an all-boys
parochial school
A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The wo ...
, where he was an athlete. He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was involved in the varsity
crew team
Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is di ...
. After being cut from the team, he became more active in journalism and student politics, working for the university's campus newspaper, ''
The Daily Cardinal
''The Daily Cardinal'' is a student newspaper that serves the University of Wisconsin–Madison community. One of the oldest student newspapers in the country, it began publishing on Monday, April 4, 1892. The newspaper is financially and editoria ...
,'' with future fellow bomber
David Fine.
Burt became radicalized after being beaten by a policeman while covering a protest against the
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre and the Kent State massacre,"These would be the first of many probes into what soon became known as the Kent State Massacre. Like the Boston Massacre almost exactly two hundred years bef ...
.
[UW Alumni magazine, ''On Wisconsin''. Doug Moe]
The Last Fugitive
. Summer 2005.
Sterling Hall bombing
The
Sterling Hall bombing
The Sterling Hall bombing occurred on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus on August 24, 1970, and was committed by four men as an action against the university's research connections with the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. It resu ...
on the campus of the University of Wisconsin killed
Robert Fassnacht, a postdoctoral physics researcher, and caused injuries to three others. It also caused $2.1 million in damage. Burt was reportedly involved in making and planting the bomb and also introduced his fellow bombers David Fine and
Karl Armstrong to one another in July 1970.
Life as fugitive and indictment
Burt and his associates fled to Canada where they were tracked by the FBI.
One of the last times he was heard from was August 30, 1970, when he and David Fine escaped from their apartment building in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, as the police closed in on them.
[ Burt left behind a wallet with a fake ID using an alias of Eugene Donald Fieldston. Burt was indicted by the federal government on September 2, 1970 for ]sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
, destruction of government property, and conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...
. Despite having been on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives is a most wanted list maintained by the United States's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, and William K ...
list for six years (September 4, 1970, to April 7, 1976), Burt has not been captured and is still at large, with an FBI reward of $150,000 outstanding for information leading to his arrest. In addition to the federal charges, there are state charges still pending against Burt.
On September 29, 2007, Burt was featured on the Fox Television series ''America's Most Wanted
''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Alternative Entertainment division of Fox Corporation. At the time of i ...
'' as the "Ghost of Wisconsin".
In 2010, near the fortieth anniversary of the bombing, several tips on Burt's possible location were received by the FBI, including a sighting at a Denver homeless shelter. Some have speculated that he could be in the St. Catharines
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2016, it has an area of , 136,803 residents, and a metropolitan population of 406,074. It lies in Southern Ontari ...
area of Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, an area he had visited during summers in his youth. Numerous anonymous tips have also indicated sightings in Lakewood, Washington
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 63,612 at the 2020 census.
History
Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Tacoma/Lakewood Center and Lakes Distric ...
as recently as 2010.
See also
*List of fugitives from justice who disappeared
This is a list of fugitives from justice, notable people who disappeared or evaded capture while being sought by law enforcement agencies in connection with a crime, and who are currently sought or were sought for the duration of their presu ...
* ''The War at Home'' (1979 film)
References
External links
FBI Wanted Posters with digitally aged images
The Full Story from America's Most Wanted
(web archive)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burt, Leo
1948 births
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
Fugitives wanted on murder charges
People from Darby, Pennsylvania
People from Madison, Wisconsin
Possibly living people
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Wisconsin Badgers rowers