News Releases

Montgomery County Police Seeking New Leads in Fifty-Year-Old Cold Case

For Immediate Release: Friday, July 25, 2025

Gaithersburg, MD – July 25, 2025, marks 50 years since 15-year-old Kathy Beatty was found in a wooded area near her Montgomery County neighborhood in 1975.

On this anniversary, the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division, Cold Case Section is hoping to generate fresh leads and renewed public interest in the case.

On July 24, 1975, Kathy Beatty was reported missing by her family. The next day, she was discovered by her sister. Beatty was unconscious, partially clothed, and had been sexually assaulted—in a wooded area commonly referred to by local teenagers as “the rocks,” located behind the former K-Mart in Aspen Hill.

Investigators determined that Kathy had been sexually assaulted and suffered blunt force trauma to her head by a rock. She never regained consciousness and died a week later in the hospital.

Despite decades of investigation, no suspect has ever been identified.

Before Kathy’s mother passed away, cold case detectives met with her, and she asked detectives to promise that they would get justice for her daughter. Though she died without knowing who was responsible, detectives are committed to honoring that promise for Kathy’s surviving family members.

As part of that effort, the Cold Case Section has recorded a podcast dedicated to Kathy’s case. By sharing her story with a new generation, detectives hope someone will come forward with the information needed to finally solve this crime.

Anyone with information regarding the death of Kathy Beatty is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page, or call 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous.

A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

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Release ID: 25-357
Media Contact: S.D. Goff 
Categories: cold-case , homicide