Burned alive: Investigators seek leads in 17-year-old girl's troubling cold case death

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Ever since 17-year-old Maggie Long was killed, her family has had to endure the painful reminders that each December brings.

There’s the date she died: Dec. 1. Then there’s her birthday on Dec. 17. And a week after that, Christmas.

This week marks the eighth anniversary of Maggie’s horrifying death in the small Colorado community of Bailey, tucked into the Rocky Mountains about 50 miles southwest of Denver. The teen died in a fire after investigators believe she interrupted a burglary at her family home on Dec. 1, 2017.

Maggie left behind her parents, two older sisters and a younger brother.

The task force working to solve the cold case distributed photos of Maggie and possible suspects this week in hopes of turning up new leads and scoring a break in the case. They also want the public to know they're not giving up.

"On cold cases, sometimes the assumption is that not much is happening," investigator Audrey Simkins, who has been working the case for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation since 2019, told USA TODAY. "But it's important to let people know we're meeting regularly on this case and still peeling back the layers that might bring some answers to the family."

Here's what you need to know about Maggie's death, including more about who the promising teenager was and the biggest questions plaguing the minds of the investigators fighting to solve it.

What happened to Maggie Long?

It was Dec. 1, 2017, and Maggie Long had popped out of school early to go home and pick up treats for a student concert that day.

Her two older sisters and younger brother were still at school, and her parents were busy running the family's local Chinese restaurants. But Maggie's home was not empty when she arrived.

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Investigators believe she interrupted a burglary. It's unclear exactly what happened between Maggie and the thieves, but they ended up setting her and the house on fire. They then fled with stolen goods that included jade figurines, a safe, a Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle and 2,000 rounds of ammunition, according to authorities.

Maggie's horrified family had to wait outside while investigators combed through the damage and eventually found her remains.

Investigators have released sketches of three possible suspects. Eight years later, investigators still don't know who they are, and they have far more questions than answers.

"Why and how?" said investigator Simkins, who has worked Maggie's case for six years as part of a 20-member task force that includes the FBI. "How did they know that house and why was that the target, and how did Maggie end up being in the middle of it? How do we get from interrupting a burglary to this poor girl is burned?"

Who was Maggie Long?

Maggie was a bright and bubbly senior at Platte Canyon High School, which this year has fewer than 200 students and only 44 in the senior class. She was in student government and the drama club and starred as Cogsworth the clock in "Beauty and the Beast." She "probably would have gone on to do great things," Simkins said.

For her birthday the month she died, Maggie had planned to hand out food to the needy, she said, adding that friends and family ended up doing it in her place to honor her memory. "That goes to what kind of person she was," Simkins said.

Maggie's sister Connie told Colorado Public Radio in 2022 that she goes through Maggie's things on the anniversary of her death. That year, she found something that will always stay with her.

“I opened up her computer and I found a note that she wrote to herself for when she turns 18," Connie said. "The main message that she was giving herself was: ‘No matter what you decide to do with your life, just be a good person.’” 

Her other older sister, Lynna, posted a video tribute made by Maggie's fellow drama students on Facebook in 2022 and said it's how she will always remember her sister. "Having fun, doing her best, singing her heart out, making others laugh, and spreading joy ... Miss you every day."

Maggie's death not only devastated her loved ones, but it also rocked her small high school class and rural community.

"It was a big deal for them," Simkins said. "First they wondered who may have done this, and are they still in the community? And that Maggie was a victim at such an innocent age really heightens things. ... They have never forgotten the case."

Rob Low, a spokesperson for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, added that he recently spoke to a crime scene technician at the agency who lives in Bailey. "And he says that every time he goes to church they ask him, 'When is this case going to be solved?'"

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Why has Maggie Long's family criticized the investigation?

Maggie's family and friends have criticized the investigation, especially its early stages.

The Park County Sheriff’s Office, the local police agency that was first to investigate the case, initially told family not to speak to the news media about it. And in an even rarer move, a judge issued a gag order that prevented authorities from publicly discussing it.

A news release publicizing the case didn't go out until about six weeks after her death, which gave any suspects ample time to get away and could have prevented potential witnesses from coming forward in a timely manner, family members told Colorado Public Radio in 2022.

Simkins, who was not investigating the case when those decisions were made, said that she understands the family's frustration but that "we don’t know what the investigators were facing at the time those decisions were made."

"It's easy to second-guess what may have happened back in the day. ... Anytime you have a case that goes on for a period of time, it's easy to look back and start poking holes," she said. "It certainly might not be how we'd handle it today or even back then ... but it's difficult to say that."

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw did not respond to multiple messages from USA TODAY about the case.

In 2021 after five years without a break in the case, the FBI announced a new possibility for a motive. Investigators said that it could have been a hate crime and that the Long family could have been targeted because they are Chinese-Vietnamese.

Though the announcement drummed up more attention and some tips, no evidence has emerged supporting the theory. Simkins said that by all accounts, the Long family was well liked and valued in the community.

What now?

As Long's family continue to mourn her loss and hope for justice one day, investigators will continue their work.

There's a $75,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Investigators ask anyone with information to contact the Maggie Long Task Force tip line at 303-239-4243 or maggie.long.tips@state.co.us. Callers can be anonymous.

In a news release about the eighth anniversary of Maggie's death, McGraw said investigators "believe someone knows something that could help solve this case and bring a measure of justice to Maggie's family and the Bailey community."

"It could take just one person to help our investigation, and we are determined to bring a resolution to one of Colorado's most high-profile cold cases," he said.

Simkins said solving Maggie's case is one of her top priorities.

"She was a special young lady," she said. "We hope someday that we have answers to what happened to her."