GENESEE COUNTY SHERIFF CHRIS SWANSON announced on Thursday, Nov. 11 that an arrest had been made in the murder investigation of Mary Prieur, found deceased on Feb. 27, 1997 in a wooded, swampy area in Lennon. Prieur was allegedly kidnapped from her Lennon home, dragged and left for dead.
The investigation has been a struggle for many years. Sheriff Swanson, who became involved with the case in 2002, shared a social media video on the case.
“On Feb. 27, 1997, Mary Prieur, widow of Leonard Prieur, was murdered,” he stated. “She was taken from her home, she was dragged, she was sexually assaulted and she was left for dead.” Prieur had been 88 and had moved from Flint to Lennon.
“The people that were responsible,” Swanson continued, “have been free since that day. That day is over and that is why I am here is to let you know that Mary Prieur’s murderer is in custody.”
Swanson shared that countless investigative efforts have been made on Prieur’s behalf.
A new lead was developed using scientific analysis that “put the arrested subject at the scene,” said Swanson. The subject was identified as Michael Bur, 44, of Lennon. He was 17 and living nearby to Prieur when he allegedly committed the crimes. Bur faces charges including felony murder, criminal sexual conduct first degree and kidnapping. He was in custody Thursday, Nov. 11 in the Genesee County Jail with no bond.
According to her obituary and other information through the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Prieur was born in 1908 in Czechoslovakia and had lived for many years in Flint, owning a candy shop, before moving to Lennon to retire. She lived in Lennon for 15 years. She was devoutly catholic, attended St. Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church and had a number of family members living in the area.
In a second social media post on Wednesday, Nov. 17, Swanson, working with Genesee County Prosecutor David Layton and the Michigan State Police, explained that new scientific methods have connected Bur to the Prieur crimes, offering that evidence supports there is a one-in-an-octillion ratio linking Bur to Prieur. Layton shared there is other evidence connecting Bur to the scene, too.
“Ultimately, what we all want here is closure for the victim’s family,” Layton stated. “We want closure because when you lose a loved one in such a brutal manner, it never goes away from your mind.”
Swanson, Layton and MSP Officer Kim Vetter, acknowledged that enormous advances in scientific processing through the Michigan State Police laboratories were an enormous boon in this case.
(Courtesy Photo)
