A man is found beaten to death on Burlington's Waterfront On a late spring day in Burlington, Vermont, the body of Keith Destromp, a 35-year-old Caucasian male, was discovered, marking the beginning of a long and somber mystery. It was May 30, 1989, when Destromp was found inside the derelict Pease Grain building, a structure that stood on the city's waterfront. An examination would later reveal that he had died from blunt force trauma, a grim detail that led the Chief Medical Examiner to classify his death as a homicide.
In the days and weeks
that followed, investigators from both the Burlington Police Department and the Vermont State Police dedicated their efforts to piecing together the events that led to Destromp's violent end. The waterfront area at that time was known as a gathering place for individuals experiencing homelessness, and Destromp was a familiar face among them. He was known to frequent the very area where his life was tragically cut short. Despite their exhaustive work, law enforcement officials were unable to identify any suspects in connection with the killing.
The investigation into Keith Destromp's murder has spanned decades, yet it remains an open and unsolved case. Over the years, authorities have continued to appeal to the public for any information that might shed light on the circumstances of his death. The passage of time has not diminished the hope that a crucial piece of evidence or a long-withheld memory could finally bring clarity and justice for Destromp and his family. As it stands, the full story of what happened in that abandoned building on the Burlington waterfront remains untold, a cold case waiting for a break that will solve a decades-old homicide.
