A Wyoming town is outraged by a “disrespectful” act on a bridge linked to one of the state’s most notorious crimes.
An Idaho-based company called Over the Edge Inc. sparked outrage by recently organizing jumps off the Fremont Canyon Bridge near Casper, State of the Cowboys Diary reported.
This is the site of a horrific murder that occurred more than five decades ago that devastated the local community and still haunts the area to this day.
In 1973, two sisters, Amy and Becky Burridge, were kidnapped and taken to the bridge. Amy, aged just 11, was pushed overboard and drowned in the river. Her sister Becky, aged 18, was brutally raped before she was also pushed overboard.
Becky miraculously survived the fall, but two decades later she returned to the scene and either fell or jumped to her death from the same bridge.
Many local residents are now furious that a company could be so insensitive as to hold recreational activities on a site with such a tragic history.
However, others expressed their support for the company and argued that it is time to put the past behind them.
An Idaho-based bungee jumping company, Over The Edge Inc., recently organized several jumps from the Fremont Canyon Bridge near Casper, Wyoming. The bridge was the scene of a tragic murder more than five decades ago.
In 1973, two sisters, Amy (centre) and Becky Burridge (right), were kidnapped and taken to the bridge. Amy was pushed over and drowned, while Becky miraculously survived.
But for many in the area, the past is too terrible to forget.
The sisters were heading to a grocery store in Casper on September 24, 1973, when Becky’s car got a flat tire.
Two men, Ronald Kennedy, 27, and Jerry Jenkins, 29, offered them a ride home but instead drove the girls 40 miles southwest to the Fremont Canyon Bridge, which rises 112 feet above the North Platte River.
According to Cowboy State Daily, Amy reportedly screamed “I love you, Becky” as the men pushed her from the middle of the bridge. She died on impact.
Becky suffered multiple fractures to her hips in the fall, but managed to climb out of the water and over the rocks to reach the riverbank. The next day, an elderly couple found her half-naked.
Ronald Kennedy, 27, and Jerry Jenkins, 29, were sentenced to death for the crime. The sentence was overturned on appeal and they were resentenced to life in prison.
Becky later married and had a son. But after divorcing, she returned to the bridge at age 37 in 1992 and plunged to her death in front of her boyfriend and two-year-old daughter. Los Angeles Times reported.
The heartbreaking story left many residents shocked by OverTheEdge.Inc’s callousness in its latest marketing campaign.
The company had posted photos of adrenaline junkies jumping off the Fremont Bridge on Monday with the caption: ‘Don’t miss your chance to throw your meat off this amazing bridge near Casper, Wyoming.
“It’s hard to beat the thrill of bungee jumping. Going from absolute stillness to the open air increases the acceleration of gravity… Don’t miss out on this life-changing experience. $100 for two jumps.”
True crime writer Ron Franscell, who chronicled the murder case in his book “Zero Dark Thirty,” lived next door to Amy and Becky in Casper and remembers the aftermath of the tragedy all too clearly.
“We went to sleep the night of Sept. 23, 1973, in the same place (mentally),” he told Cowboy State Daily. “We could play outside until the street lights came on. We woke up the next day in a very different place. I’d say we’ve never been back — Casper has never been back — to that idyllic little town.”
Franscell said seeing the photos of people bungee jumping off the bridge was “heartbreaking.” But he added that the company was likely unaware of the bridge’s history.
“And it’s an easy assumption to make because it’s been 50 years,” he said, though he added that it’s only been 32 years since Becky’s second fatal jump.
“It’s one of those haunted places that should remind us of the worst we can be and the best we can be,” he said.
Ronald Kennedy, 27, and Jerry Jenkins, 29, were sentenced to death for the crime. The sentence was overturned on appeal and they were resentenced to life in prison.
Becky returned to the bridge at age 37 in 1992 and plunged to her death in front of her boyfriend and two-year-old daughter.
Pictured: Thrill seekers jumping off the Fremont Canyon Bridge with Over the Edge, Inc.
Longtime Casper resident Rose Fry expressed strong opposition to bungee jumping at the Fremont Canyon Bridge.
He recalled the difficult times the community went through after the tragic events of 1973.
“I think it will always be a sad place,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “Maybe when I’m gone, and so are all the other people who remember it, maybe then.”
However, Eric Lyman, owner of Over The Edge Bungee, defended the company’s decision to host jumps from the Fremont Canyon Bridge.
He argued that the bridge was a public space that should be accessible for recreational activities, such as driving on it or picnicking in the area.
“It’s an important place, but it has nothing to do with me,” he said. “The history of the place is important. It touches me deeply. In fact, we were thinking of doing a jump in homage to those two women.”
Lyman noted that climbers frequently visit the area and asked whether they should also be banned for being disrespectful.
He noted that the company discussed the history of the bridge during its visit, but considered it illogical to restrict its use for recreation 50 years later.
“We didn’t kill anyone,” Lyman added.
Amy (pictured) was pushed off the bridge and fell 112 feet into the water, where she died on impact.
Becky (pictured) miraculously survived her first fall from the bridge despite breaking her hips.
Becky married and had a son, but their relationship ended in divorce. One day, she returned to the bridge where she had been attacked, fell and died.
Despite the controversy, many people have responded to the post expressing their interest in participating in the jumps.
Some Casper residents are also asking people to let go of the past and embrace the bridge as a recreational site.
“Most of Casper has been the scene of a crime at some point,” Casper resident Lisa Romfo told Cowboy State Daily. “We can’t let that stop us from moving forward in the future.”
Romfo added that after five decades “it is time to use the bridge again.”
Cassie Witt, another woman who was eager to participate in bungee jumping, expressed her support for the company’s decision.
She felt the choice of venue was not disrespectful and hoped the company would return for future events, as long as they complied with local regulations.
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