Daughter of 9/11 Flight Pilot Is Found Dead After a Fire (Burlingame)

[Ignacio Upton]

December 6, 2006
Daughter of 9/11 Flight Pilot Is Found Dead After a Fire
By ALAN FEUER and NATE SCHWEBER

Five years after her father’s plane crashed into the Pentagon in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a woman was found dead yesterday in a fire at the Galaxy Towers apartment complex in Guttenberg, N.J.

The woman, Wendy Burlingame, 32, was discovered by firefighters in a short hallway between the kitchen and the bedroom of her 10th-floor apartment where the four-alarm fire began, said Edward DeFazio, the Hudson County prosecutor. Mr. DeFazio said the fire, which law enforcement officials are calling suspicious, began shortly after midnight in the apartment Ms. Burlingame shared with her companion and was still under investigation, as was the cause of Ms. Burlingame’s death. No one else was injured in the fire, Mr. DeFazio said.

Ms. Burlingame was the daughter of Charles F. Burlingame III, a 25-year Navy veteran who was the captain of American Airlines Flight 77, which slammed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11., 2001, killing 189 people.

Lucy Gell, who works at the building’s front desk, said that Ms. Burlingame was a kind, generous woman with “model good looks.” She added that Ms. Burlingame had brought her down a plate of turkey and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, saying that Mr. Roderick was out.

Debra A. Burlingame, Ms. Burlingame’s aunt, was reached at home last night before she even knew of her niece’s death. She burst into tears on the phone and would not comment further. Ms. Burlingame’s mother, Nancy Perfect, was also reached at home last night. She, too, declined to discuss her daughter’s death.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/nyregion/06fire.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print


...When I disagree with her aunt for supporting Bush during the 2004 election, I offer my condolences to her. No family should go through this, especially for Debra Burlingame, to lose both her brother and her niece.

[bananas]

1. This was cruel.

"Ms. Burlingame’s aunt, was reached at home last night before she even knew of her niece’s death. She burst into tears on the phone and would not comment further."

[seriousstan]

2. No, that was notification. I remember when I was notified about my Dad.

It happens and it is NEVER gentle. I had to notify my nephew about my sister, trust me, there is no way to make it easy. The bold, sold truth is the best for both teller and hearer.

[buddysmellgood]

3. I don't think so. Not the way that was written. "wouldn't comment further"

before she even knew of the death?

That sounds like the reporter called before the authorities.

[seriousstan]

5. So? Shit happens, roll with it. She did the right thing and abstained from comment.

I would have done the same.

[bananas]

6. She probably "abstained from comment" because she was crying too hard to talk

"Shit happens, roll with it" ???
pretty cold-hearted statement.

[seriousstan]

9. No shit. And they had the common decency to leave her alone.

Go find another person to make the victim de jour.

[pretzel4gore]

29. she supported bush. bush used 911 to murder

hundreds of thousands of innocents. she ignored the bizarre aspects of 911, such as the co-incidental military exercises that hamstrung the norad eastern air defenses ...she watched both towers collapse in what was obviously preplanned demolitions (even if the towers were demolished on purpose because of danger to the rest of the area from towers falling over sideways; it still doesn't address the killing of 350 or so police/nypd who entered the towers to help desperate people!) she heard the bush joke that he 'won the trifecta' in front of a dozen giggling nazipooh audiences in months following 911. she now knows bush led the usa into a crazy war using falsified info. all this says she is someone whose misfortune evoke nothing but contempt, cuz she is a goddam creep....

[superconnected]

30. yeah but like most republicans, she suffers from stupidity

you can't really blame her for being born an idiot.

It's very sad about her niece. When I was given the news about my father the person said "your father passed away", nicely to me. "Not how do you feel about his death?", as a way of me finding out. So I feel for this woman.

Have you ever been called by a reporter? The ones I've taken the phone from were presistent and annoying. It was like they felt they should take charge of a situation with a voice that demanded I had to answer them. I've always been surprised by their rude phonestance becaues they would get further acting like a normal human. The best answer is hang up imo.

BTW, I used to work at infospace and reporters would call if the company had bad news about it in the paper. I've never dealt with one that wasnt tonally rude from the get go.

[cali]

33. Heartless, stupid bullshit of the most odiferous kind.

Fuck that kind of thinking. It's disgusting. As for your CT shit, I don't believe the towers were brought down by a controlled demolition. I suppose that means to you, that if I lost someone dear to me, my misfortune would likewise arouse nothing but contempt from you.

