A Wyoming city is in uproar over a ‘disrespectful’ act at a bridge linked to one of the state’s most notorious crimes.
An Idaho-based company called Over the Edge Inc. sparked the outrage by recently organizing jumps from the Fremont Canyon Bridge near Casper, Cowboy State Daily reported.
This is the site of a horrifying murder over 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 abducted and taken to the bridge. Amy, aged only 11, was pushed off and drowned in the river below. Her 18-year-old sister Becky was brutally raped before she too was pushed.
Becky miraculously survived the fall, but two decades later 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 carry out recreational activities at a site with such a tragic history.
However, others expressed support for the company and argued that it is time to move on from the past.
An Idaho-based bungee-jumping company, Over The Edge Inc., recently organized several jumps from Fremont Canyon Bridge near Casper, Wyoming. The bridge was the site of a tragic murder over five decades ago
In 1973, two sisters, Amy (center) and Becky Burridge (right), were abducted and taken to the bridge. Amy was pushed off and drowned, while Becky miraculously survived
But for many in the area, the past is too terrible to forget.
The sisters had been on their way to a grocery story in Casper on September 24, 1973, when Becky’s car tire went flat.
Two men, Ronald Kennedy, 27, and Jerry Jenkins, 29, offered them a ride home, but instead drove the girls 40 miles southwest to Fremont Canyon Bridge that towers 112 feet above the North Platte River.
Amy reportedly cried out ‘I love you Becky’ as the men pushed her off the middle of the bridge, Cowboy State Daily reported. She died on impact.
Becky suffered multiple fractures to her hips when she fell, but managed to crawl out of the water and over the rocks to reach the riverbank. She was found half-naked the next day by an elderly couple.
Ronald Kennedy, 27, and Jerry Jenkins, 29, were sentenced to death for the crime. This was reversed on appeal and they were resentenced to life in prison.
Becky later married and had a child. But after getting divorced she returned to the bridge aged 37 in 1992 and plunged to her death in front of her boyfriend and two-year-old daughter, LA Times reported.
The harrowing story meant that many residents were shocked by OverTheEdge.Inc’s insensitivity around its latest marketing campaign.
The company had posted pictures of adrenaline junkies jumping off the Fremont Bridge on Monday with the caption: ‘Don’t miss your chance to throw your meat from this awesome bridge near Casper, Wyoming.
‘It is hard to beat the thrill of bungee jumping. From complete stillness into the open air enhances the acceleration of gravity … Don’t miss this life-changing experience. $100 for two jumps.’
True-crime writer Ron Franscell, who chronicled the murder case in his book ‘The Darkest Night,’ had lived next door to Amy and Becky in Casper and remembers all too clearly the aftermath of the tragedy.
‘We went to bed the night of Sept. 23, 1973, in one place (mentally),’ he told Cowboy State Daily. ‘You could play outside ‘til the street lights came on. We woke up the next day in a very different place. I would argue that we have never — Casper has never — gone back to that idyllic little town.’
Franscell described seeing the photos of people bungee jumping from the bridge as ‘gut wrenching’. However, he added that it is likely the company was not aware of the history of the bridge.
‘And that’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 both 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. This was reversed on appeal and they were resentenced to life in prison
Becky returned to the bridge aged 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 the bungee jumps at Fremont Canyon Bridge.
She recalled the difficult times the community endured following the tragic events of 1973.
‘It’s always going to be a sad place, I think, she told Cowboy State Daily. ‘Maybe, when — you know — I’m dead and gone, and so are all the other people that remember it, maybe then.’
However, Eric Lyman, the owner of Over The Edge Bungee, defended the company’s decision to organize jumps from Fremont Canyon Bridge.
He argued that the bridge was a public space that should be accessible for recreational activities, just like driving over it or picnicking in the area.
‘It is significant (as a site) but it has nothing to do with me,’ he said. ‘The history of it matters. I’m very touched by the history. In fact, we were thinking of doing a jump in homage to those two ladies.’
Lyman pointed out that rock climbers frequently visit the area, and asked if they should also be banned for being disrespectful.
He emphasized that the company discussed the bridge’s history during their visit but believed it was illogical to restrict its use for recreation 50 years on.
‘We didn’t kill anyone,’ Lyman added.
Amy (pictured) was pushed off the bridge and fell 112 feet into water where she died on impact
Becky (pictured) miraculously survived her first fall from the bridge despite breaking her hips
Becky later married and had a child, but their relationship eventually 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 interest in participating in the jumps.
Some Casper residents are also calling for people to move on from the past and embrace the bridge as a recreational site.
‘Most of Casper is a crime scene at one point in time or another,’ Casper resident Lisa Romfo told Cowboy State Daily. ‘We can’t let that get in the way of the future.’
Romfo added that after five decades ‘it’s time to use the bridge again.’
Cassie Witt, another woman who was eager to participate in the bungee jumps, expressed her support for the company’s decision.
She believed that the location choice was not disrespectful and hoped that the company would return for future events, provided that they comply with local regulations.
