Leo Burt
Encyclopedia
Leo Frederick Burt was indicted in connection with the 1970 Sterling Hall bombing
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
campus, which killed Robert Fassnacht
, a physics researcher, and injured several others. Burt reportedly was involved in making and planting the bomb.
, Burt grew up in a Catholic family in Havertown, PA. He attended St.Denis Parochial School and Monsignor Bonner High School
, an all-boys parochial school
, where he was an athlete. He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was involved in the varsity crew team
. After being cut from the team, he became more active in journalism and student politics.
.
The Sterling Hall bombing
on the campus of the University of Wisconsin killed Robert Fassnacht
, a post-doctoral physics researcher and caused injuries to three others. It also caused $2.1 million in damages,. At the time, it was the largest bombing in the United States.
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, destruction of government property, and conspiracy. Despite having been on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
list for six years (September 4, 1970 to April 7, 1976), Burt has not been captured and is still at large, with a reward on offer for information leading to his arrest. The FBI has offered a reward of $150,000 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
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 area of Canada, an area he had visited during summers in his youth. Numerous anonymous tips have also indicated sightings in Lakewood Washington
as recently as 2010.
Sterling Hall bombing
The Sterling Hall Bombing that occurred on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus on August 24, 1970 was committed by four young people as a protest against the University's research connections with the US military during the Vietnam War...
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
campus, which killed Robert Fassnacht
Robert Fassnacht
Robert E. Fassnacht was a physics post-doctoral researcher who was killed by the bombing of Sterling Hall on August 24, 1970 on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus....
, a physics researcher, and injured several others. Burt reportedly was involved in making and planting the bomb.
Early life and education
Born in Darby, PennsylvaniaDarby, Pennsylvania
Darby is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, along Darby Creek southwest of downtown Philadelphia. It has a public library founded in 1743 and a cemetery more than 300 years old. The Quakers lived there early in the colonial era. Darby was settled about 1660 and was...
, Burt grew up in a Catholic family in Havertown, PA. He attended St.Denis Parochial School and Monsignor Bonner High School
Monsignor Bonner High School
Monsignor Bonner High School is an all-male Augustinian Catholic High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, United States. Bonner was created in 1953 as Archbishop Prendergast High School for Boys...
, an all-boys parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
, where he was an athlete. He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was involved in the varsity crew team
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
. After being cut from the team, he became more active in journalism and student politics.
Sterling Hall Bombing
He became radicalized after being beaten by a policeman while covering a protest against the Kent State shootingsKent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
.
The Sterling Hall bombing
Sterling Hall bombing
The Sterling Hall Bombing that occurred on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus on August 24, 1970 was committed by four young people as a protest against the University's research connections with the US military during the Vietnam War...
on the campus of the University of Wisconsin killed Robert Fassnacht
Robert Fassnacht
Robert E. Fassnacht was a physics post-doctoral researcher who was killed by the bombing of Sterling Hall on August 24, 1970 on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus....
, a post-doctoral physics researcher and caused injuries to three others. It also caused $2.1 million in damages,. At the time, it was the largest bombing in the United States.
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 FineDavid Fine
David Sylvan Fine is an American domestic terrorist who was one of four perpetrators of the August 24, 1970, Sterling Hall bombing on the campus University of Wisconsin–Madison, in an act of political protest to the University's research efforts on behalf of the United States armed forces. The...
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, destruction of government property, and conspiracy. Despite having been on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture of the...
list for six years (September 4, 1970 to April 7, 1976), Burt has not been captured and is still at large, with a reward on offer for information leading to his arrest. The FBI has offered a reward of $150,000 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
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
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 area of Canada, an area he had visited during summers in his youth. Numerous anonymous tips have also indicated sightings in Lakewood Washington
Lakewood, Washington
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 58,163 at the 2010 census.-History:Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Lakewood Center and Lakes District...
as recently as 2010.