FBI investigating 2017 death of Asian American teen as possible hate crime

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.

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said the house was “purposely set on fire” and Long was “burned alive.”

No arrests have been made, and Long’s murder has gone unsolved. There are drawings of three men believed to be involved in the murder.

The FBI would not clarify why it is now investigating the murder as a hate crime.

The murder was first considered a “crime of opportunity,” as a rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and other items were stolen from the home, according to the AP.

“This is an angle that wasn’t looked into in the past, and at this point it is no stone left unturned. Looking at the extent of violence in this crime, that is certainly an angle to look more closely into,” Lynna Long, Maggie Long’s sister, told the local outlet.

The change in the investigation comes as there has been a surge in anti-Asian crimes in 2021.

The Hill has reached out to the FBI for comment.