Hello! This is Kelly Craine, assistant director of media and public relations with Baylor University. Welcome to this week's edition of Likely Stories.
While attending Harvard in 2009, Becky Cooper first heard the campus legend of the unsolved murder of 23-year-old archeology graduate student, Jane Britton. According to the legend, she had been killed by a flamboyant professor with whom she was allegedly having an affair with. Intrigued by the rumor, Cooper launched a decade-long investigation to uncover the truth behind the murder and the myths surrounding it.
The result was her second book, We Keep the Dead Close. Cooper investigates the circumstances of Britton's death but also examines the broader themes of misogyny, institutional secrecy and the culture of academia.
This more than a “who done it” true crime story, Cooper embarks on a journey to uncover “Who was Jane Britton” As she pulls back the layers of the story, we discover the true Jane - a women known for her intellect, artistic talents and vibrant personality.
On the morning of January 7, 1969, Jane failed to show up for an important archaeology exam. Her body was discovered later that day in her apartment.
Rumors swirled on who could have done it, but the police had little to go on. Interviews and polygraph tests were conducted with members of the archeology department - even with the flamboyant professor - but to no avail.
After several months, the police moved on, and the case took on mythical status.
Cooper had her work cut out for her – after 50 years memories fade and change. She interviewed close friends and chased down leads only to discover they were based on mistaken memories.
Through the persistent research of Cooper and others, the Boston Police Department reopened the case in 2017 and through DNA testing the killer was identified after 50 years.
Even with the knowledge that justice had finally prevailed, the ending left me feeling hollow over the loss of Jane.
I realized how much I would miss the experience of discovering who Jane Britton was. Following Cooper’s journey made me feel connected to Jane—not just as a victim, but as a complex, creative and ambitious woman. Her story stayed with me, and saying goodbye to her felt like losing a friend I had only just begun to know.
In the end, We Keep the Dead Close is as much a meditation on memory, power and the erasure of women’s voices as it is a murder mystery. Cooper doesn’t just solve a cold case—she resurrects a life, giving Jane Britton back the dignity, curiosity and brilliance that had been overshadowed by rumor for decades.
