At funeral, Nicholas Burdett remembered for putting a smile on your face
By Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff
Joshua Burdett remembered his older brother Monday as someone who “had a knack for putting a smile on people’s faces.”
Needham resident Nicholas Burdett died while vacationing in Florida on his 25th birthday, March 17. His friends and family gathered for a funeral Monday.
The 2006 Springfield College graduate was shot to death by an off-duty sheriff’s deputy who said Burdett tried to rob him at knifepoint.
Burdett’s friends have expressed disbelief, and his girlfriend Linna Hor, who was with him in Miami Beach, said he wasn’t carrying a knife. Hor said he went out to look for lost sunglasses the evening he was shot, while she stayed in their hotel room.
At the end of a funeral mass at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Needham Monday, Joshua Burdett described his brother’s love of basketball and football and his hard work ethic. At Needham High School, he created his own position, he joked, the “shooting center guard.”
Burdett drew laughter as he told a story about the adventures of what he described as the “menacing trio” of Burdett brothers. When Nicholas was 12, Joshua 10, and the youngest, Ross, four years old, their parents left them alone in the house for a few hours.
The three brothers proceeded to make larger and larger water balloons, starting with plastic sandwich bags and graduating, finally, to a plastic shopping bag loaded with smaller water-filled bags. They entertained themselves by watching their water bombs, dyed with food coloring, explode in the driveway.
Eventually, the two older brothers launched their largest creation off their parents’ roof, accidentally smashing the window of his mother’s brand new car.
Joshua said it was he who had pushed for bigger and better water explosions. But after the windshield incident, his big brother did something that changed the way he saw him.
Nicholas called his parents and took the blame for the whole accident, letting his younger brother off the hook. Joshua said it was the first of many times his older brother would come to his defense throughout their lives.
“He acted as a big brother and he protected me,” said Joshua Burdett. "That’s how I will always remember him.”
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I would really like to know a LOT more about this story. It was buried in the main paper last Sunday for some reason behind the full page spread on early street cleaning. I can't find a single account that makes any sense in any newspaper - even the Florida ones.
A guy from Needham goes on vacation to Florida, arrives in in the afternoon then tries to rob someone on the beach that same evening with a knife? And that someone turns out to be an undercover cop who whips out his gun and shoots him dead.
Did the Needham guy bring the knife with him on the plane or did he buy it that afternoon - you know to do some robbing. It seems that robbing someone would not be a vacation day 1 thing to do.
And while the 26-year-old cop had a clean record - he was only a cop for one year. Staying out of trouble for one year is not proof you are a good cop who would never shoot the wrong guy by mistake and then try to cover it up. (Not that I know what happended... but doesn't this all sound way fishy??)
And so Needham guy lied to his girlfriend about going to find his sunglasses... he really decided to go out and do some armed robbery. Or maybe having lost his sunglasses he thought he'd rob someone to get a new pair??
As fascinating as early street cleaning is, do you think that the Globe could give this a bit more coverage??
I hope the family has the strength and the financial resources to hire a Private Investigator, as well as a high powered legal team.
I agree daveVN. Much more information is needed. Somthing is very wrong and it smellls really bad. Poor family! My prayers and sympathy for your loss.
I am shocked at the loss of this young life. I know Nick's mom very well, she was my teacher for years. This is an exceptional family and the story makes no sense. Even if he were trying to rob the undercover cop, which I do not believe, do you shoot to kill or to stop the aggresor? Nick was very stricking in size, and maybe this guy had a bit of a little man syndrome. I am at a loss, something is very wrong...
I third the request for more info. Far too often these tragic cases disappear very quickly from the Globe. This all seems suspicious to me as well and I hope The Globe makes a greater effort to follow this, one which could potentially be buried by Miami Beach PD as the' victim' was an out-of-towner and a neighboring local officer the shooter.
Trained cops shouldn't need to shoot a knife wielder in the stomach; many questions need to be asked, please ask them Globe.
I hope a Private Investigator is hired to get the facts of this established. It is troubling this measure of violence is acceptable with out revealing the facts. I fear Nick's side of the stroy will remain unspoken. The whole story doesn't add up. I did not know Nick but He was well known in town. It appears his life ended by stumbling into a confrontation with a trgger happy want to be cop. I find the whole story hard to believe- unbelievable actually.
