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Tennessee man returns to N.H. to face sex assault charges

Concord Monitor - 5/27/2017

Monitor staff

A former Concord man is being held on $350,000 bail on charges he repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl over several years, beginning more than a quarter-century ago.

Authorities returned Ronald “Renny” Burr, 54, to Merrimack County late Thursday. He was processed at the county jail in Boscawen after making the roughly 970-mile trip from his hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. State and federal agencies coordinated Burr’s extradition to New Hampshire following his arrest April 12 in Tennessee.

On Friday morning, Concord district court Judge Kristin Spath arraigned Burr, who appeared by video from the jail, on seven felony charges: five counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault and two counts of felonious sexual assault.

Despite his arrest last month, investigators say the case against Burr remains active.

“New Hampshire and Tennessee authorities continue to investigate the case(s) as there is the possibility of other victims,” Concord police Sgt. Robert Buelte wrote in a news release Friday. Concord investigation

Concord police began their investigation of Burr in December after a woman walked into the Green Street station to report that she’d been the victim of sexual abuse while living in Concord between 1990 and 1993. The woman, now in her 30s, said she was between the ages of 5 and 9 when the abuse occurred, according to an affidavit signed by Detective Wade Brown.

The woman told police that a year or two prior to the sexual abuse, Burr had exposed himself to her on more than one occasion and had watched her undress.

Brown wrote that the woman recalled the first instance of sexual abuse in great detail, including Burr telling her that it was “something between us” and “our secret” and “not to say anything to anybody about it,” the affidavit reads.

The abuse “happened a lot,” she told police, noting that Burr would laugh during it and try to make it “like a game.”

She said at age 9, she disclosed the abuse to her grandmother who had become suspicious that something was wrong. By that time, she was living with family in Tennessee.

Her grandmother notified Tennessee Children Services of the allegations, and the girl underwent a medical exam.

But that was all that ever became of the investigation, and many of the records were ultimately purged.

Following her 18th birthday, the girl tried to follow up on the case, only to learn that the detective assigned to investigate it had been arrested on drug charges, according to the affidavit. Law enforcement never followed up after the detective’s departure.

Within the last three years, the woman said, she reached out to law enforcement in Tennessee for a second time about Burr, and learned that the statute of limitations had expired and that, as a result, she could not pursue criminal charges. However, they told her New Hampshire authorities might be able to prosecute if she reported in person.

The woman filed her report in Concord on Dec. 16, 2016. That afternoon, police coordinated a one-party intercept between Burr and the woman in an effort to capture any admissions or incriminating statements from Burr.

During that call and a second one a short time later, police said they believe Burr corroborated the woman’s account of sexual abuse.

“I understand and I am deeply sorry for what happened,” police recorded Burr saying during a phone call. He added, “there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t, you know, um, you know, still kill myself inside over it.” Back in N.H.

Burr elected to go forward with his arraignment Friday morning in Concord’s district court without an attorney. Judge Spath told Burr that the court could revisit the issue of bail once he had counsel.

Concord police prosecutor Tracy Connolly requested Spath order Burr held for lack of $350,000 cash only bail. She called for no contact with the alleged victim, her family or any child under the age of 18, excluding Burr’s children.

“The state requests a high cash bail in this case because he’s absolutely a risk to the community,” Connolly said. “He’s a risk of flight, as you’ve heard him say he has no ties to New Hampshire.”

Burr said at the start of his arraignment that he does not know anyone in this area, and that he would make some calls in an effort to hire an attorney. Spath said Burr appeared to qualify for a public defender, but Connolly questioned that, noting that Burr owns and operates a business.

A probable cause hearing in Burr’s case is scheduled for June 12 at 8:30 a.m. in Concord.

(Alyssa Dandrea can be reached at 369-3319, adandrea@cmonitor.com.)