FBI Opens Hate Crime Probe Into Death of 17-Year-Old Asian American

The FBI has opened a hate crime probe into the death of an Asian American teenager who was burned alive in her house in Colorado in 2017.

Maggie Long, aged 17, died in a fire in her family’s mountain community home in Bailey, 45 miles southwest of Denver. Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said Long was “purposely set on fire and burned alive.” There have been no arrests made yet or no suspects identified.

The authorities had shared composite sketches of three men believed to be involved in her death. Investigators also believed that Long had an altercation with her attackers as a 9-1-1 call was made to report that people were inside the house causing damages before the fire broke out.

In a statement to Denver news station KCNC-TV, the FBI said it was looking at the case as a “hate crime matter.” The FBI did not reveal any information about why agents are looking at the possibility of a hate crime, AP reported.

Authorities said a Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and jade figurines were stolen from the house.

Maggie's sisters Lynna and Connie said they did not notice any blatant Asian discrimination during their time in the community.

Lynna Long expected the shift in the investigation’s focus to encourage people to reconsider the interactions they may have had around the time her sister was killed. It might help the authorities find if anyone expressed bias toward Asian Americans.

“This is an angle that wasn’t looked into in the past, and at this point, it is no stone left unturned. Looking at the extent of violence in this crime, that is certainly an angle to look more closely into,” said Lynna Long, reported KCNC-TV.

A reward of $75,000 is set to be given to any individual with information that might lead to an arrest.