Convicted child molester Stanley Burkhardt, a former investigator of sex crimes against children who has spent decades in and out of prison, invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination more than 700 times during a recent sworn deposition. The questioning covered a series of unsolved murders of youths connected to him.
Deposition in civil lawsuit
Burkhardt's repeated use of the Fifth Amendment came when he was asked about the killings during a deposition in a civil lawsuit brought by an alleged sexual abuse victim. The lawsuit targets both Burkhardt and the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), his former employer.
While his silence cannot be used against him in a criminal proceeding, in a civil case a jury may infer that he invoked his right to avoid incriminating himself rather than answering honestly, according to civil attorney Kristi Schubert, who conducted the four-hour deposition in late April.
Key exchanges during deposition
At one point, Schubert asked Burkhardt: "Are you afraid to answer these questions because you don't think you're smart enough to answer without incriminating yourself?" Burkhardt replied, "Fifth." When Schubert remarked, "I don't know if I've ever seen somebody so afraid to answer questions," Burkhardt laughed.
Despite pleading the Fifth roughly every 20 seconds, the deposition was significant because it allowed rare extended questioning under oath about decades-old murders.
Links to unsolved murders
Investigators have never officially named Burkhardt a suspect in the strangulation murders of three teenagers in the late 1970s, but there have been numerous indications of interest in him. The deaths include Dennis Turcotte (19), Raymond Richardson (17), and Daniel Dewey (17), as well as the 1982 death of Eddie Wells (17), whose body was found in the Mississippi River.
Retired NOPD officer Frank Weicks testified in a prior deposition that his agency investigated Burkhardt as a possible suspect in Wells' death as early as the mid-1980s. Schubert asked Weicks if another officer indicated suspicion that Burkhardt was responsible for the murder of some boys. Weicks confirmed: "That's correct ... in particular, Eddie Wells."
Plaintiff's accusations
The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Richard Windmann, publicly accused Burkhardt in 2018 of claiming responsibility for Wells' death. Windmann had spoken out about childhood sexual abuse by Burkhardt and others. Authorities subsequently reopened the Wells case and reviewed other slayings.
The true-crime podcast New Orleans Unsolved explored links between Burkhardt, a sexually abusive Boy Scout troop leader, and the deaths of Turcotte, Richardson, Dewey, and Wells. It also documented Burkhardt's suspicious involvement in investigations and acts of brutality.
Burkhardt's responses to murder questions
Schubert directly asked Burkhardt whether he murdered Turcotte, Richardson, Dewey, and Wells while on the police force. He pleaded the Fifth each time. Regarding Wells, this differed from a 2020 court proceeding where he called Wells a "homicide victim" and denied killing him.
In a striking moment, Burkhardt twice said, "No, thank you," when asked to look at a photo of Turcotte. When Schubert asked, "Are you afraid to look at the child? Does it bring up too many memories?" he replied, "Fifth. Fifth."
He also invoked the Fifth when asked whether he instructed an underage Windmann to subject himself to sexual abuse as an informant to catch child molesters for arrest or blackmail.
Weicks' testimony
Weicks testified that Burkhardt once offered to kill a domestic abuse suspect with an untraceable gun while they were both NOPD officers. Weicks said he refused. He also testified that an FBI agent approached him years before Burkhardt's unmasking to investigate child sexual abuse complaints against Burkhardt. Weicks reported both incidents to a supervisor, but no substantial consequences followed.
When asked why he didn't report Burkhardt to an outside watchdog, Weicks said: "Ma'am, if I may comment ... I arrested six police officers [before retiring]. How many cops can say that? Four ... were pedophiles. One ... was [for] theft. One ... was a drug dealer. I think I paid my dues trying to seek out dirty cops."
Burkhardt pleaded the Fifth when questioned about each aspect of Weicks' testimony.
Criminal history and parole violations
Burkhardt was first imprisoned in 1987 for mailing child sexual abuse imagery to undercover agents. He has been released and reimprisoned multiple times, most recently on July 15, 2025, for alleged parole violations, held on $100,000 bail. His crimes include molesting his nine-year-old niece. During one arrest, federal agents found a 12-year-old boy in his home, though no charges were filed.
In 2011, a judge ordered indefinite civil commitment under federal law for "sexually dangerous" individuals, but Burkhardt was conditionally released after four years of treatment. His parole violations have included using cellphones and the internet, accessing social media, and commenting on photos of children with an account password "boyz4me!"
Ongoing lawsuit and trial
Windmann's lawsuit seeks damages from Burkhardt and New Orleans city government for abuse allegedly inflicted by Burkhardt while on duty. Windmann was previously molested by leaders of Boy Scout troop 137, as documented in the Netflix documentary Scouts Honor.
A trial for Burkhardt's July 2025 parole violation is tentatively set for July 13. During a 2020 court proceeding, Burkhardt admitted to molesting Windmann, though his attorneys later argued it was consensual activity after Windmann turned 17. When Schubert asked if that admission was truthful, Burkhardt replied, "Fifth."
An attorney for Burkhardt did not respond to a request for comment. Weicks also did not reply. The deposition was conducted at the New Orleans jail, with Burkhardt handcuffed and in an orange jumpsuit.
