Nova Scotians petition Maine to reopen 1970 teen death case

Nearly 3,000 residents of Nova Scotia are petitioning Maine officials to reopen an investigation into the 1970 deaths of three Canadian teenagers, known as the ‘Cape Breton Three’. The victims, Kenny Novak (15), David Burrows (17), and Terry Burt (19), were killed on train tracks in Smyrna Mills, Aroostook County.

The case remains unresolved more than 55 years later. Families and petitioners are seeking an official apology from the state regarding the handling of the case and are requesting the issuance of death certificates for the three boys, which they say were never received. Concerns have been raised regarding missing personal effects and identification found at the scene, as well as the abrupt closure of the original investigation by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office.

Richard Novak, the older brother of Kenny Novak, has initiated a Change.org petition and contacted various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Maine attorney general’s office. The attorney general’s office has stated it ‘cannot confirm or deny the existence of any investigation’.