So sad for his family.
I have news for you, even the biggest, most angry looking knife wielding individuals have a tendency to comply when a pistol is pointed at them. I started thinking of the cliche heading to this comment, "somthing isnt adding up". But when I thought about it a second time it IS adding up. Trigger happy cop? I can outrun guys with knives. And further more, if I am a undercover cop packing heat I think backing away from the guy with the knife and pointing it at him is the thing to do. So therefore, short of the guy having you in a choke hold with the knife tip at your jugular, pulling the trigger is not going to be imminently necessary. Show me the facts! Granted we are all working on cursory information, but SHOW ME THE FACTS. If they are not clearly and convincing, DO SOMTHING for a change! This Cannot happen! I am not nieve, and not unsympathetic to the difficult job cops do, but DO SOMTHING.....THIS CANNOT HAPPEN! That kid had his whole life in front of him!
It seems like if a stray dog will be killed on the streets of Miami, it will attract more attention... It is just unbelievable how cheap human life become. ..Is anyone can imagine a tourist who is willing to rob someone, while on vacation with his girlfriend?
For the sake of his devastated family, I hope someone takes this matter to a logical conclusion. None of it makes sense. Where did the knife come from? He couldn't take it on the plane. If he went out and bought one as soon as he arrived in Fla., then that would be easily ascertainable. From what I've read about this kid, he had absolutely nothing in his history that would support a robbery theory 3,000 miles away from his home - on vacation - with his girlfriend - celebrating his birthday. I certainly hope that the cop and his girlfriend are administered lie detector tests. Also, I'd start looking for video surveillance cameras along this young man's route. Perhaps they'd be something to be gained from them. I just pray that all the facts come out quickly and accurately so that the family can find some peace. Prayers to all Nick's family and friends.
the answer to this baffling tragic incident lies in the ballistics examination and of course the medical examiner's findings regarding the approximate distance that Mr. Burdett was shot from. the person who really knows what happened other than mr. clayton is his girlfriend. i'm sure that she will probably be appearing before a grand jury shortly to give her account. will it be the same as mr. clayton's? that's the key to this case. there'a 21 foot rule that street cops are taught in survival tactial training. if an attacker has a knife and is coming at you from within 21 feet then it's too late to draw a weapon and time to to out run him or else be prepared to disarm him.
It is maddening - to have to wait, and wait for more information, and facts. Hopefully, the Florida State Police, (Not the Miami PD) who should be investigating - will conduct an honest, complete investigation.
No Clever Words - Simply Horrible
generally, I lean favor towards police even though they can be arrogant even if you're just saying hello.
however, something does not add up here . Nicholas is a pretty big boy
and had no real purpose for any weapon and his robbery motive would be
what ...a few hundred dollar score ? doubt it strongly. he had his own money.
and where is this "knife?" are Nicks prints on the knife or has the knife
suddenly vanished ?
did someone manipulate Nicks prints onto a "planted" weapon ?
simply horrible
weapon ?
Having known the Burdett brothers for years, and having spent a significant amount of time studying and working within the criminal justice system, I cannot put much weight in the deputy's account of the shooting. Most violent crime, particularly robbery, stems from socio-economic disadvantage, desperation, or confrontation-induced rage on the part of the attacker. Nick Burdett came from a well-off, close-knit family and was never one to lose his cool or come down on others. On top of this, he was on vacation on his birthday with his girlfriend; a situation I think we can all agree is not at all conducive to street robbery.
I am deeply saddened that the Burdett family lost Nick, and absolutely heartbroken that it was under these circumstances
I looked up to Nick as an older brother, we worked together, hung out together and the times I got to chill with him are some that I know I will never forget. . . .
Today cops are running free doing what ever they please with no sense of integrity or moral restrictions on their actions. Furthermore they know they are safe because "Cops protect cops" as we all know. What I am calling for is a review, we need someone to put cops into their place they have run free doing whatever they want to and at the end of the day write a report about it and that report becomes "the truth". I feel along with many others that this is WRONG and ask if they can KILL my friend what cant they do.
i just came across this story and this is totally insane! I feel so bad for this family and this young man that was MURDERED! I can only pray that justice will be done, and the truth will prevail.
Things to do in Needham