My file on the research I’ve done into the Stacey Burns case contains a number of correspondences from people who theorize that there is much more to this case than a single murder. Since we’ve been addressing the conspiracy and coincidence aspects as this case, perhaps it is time to mention a few of these possibilities again. I would remind those reading this to please be aware that rumor, innuendo, and armchair detective guesswork thrive in the vacuum created by no information emanating from official sources. Here is a sampling of stories that exist about the murder of Stacey Burns. In my opinion, the police probably could dismiss these if they chose to do so.

1. The arrest and conviction in Illinois of former Wolfeboro police commissioner Jim Lowry for transporting 900 pounds of marijuana has some connection to the murder of Stacey Burns. (He was arrested on April 29, 2009, less than two weeks before the murder.)

2. Late in 2009, there was a meeting of members of law enforcement agencies to discuss the murder of Stacey Burns. (Rumor has it that this meeting did not include the local or state police.)

3. The case will never come to trial because of the embarrassment it would cause to certain influential people. (This story comes from a number of sources but again is in that nebulous rumor/innuendo category.)

4. Evidence in the case was compromised, putting the prosecution of this case in jeopardy. (This has been denied by authorities.)

5. The Lakes Region, particularly Lake Winnipesaukee, is home to an active drug trade, a fact that is on the periphery of the Burns case. (This also comes from various sources but the same could be said of many (MANY) areas in the state and the country.)

I’m sure readers could come up with many more stories, as could I, but the bottom line (sorry for the cliché!) is this: Five plus years have gone by and the killer of Stacey Burns remains free. Regardless of how many possibilities for conspiracy exist, that fact remains. What a shame!

Duke