In the early morning hours of November 5, 2015, the quiet of a North Bellport neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Responding to a ShotSpotter activation at 12:54 a.m., Suffolk County Police officers arrived on Bellport Avenue to a grim discovery. There, in front of a house, lay the body of 52-year-old Robert Burks, a longtime resident of the area.
He had been shot and killed by an unknown assailant.
Robert Burks, a male who had attended Bellport High School, was described by his family as an easygoing man who generally avoided confrontation. He was a father to two adult sons and lived with his mother just a short distance from where his body was found. At the time of his death, he was unemployed but had a history of working as a machine operator. His sister expressed her shock and anguish, hoping that the person or persons responsible would be brought to justice.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Suffolk County Homicide Squad detectives launched an investigation into Burks's death. They canvassed the neighborhood and appealed to the public for any information that might lead to an arrest. Despite their efforts, no motive for the killing was publicly released, and no suspects were immediately identified.
As time passed, the case of Robert Burks's murder grew cold. Despite the initial investigation and the pleas from his family for answers, there have been no subsequent announcements of any arrests or the identification of any suspects in connection with his death. The shooting remains an unsolved homicide, leaving a family to grieve and a community with unanswered questions about the violent end to one of its own. The investigation is officially still open, pending any new leads that may emerge.