[pretzel4gore]

34. i hate them....

bush supporters, i mean. i cannot fathom why they can't see junyer for what he is. or why they believe the goddam news media which aggresively has promoted him for years. and fyi, i'm not a cruel person; i understand that people can believe things and act upon those beliefs- but bush has as much as told his supporters that as far as he's concerned, liberal left america doesn't count. giving the nazipoohs rope has just got alot of innocent people hanged, and i care more about the innocent then bush loving pigs.
and the thing with the towers, you call 'ct'...until the authorities explain some basic anamolies, such as the co-incincidental air defense exercises that took place on sept 11th/01 and until someone explains why ther pigmedia never mentioned the exercises, then let's paint the bastards as guilty as possible (because they are, and you know it)

[buddysmellgood]

8. I think you miss the point. It's not the response that is inappropriate, it is the reporter

being the first to notify.

[Little Wing]

19. What's he supposed to do?

Say, "Before I ask for a comment, are you or are you not aware that your neice is dead?"

[buddysmellgood]

28. You check with authorities first. You ask if the family has been notified. It was standard operating

procedure when I was a reporter. Stories often run with a line that says, the identity of the victim is being withheld pending the notification of the family.

[lithiumbomb]

4. well sure

But this person shouldn't have had to learn it from a reporter. I know it happens, people learn of their relative's death via the media in some form or another. Aside from the fact that the journalist possibly made a mistake in calling this person in the first place, why even print that? Why print that you called this lady up, told her her neice was dead, and that she would not comment on this horrible news that she had just learned, from you? I almost wonder if the writer's boss demanded that they call relatives for comment, and this happened, so the writer put it in the story out of spite.

[seriousstan]

7. Not out of spite. Out of our morbid curiosity.

How many times here have stories been followed to the minute?

[wtmusic]

12. Exactly. No news value whatsoever -- just morbid curiosity.

If it were the Enquirer I'd expect it.

[AngryOldDem]

24. But it should not come from the media

I worked in newspapers for a long time and I know that some reporters are a little less than tactful. If it was a reporter breaking the news, I wonder why it wasn't confirmed with the authorities that the aunt had already been properly notified.

Such news should come from either the authorities, or, as in your case, relatives. Not through a cold-call from a reporter.

[Marie26]

21. Yes, it was.

Don't they usually wait until the family is notified to release a name to the media?

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. How do you know her aunt voted for Bush?

[Virginian]

13. When the Jersey girls criticized bush and forced him

agreeing to the 9/11 commission, Burlingame was on TV in support of Dubya. She is Bush's very own 9/11 surviving relative. If someone is going to publicly support a candidate, usually they also vote for him.

Usually the identity of the victim is not released until the Next of Kin have been notified.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Thanks - that info was not in the article

[Name removed]

11. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MADem]

14. Murder???????????

Mr. DeFazio said her companion of three years was among several people being interviewed in connection with her death. He would not identify the companion, but tenants in the complex identified him as Kevin Roderick.

Sebastian Rojas, 27, lives downstairs from Mr. Roderick. He said that while he did not know Mr. Roderick and Ms. Burlingame well, they were “real late-night people” whose footsteps, and two dogs, he heard constantly above his head.

The two dogs were also found dead in the home, Mr. DeFazio said.

Shortly before the fire erupted, Mr. Rojas said, there were “louder noises than usual” coming from the apartment upstairs, “like somebody running around up there, like somebody doing something up there in a rush.”

Then he said he heard a thud — “like somebody dropped something”— and three or four minutes later the building’s fire alarm sounded. Mr. Rojas said that within minutes his apartment filled with smoke. He then safely left the building....

Something sounds a bit fishy there, eh?

[smirkymonkey]

15. Certainly does...

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

20. And Heeerrreeee we go!!

N/T

[screembloodymurder]

23. Delete.

Self delete.

[truthisfreedom]

27. People involved in illegal (drug) activities often try to put out fires themselves and can be easily

overcome by smoke.

[MADem]

31. Hmmm...showing my age I guess--didn't even think of that aspect! NT

[RFKHumphreyObama]

17. My condolences to the Burlingame family

And my thoughts, prayers, condolences and deepest sympathies are extended to each and every one of them, as well as to the friends and all those who knew and loved the deceased

[qanda]

18. Very sad

My condolences to her family also. No one should have to hear about their loved one dying from the media, but I guess there's no easy way to hear that someone you love is dead.

