Case Description

File Number: 53-03232

The Victim: CSPD Officer Richard S. Burchfield, age 34, shot and killed in his patrol car on November  26, 1953.

The Crime: Shortly after 8:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1953, a citizen saw a marked CSPD cruiser stopped against the curb near Bijou & El Paso streets, with an an officer slumped over the steering wheel. Responding officers found their colleague, Officer Richard S. Burchfield, deceased in the driver's seat from multiple gunshot wounds. 

About an hour prior to his murder, Officer Burchfield had been one of several officers investigating the armed robbery of a man in the area of 1600 N. Wood Ave, which appeared to be part of a pattern of such crimes occurring over the past several months. When last seen, it appeared that he was going to look for suspects in those crimes. 

Investigatigation revealed that Officer Burchfield had been shot from close range, probably from inside his cruiser.  Found near Officer Burchfield's feet was an ID card stolen from the recent Wood Ave robbery victim, suggesting that the officer had contacted the robbery suspect, and was probably killed by this suspect.  Witnesses had seen a 1937 ? 1941 Ford coupe stopped near the officer's car around the time of the murder, and described a possible suspect as a white male, late teens ? early 20's, tall & thin, wearing dark clothes. 

The Colorado Springs Police Department Homicide Cold Case Unit is currently responsible for approximately 90 unsolved homicide cases dating back to 1949. CSPD considers a case to be cold if it remains unsolved for more than one year.

If you have any information that would be of assistance in this or any of our

Cold Case investigations, please contact us:

Telephone ---  719-444-7613

email ---  CSPDHomicide@springsgov.com 

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you may remain anonymous and could earn a cash reward by calling
Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP (7867).