NE Unsolved: Stacey Keane Burns

SPECIAL REPORT --

In Wolfeboro, N.H., one of Stacey Keane Burns' five children woke up that morning and found his mother, stabbed to death in her bedroom.

To make that discovery on any day is horrible enough, but the fact the murder took place on Mother's Day adds another layer of cruelty to this sad and brutal story.

Five years later, there is still no resolution to this Mother's Day Murder Mystery. No one has been arrested, but investigators say the case remains open and active.

Press reports have identified two possible suspects in the case. One is Stacey Keane Burns' ex-husband, Ed.

Ed Burns was a merchant marine who spent months at a time on the open sea, away from home. Stacey filed for divorce from her husband in 2007. Like many divorces, the Burns divorce got ugly. At one point, Stacey took out a restraining order against Ed, alleging abuse and claiming that he once declared; "Death Before Divorce." The restraining order was eventually lifted, and people say that at the time of the murder, Stacey felt the worst was behind her. Still, the two were set to meet in court on the Monday after the murder to address child support issues, according to press reports.

On the night of Stacey's murder, Ed Burns says he was in Boston attending a party, and he has produced a piece of video for one news outlet, shot that night, to prove he was where he said he was.

We reached out to Ed Burns for comment on this story through his lawyer. We did not get an answer back.

The other possible suspect is Jim Vittum, a former boyfriend of Stacey Burns. Vittum agreed to talk to me in Wolfeboro, N.H. at a picnic table on the shores of beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee.

Jim Vittum freely admits he put himself directly in the path of this murder investigation, by volunteering to talk to investigators at Stacey's house on Mother's Day 2009, the day of the murder.

He also admits he confronted Stacey the day before the murder about a man she was seeing. In the interview, Vittum recounted the confrontation and was visibly angry talking about what happened.

Vittum also admitted NH State Police subjected him to a lengthy polygraph, and that he did not do well.

Vittum insists he did not kill Stacey Burns. He points the finger of blame at Stacey's ex-husband, Ed. He told me that he went to the police that day because he "knew everything" about Ed Burns.

Ed Burns, in other press accounts, has denied killing Stacey.

And this is my exchange with Jim Vittum:

Bob Ward: Did you kill Stacey?

Jim Vittum: No

Bob Ward: Did you have anything to do with the death of Stacey Burns?

Jim Vittum: No

Bob Ward: You're telling me, man to man, face to face, as we look at each other, you had nothing to do with the murder of Stacey Burns?

Jim Vittum: Nothing

Please check out the video portion of the story to see how Vittum explains what happened in Stacey Keane Burns' final days and hours. I think it is fascinating.

Most importantly, if you have any information about what happened to Stacey Keane Burns, please call NH State Police Investigative Services at (603) 223-3856

The murder of Stacey Keane Burns left five children motherless, and her entire family and group of friends, devastated. Please call police if you can help end their agony. And help Stacey Keane Burns find justice.

Cox Media Group