50 years later: Detectives look for leads in murder of Montgomery County teen

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Detectives in Montgomery County are calling on the public for help in a decades-long investigation into the murder of then-15-year-old Kathy Beatty.

Fifty years ago, on July 24, 1975, the Beatty family reported the teenage girl missing. Just one day later, on July 25, her sister discovered her in a wooded area near her Montgomery County neighborhood.

At the time, the area was known to local teenagers as “the rocks,” located behind the former K-Mart in Aspen Hill. When she was found, 15-year-old Beatty was unconscious, partially clothed and had been sexually assaulted.

Investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted and suffered blunt force trauma to her head by a rock.

She never regained consciousness and died a week later in the hospital.

On the 50th anniversary of her death, the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) is hoping to generate fresh leads and a renewed public interest in the case. Despite decades of investigating, police said they have never identified any suspects.

Before Kathy’s mother passed away, she asked cold case detectives to promise that they would get justice for her daughter. MCPD detectives said they are committed to honoring that promise for the young girl’s surviving family members.

A podcast episode dedicated to the death of Kathy Beatty can be found online here.