On the tenth anniversary of the vicious, cowardly murder of Stacey Burns, this blog will discontinue the category titled “Murder in a Small Town: The Tragic Death of Stacey Burns.”

Those who have followed this blog will still be able to read all of my posts under that category (well over five hundred!) by simply going to my website (www.dukesouthard.com) and selecting the category in the right hand column.

The book, which I had the best of intentions to complete when I first started it in 2010, will reside in a reserved space on my computer and a storage device. When and if the case ever comes to a conclusion, perhaps someone will see a reason to complete it.

I know there are some who are disappointed in me for various reasons, and will be unhappy with the decision to set this “work in progress” aside for now, but the reality is that all the blog posts, all the phone calls, all the emails, all the letters, all the trips to N.H. for interviews, all the writing time, and all efforts to see this sad case brought to some sort of conclusion have not resulted in any notable progress.

To those who have supported this effort, thank you. To those who questioned my motives, my intentions, and my capabilities, I understand your point of view and thank you for sharing your concerns with me.

My most fervent hope is that Stacey and her family will find some degree of peace when (and if) her killer is ever arrested and convicted.

Duke