Pixie Grismore |
Last year we wrote an article in defense of "Armchair Sleuths" after they had received criticism from Indiana State Police Captain David Bursten. In that article we also pointed out that the late great Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana had went after then Sgt. Bursten trying without success to get the unsolved murder of former state employee and Birch Bayh campaign worker Mary Beth "Pixie" Grismore listed on the Indiana State Police (ISP) Cold Case section of their website. Gary Welsh had made the following references to his inquiries he had made with now Captain Bursten:
Welsh did hear from Captain then Sergeant Bursten of the ISP. Welsh wrote in 2011:
UPDATE: Sgt. Dave Bursten, public information officer for the Indiana State Police, has confirmed the Grismore case is still an open investigation. He said the closing of the Terre Haute post and revamping of the agency's website is why her case is not listed as a cold case file. Bursten said anyone with information or tips regarding the case should telephone the agency's hotline at 1-800-453-4756.
Two months later in July 2011. Gary Welsh posting about the still unsolved disappearance of Indiana University student Lauren Spierers. Welsh mentioned that the ISP still had not put Pixie Grismores case on their cold case website.
The Indiana State Police don't even have her case listed on their website as a cold case file, a fact a police spokesman told me was simply due to an oversight during a revamping of the department's website. Nearly two months after I raised the question, the omission has still not been corrected. Her case is listed on the state of Ohio's cold case list, even though all investigatory leads led them right back to Indiana. No, the Indiana State Police have no intention of trying to discover who actually murdered Mary Beth Grismore. Let's hope Indiana police are truly interested in solving the disappearance case of Lauren Spierers.
Here is Gary's last known mention of Bursten:
We had last checked the ISP's Cold Case Investigations page earlier this year and had not seen the Grismore murder listed on their site. We had started to fear that as Gary Welsh had told all of us several years ago that her case would never be put on the ISP Cold Case Page. Inspite of the Ohio Attorney General's Office listing the case on their site. We are happy to report that one of our readers contacted us earlier today to tell us that after nearly a decade the ISP has finally posted the case on their website click here to see the page. And although the page is not as detailed as we all would prefer it doesn't even have a photo of Pixie Grismore. Even though photo's of her are easily found on the Internet. We are extremely gratified to see that her case is seeing some light. To many of our readers who took the time to constantly hammer away at the ISP we thank you. Also we would like to thank Captain David Bursten for finally making sure the Cold Case Page was updated! Eight years is way too long! But better late than never.
In fact let's all contact the Good Captain and express our gratitude for his dedicated public service. You can reach him on Twitter @dbursten.
Here is his contact information at the ISP if you would like to call, email, or go thank him personally:
Indiana State Police / Public Info Office | |
IGCN 100 N Senate Ave
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Marion County, Indianapolis, IN 46204
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We here at IR give our sincere thanks to our legionaries out their in the trench's. And a special thanks to Captain Bursten. Without whom the ISP would not be what it is now!
Good Night and God Bless You All!