Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Fitbit Alibi’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ the focus is on the gruesome murder of 31-year-old Nicole VanderHeyden, who was last seen partying with her boyfriend and some friends. When her remains were discovered in a farm field the following morning, the entire community was shaken to its core. After several months of investigation, the detectives found incriminating evidence against a man named George Steven Burch, who turned out to be the perpetrator responsible for the crime.
George Burch Killed Nicole VanderHeyden Outside Her House
Doug Detrie and Nicole “Nikki” VanderHeyden had been in a serious romantic relationship and were looking forward to spending their life together. Both being sociable individuals, they loved to party with friends. On the fateful night of May 20, 2016, the couple made plans to join some friends at the Watering Hole to watch the Steel Panther perform live. As per Doug’s accounts, the two consumed lots of alcohol, and Nicole got jealous when she saw him interact with another woman. The group of friends then separated at one point, with Doug and one of his friends staying at The Watering Hole and Nicole going to The Sardine Can with some others.
Although they were at different bars, the couple talked through text messages as Nicole accused him of cheating and being abusive. Around 12:30 am, Doug allegedly left the bar and looked for his girlfriend at The Sardine Can and their home, but couldn’t find her anywhere. Believing that she would eventually show up, he called it a night. Meanwhile, according to law enforcement, at some point in the night after her arguments with Doug, Nicole went to the nearby Richard Craniums bar, where she got to talking with George Steven Burch. He allegedly offered to give her a ride home. When they reached outside her house, the police believed that he began sexually assaulting her and strangled her with a phone cord, killing her in the process.
George Burch Tried to Frame Doug Detrie For the Murder
However, as per George’s accounts, he and Nicole indulged in sex inside his car, right outside her house. He claimed that they were interrupted when someone knocked him out by striking his head with a gun. He said, “The next thing I remember was literally waking up on the ground outside the truck.” According to him, Doug had killed Nicole and forced him to help him dispose of her remains at gunpoint in a Bellevue farm field off Hoffman Road. The following morning, on May 21, her remains were discovered in the field, and a homicide investigation was launched. Initially, the detectives suspected Doug to be involved in the murder. Upon checking his Fitbit records, he was eliminated as a suspect as he was sleeping at the time of the murder.
A few months passed without any concrete leads, and in August 2016, the authorities found DNA evidence on the socks Nicole was wearing, connecting George to the crime. They learned that he was also linked to a hit-and-run accident, a car fire, and a stolen vehicle in June. At the time, the department had cloned his phone records for investigation purposes. Thus, after going through those records, the detectives placed him at Richard Craniums, outside Nicole’s house, and then at the farm where her remains were discovered. Following this revelation, George was brought in for questioning on September 7, 2016, and arrested when he refused to cooperate with the authorities.
George Burch is Currently Incarcerated at a Wisconsin Prison Facility
On February 19, 2018, George Steven Burch’s trial for the murder of 31-year-old Nicole VanderHeyden got underway. Maintaining his innocence, he took the stand and claimed that Doug was behind the murder. Meanwhile, the prosecution argued that Doug’s Fitbit evidence proved that he was sleeping at the time. They presented evidence, such as cell phone records and surveillance footage, linking George to the killing. After nine days of witnesses’ testimonies and back-and-forth between the prosecutors and defense attorneys, the jury deliberated for more than three hours and reached a verdict. On March 1, 2018, George was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide. A couple of months later, in early May, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During the sentencing hearing, Doug Detrie’s mother, Diane Detrie, took the stand and addressed the court, stating, “I have a hard time driving down Hoffman Road without thinking of Burch throwing her away like trash, like she didn’t matter. She did matter! We loved her and we miss her.” Following his conviction and sentencing, George filed a motion to get his conviction overturned, arguing that the cell phone records should not have been a part of the trial as it was collected during an unrelated investigation. The defense also argued that the prosecutors’ Fitbit evidence was not corroborated by experts. On June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court denied his appeal and upheld his conviction. As of today, he is serving his sentence at Fox Lake Correctional Institution in Fox Lake, Wisconsin.
Read More: Nicole VanderHeyden Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
