On December 1st of 2017, at 7 pm, deputies from the Park County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a house fire in Bailey. A 9-1-1 call informed them that there were people inside the residence causing damage to the home. Once the fire was extinguished, Maggie Long’s remains were found by fire rescue personnel.
Her death was later ruled as a homicide by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, and investigators found that there was evidence of a physical altercation between Maggie and her assailants before the fire began. Maggie was only 17 years old and was attending Platte Canyon as a senior. The perpetrators of this violent crime have never been caught.
“Everyone who knew Maggie is in different places in our lives now, but we never forget. I think about her every single day, I miss her every single day,” Maggie’s sister, Connie Lewis, said.
Maggie was helping out with a concert being held that night at her high school when she returned home to pick up some food for the concert. There is only speculation on what happened next, but what is known for certain is that the perpetrators stole a Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition, a gun safe, and jade figurines from their family home. Authorities also believe that there were three Caucasian men involved in the crime.
7 years later, this murder that rocked this mountain community is left unsolved. But Maggie’s older sisters, Connie Lewis and Lynna Long are still searching for justice. Because her case is ongoing, elements of the investigation that have been revealed to her family can not be shared to the public, which limits what Maggie’s sisters can discuss. What they can say, is that the crime appears to be non-targeted toward Maggie personally, however, they feel fairly confident that the perpetrators may have been local.
“It appears that the people who are involved are familiar with our small town, and because of that assumption, we think that there are people in the general mountain community that might know who could be involved,” Lynna Long said. “It doesn’t appear to be a situation where somebody was just passing through. They would have had to know about the neighborhood area we lived in and the traffic patterns. Someone that was aware of our family business.”
The Long family emigrated to the US in 1989 and soon after moved to the mountains and settled their family in Bailey. They started and ran several successful Chinese restaurants, and the family had a close relationship with their customers. Lynna recalls growing up in the restaurants, and Maggie worked there through her high school years. Helping out her family at the restaurant was one of the many things she participated in to share her talents and kindness.
“Those last few years of her life were the most memorable. They really portrayed the person she was coming into,” Lynna Long said. “She always wanted to show up for people even if that meant making her super busy. She didn’t ever want to let anybody down. That’s the kind of person she was. It was her normal day-to-day to show up for her friends and try her best.”
Maggie had a passion for acting, academics, and taking care of the people around her. She was heavily involved in performing at The Venue, a local Conifer theatre. She was interested in pursuing a career in medicine, and had applied to four out-of-state schools to continue her education post-graduation. She took challenging classes and participated in various extra-curricular activities that involved her in her community.
“Even up until she died she had already done so much, she traveled, she volunteered. For her memorial service over 300 people showed up. It speaks volumes to who she was and how many lives she touched because she was just so kind,” Lewis said.
Maggie had a profound impact on her small mountain community, by spreading her kindness wherever she went. Today, there is a chair dedicated to her at The Venue, in the place where she would sit during rehearsals. The theatre company also raised money for a scholarship in her name to help other passionate students pursue their interest in acting.
“So many people remembered her as someone who was so kind and loving and funny. She was so funny. She had a bright future ahead of her,” Lewis said.
Beyond her family, Maggie’s friends, teachers, and all of the people she touched in the Bailey/Conifer mountain community are still looking for answers regarding her death.
“I don’t ever doubt that we are the only ones that are hoping for answers, as it goes so much further beyond just family. I think a lot of people would find a lot of relief in knowing what happened with Maggie’s murder,” Lynna Long said.
Because time continues to pass without the perpetrators being brought to justice, it becomes more challenging to find new leads that could lead the investigation to a solution. Over 7 years later, there’s little to no physical evidence left behind, so her family now has to rely on community members to reach out and share anything that they know.
“It only takes one person’s observations, one person’s bad feeling which they finally reveal to the police to pursue, that can change how investigations unfold and ultimately that’s what we’re hoping for at this point. There’s not really any physical evidence left so what we have now is people left in the community with their thoughts and suspicions,” Lynna Long said. “We can’t undo what happened, but can at least bring people accountability for what they have done.”
There is a 75,000 dollar reward being offered to anyone who can provide information regarding the case. If you have any information relating to Maggie’s case you can call the tipline at 303-239-4243 or send an email to the following address [email protected]. You can remain anonymous in your tip if you choose to be.
“In the beginning, it was not only the hope, but the expectation that we will find justice for her, but as the years have gone by, I have moved on in a sense of I’m not going to let that part of her passing hold me back from fully grieving the loss. At the end of the day, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s gone and it was under horrific circumstances. I’ve kind of found some closure, just coming to terms with the fact that she’s not going to come back whether or not we find out who did this to her. But justice is definitely something that we want, and we’re still looking for answers,” Lewis said.
Beyond seeking justice for their own sister, Lewis and Long are concerned with finding the perpetrators to ensure that they are not able to hurt anyone else. Though at this point they feel like everything is a long shot, they are diligent about responding to every DM they receive and are in frequent communication with investigators to follow any leads. But more important to them than finding the perpetrators is to carry and share her legacy, remembering a girl that was kind, a girl that was funny, smart, passionate, and loving.
“Her big mission in life was to spread kindness, and I think despite what happened to her that would still be her message today. Be inclusive of the people around you, and to smile at strangers, and to just show random acts of kindness. She was so open and loving. She really encouraged others to open up and be kind. I want her to be remembered as someone that inspired others to be kind. I want people to know her for that, not just a girl that was a victim to this horrible murder, but someone that truly touched so many lives,” Lewis said.
Information about the case was taken from the official FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation websites.
