Miami Hints: Leo Burns

First, we need to identify who Leo Burns is and what role he plays within the storyline. Try to find an association with Strauss, read Kamen’s Interview Transcript.

Eric Kamen states that ‘…the moment Strauss bought C.R.M Studios, he was adamant we had to give Burns a job in the wardrobe department’. Why was Strauss adamant about this? Read the ILEDB file: WT45F/2. If you are unable to access the ILEDB and need assistance, please follow the hints trail for Accessing the ILEDB (Interconnected Law Enforcement Database)’. Once you have accessed and read file WT45F/2, please move on to HINT 03.

In one of the recordings, Strauss says “As for the double, Burns has a plan that will make it look like the Miami Madman did it. Consider him in charge whilst I’m at Firtree for the next couple of weeks”. Burns appears to be Strauss’ right-hand man and was assisting Strauss with the alleged drug smuggling from Nassau to Miami! Let’s focus on what Strauss said about ‘the double’. We should follow this lead surrounding the stunt double to see if it can shed any more light on Craig’s murder. Have you identified Craig’s stunt double? Read the Miami Chronicle article – Sunday, April 7, 1985.

Craig Flint’s body double was called Jerry Michaels. What’s interesting is that Jerry was killed, loosely, around the same time as Craig – see the Coroner’s Report for Jerry Michaels. The time of death was between 1.30 am and 2.30 am. Was Burns responsible for this? Is this what Strauss was referring to when he said ‘As for the double, Burns has a plan…’. We need to find out where Jerry was killed and see if we can place Burns at the scene. See the Police Report – Simon Kirby (CASE 40HS8).

In the Police Report – Simon Kirby (CASE 40HS8), Simon mentions that the victim was found in the living room of his apartment. Where is his apartment located? See the Miami Central Bank Application form.

Jerry Michaels has given his address as Apartment 4, Preston House 1010 SW 2nd Ave. Have you seen this address anywhere else? Take a look at Jake’s Diner Menu.

Jake’s Diner has an address very close to Jerry’s. The bottom of the menu says ‘1005 Sw 2nd Ave’. Read Pete Wurst’s statement on the rear of the menu. Pete says he saw Craig… how can this be?

We know that Jerry is Craig’s Stunt Double and that they look very similar. Take a look at the Police Report from James Low, a friend of Jerry’s. Now trace their footsteps along with the map.

Jerry and James left Zero’s bar shortly after 1 a.m. Jerry’s apartment is in the direction of Jake’s diner. How can we be sure it was definitely NOT Craig that the Chef at Jake’s Diner saw? See Frederick Helm’s (Concierge at McRae Bay Towers) statement.

“Craig Flint’s keycard was used to enter the parking garage at 1:13 AM this morning. I can confirm that nobody ‘swiped in’ between then and when the police showed up to put the place on lockdown”. It couldn’t have been Craig as he was at his apartment so the chef at Jake’s Diner must have seen Jerry and not Craig. Can you place Burns at the apartment?

Pete Wurst remembered seeing ‘…a C.R.M studios truck pulled up…’. He then went on to say ‘eventually the guy jumped out with one of those suit bags, I guess it was… someone dropping off a costume or something’. This suggests that the guy in the van was someone in the costume department (Burns). What other evidence would suggest it was Burns? See the Coroner’s Report for Jerry, take note of the letter M carving.

The letter M has been carved into Jerry’s arm and doesn’t mimic the look of the Miami Madman’s ‘signature carving’, which is always positioned on the front of the chest and features serifs (Craig Flint’s Coroner’s report). This would suggest a copycat killing has taken place.

Leo Burns waited at Jerry’s apartment for an hour before Jerry arrived at his apartment. This timeframe was around the same time that Craig was killed. Burns tried to mask the killing of Jerry as the work of the Miami Madman by carving the letter ‘M’ onto the wrong part of the body. This claim is further backed up by the wiretap on Strauss’ phone, where he says ‘As for the double, Burns has a plan that will make it look like the Miami Madman did it’.