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Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz' sister was slain at around 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 19th. Teresa Ann Butz, 39, and her fiancée, a 36 year old woman, were stabbed multiple times in their Seattle home by what police believed was a male intruder. Her fiancée (the couple were planning a September wedding) was treated for stab wounds at a local hospital and released. Miss Butz died of her inflicted wounds. Initial reports indicated the incident was considered a random act but police later acknowledged the murder/assault is under investigation as a possible hate crime.
In an interview detailed in the Seattle Times, brother to Teresa and Norbert, Tim Butz said Teresa's fiancée told family members that Teresa had sacrificed herself to save her fiance's life during the attack. A detective confirmed this account, he said.
According to their next-door neighbor in South Park, Albert Barrientes, the couple was able to get out of the house after the attack. Said Barrientes, "Teresa Butz, before she died said of her attacker, "He told us if we did what he asked us to do he wouldn't hurt us. He lied, he lied."
The attacker, who is said to have entered Miss Butz' home through an open window, is still at large. While no clues as to the man's identity have been released, police remain confident of apprehending her killer.
Norbert Leo Butz is currently in Seattle with the out-of-town try-out of the new musical "Catch me if you Can" at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Initially set to begin previews on July 23rd, the theatre announced early this week they would cancel the first two performances in deference to this private family emergency.
UPDATE: 5th Avenue Theatre announced on July 22nd that they would cancel another three additional performances of "Catch Me If You Can" through Sunday, July 26th due to this tragedy. The theatre has now canceled a total of 5 performances. In an effort to accommodate ticket holders from these missed performances the theatre has added two additional performances on July 28th and 29th. Ticket holders to the earlier canceled performances will be given first priority for seating to the added shows. The musical will now begin performances on Tuesday July 28, 2009 which is a scant nine days after Teresa Ann Butz was murdered.
The 5th Avenue Theatre production is considered a pre-curser to a Broadway run of this musical based on the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. The film is based on the book about real-life forger and con artist Frank Abignale Jr. Norbert Leo Butz stars as the FBI agent (played by Hanks in the movie) whose career is primarily focused on chasing down Frank, a charming forger with a gift for con artistry.
Condolences to the Butz family and to Miss Butz' fiancée
Comments
You have a spelling mistake in your last line: the last word in "Condolences to the Butz family and to Miss Butz' fiance." should be "fiancée." Using only one "e" at the end indicates that Ms. Butz was engaged to a man, which she was not.
Why do I Seem to smell hate crime? I could be wrong. I know it could have possibly been a botched home invasion but when two lesbian or gays get killed I smell hate crime.
Thanks Thomasina, I was just about to point that out. :) The error occurs several times during the article. It would be respectful to change all mentions of "fiancé" to "fiancée".
But yes. My deepest condolences to the family, and I have no doubts that this was a hate crime.
Thanks to Thomasina and Madame Nittpikee for the editing. I've made the suggested corrections in an updated version.
My heart and prayers go out to the Butz family. How horrible that this has to happen.
Wendy... what violent crime is perpetrated out of love?
i am so sorry to hear this - my thoughts are with you and your family Norbert.
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