[Ian David]

22. It is typical that when Republicans take their own lives, they MUST put others at risk

Anyone remember the suicidal DentaFreeper, Nicholas Bartha?

UES Explosion: Republican Suicide Attempt? - Gawker
UES Explosion: Republican Suicide Attempt? ... 1010 WINS reports that Dr. Nicholas Bartha, whose practice was in the building, is going through a divorce ...
www.gawker.com/news/top/ues-explosion-republican-suicide-attempt-186217.php

The Countess: Nicholas Bartha Has Died
Nicholas Bartha Has Died. Remember Nicholas Bartha, the angry man who had blown up his home while in it, rather than let his ex-wife have it in their ...
http://trishwilson.typepad.com/blog/2006/07/nicholas_bartha.html

July 10, 2006
BREAKING: Explosion Causes Upper East Side Building Collapse

A three story building at 34 East 62nd Street, between Madison and Park Avenues, has collapsed. Reports say that there was an explosion and fire. It's unclear if there are any people inside. Fire Department staging is at East 65th Street; expect lots of traffic diversions in that area.
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/07/10/breaking_explos.php

See also:
http://1010wins.com/pages/54605.php?contentType=4&contentId=169184


This is why the idea of a Rapture and an Apocalypse is so appealing to the Republickers. It's their ultimate chance to say, "Fuck you all... I'm going to burn it all behind me!"

I'm not saying that this was a suicide.

I'm just pointing out that it would be consistent with the Republicker mind-set.

[JoMama49]

25. Do you think she knew something about 911 that needed to be

quashed?

[rainbow4321]

26. Which of the pilots' wives was in the news not long ago

Family feud w/ the pilot's mother...about how the surviving wife's name was taken off the grave stone that she was eventually going to share with her deceased husband..the husband's mother took it off. Same family?

Here it is..different family, I guess, but weird/sad how 2 of the pilots' families make the news within such a short time period.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/10434778/detail.html

An unusual lawsuit has dredged up a widow's tragedy over the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- and unearthed an ugly feud over a family burial plot.

Jason Dahl was flying United Airlines Flight 93 when it crashed into a Pennsylvania field. The pilot became a hero in his native San Jose, where an elementary school is named after him.

His widow, Sandra Dahl, buried her husband in the family plot at Oak Hill Memorial Park, beneath a tombstone inscribed with both of their names. Jason's father, Duane, bought the four-grave plot years ago and was buried there.

The cemetery told Sandra that the pilot's mother, Mildred Dahl, requested another headstone. The original was buried under the new one.
On Tuesday, the 47-year-old widow sued the cemetery.

[MADem]

32. Update--drinking, suspicious, no accelerant, a locked door, no 911 call??

A month ago, Burlingame, 33, picked up stakes, sold her lucrative online dating service in Pittsburgh and moved to New Jersey to live with her long-time boyfriend, Kevin Roderick, relatives said.

Roderick, an Army veteran, escaped unscathed when the deadly blaze broke out in the bedroom at 12:03 a.m.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward De Fazio said that "drinking might have been involved" but did not elaborate.

He said the quick-spreading, four-alarm fire "has been ruled suspicious," but that no accelerant had been used...."It sounded like somebody was moving something or someone was moving very fast and then it sounded like something was dropped. It wasn't like an explosion. The best I can say it was like a thump."



http://www.nypost.com/seven/12062006/news/regionalnews/9_11_kin_horror_regionalnews_jeane_macintosh_and_cynthia_r__fagen.htm


Wendy Burlingame's death was being investigated as a suspicious death, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio.....According to investigators, the boyfriend told them that he and Burlingame had tried to extinguish the fire with water from a sink. When they tried to flee, the boyfriend made it into the hallway, but accidentally shut and locked the front door before realizing that Burlingame was not right behind him. He wasn't able to get back in....Firefighters found Burlingame's body in a hallway between the kitchen and a bedroom. Her two dogs also died. Preliminary reports indicated Burlingame died from smoke inhalation, and there was no indication of additional trauma to her body, said DeFazio.

"Wendy had been deeply affected by 9/11 and her father's death. And she had a lot of psychological problems related to that, but was making a go of her life, and making her way in the world," Mark Burlingame said.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/NEWS03/612060314/1007

The boyfriend apparently did not call 911. The building resident assigned as fire warden for the night went to investigate a fire alarm around midnight, just as firefighters were arriving, and found the man outside the door, visibly shaken. The fire warden took him outside as firefighters rushed in to put out the blaze, reports said.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1165388500252490.xml&coll=3