Because the items were stolen, Long’s death was initially considered a crime of opportunity until Tuesday.
Authorities have not said what led them to reclassify the killing as a hate crime, but Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said the change will allow more resources to be put toward the case.
Maggie Long. Courtesy of The Federal Bureau of Investigation
Currently, $75,000 is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call the tip line at 303-239-4243.
Authorities believe at least three men, and possibly a fourth suspect, are responsible for Long s death. Authorities said the suspects might have been injured in the fire and might have since changed their appearances, sold their vehicles and/or moved away.
Sheriff confirms unsolved murder of Maggie Long now a hate crime Allison Sylte
Replay Video UP NEXT
The 2017 murder of a 17-year-old killed in her Bailey home has been re-classified as a hate crime, which Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said will allow more resources to be put on the case.
McGraw said he was not aware of specific evidence leading to the change in the investigation into who killed Maggie Long. There is a $75,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.
9NEWS has asked the FBI for more information about the hate crime designation and has not yet received a response.
FBI say they are now investigating 2017 murder of Asian-American girl, 17, found burned to death in her Colorado home as a hate crime
Maggie Long, 17, was purposely set on fire and burned alive in her family´s mountain community home in 2017
Three and a half years after her death was ruled a homicide, the FBI said in a statement that they were looking into Long s death as a hate crime matter
The FBI did not share further detail about why agents are looking at the possibility of a hate crime
The Bureau will release a statement with further information on Tuesday evening, a spokesman told DailyMail.com
Federal authorities are investigating the death of an Asian American teen in 2017 as a possible hate crime, not specifying why the investigation has moved in this direction.
“The FBI is investigating the murder of Maggie Long as a Hate Crime Matter. A Hate Crime is a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by the individual’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnicity/national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity,” the FBI told CBS4.
Maggie Long was killed at 17 years old in her home in Colorado after a report about a disturbance was made and the house caught fire, The Associated Press reported.
FBI investigates Asian American teen s death as hate crime – The Durango Herald durangoherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from durangoherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.