Boat Parts Found in 8 Year Old Cold Case

It took eight years, but justice appears to have caught up with Travis Aaron Marburger.

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The Statesman reported yesterday that Burnet County authorities had this week unearthed pieces of a speed boat believed to be involved in a fatal hit-and-run on Lake Buchanan in May 2002.

There Justin Roberts, 18, lost his life when a speed boat ran over the small fishing boat carrying him and two other teen friends, who were injured but survived. The driver of the speedboat didn't stop to aid the kids and never came forward, according to officials.

Since then authorities attempted to develop a profile of the boat that hit the teens, using paint chips and other markings found on their boat. However, more was needed.

A break came in late November when a tip focused authorities on Marburger, a heavy equipment operator. The information led to his arrest initially on a misdemeanor charge for not having proper registration on a personal watercraft, the Statesman reported. This meant investigators could obtain a search warrant for his property, allowing them to excavate for potential evidence.

On Wednesday, pieces of a boat -- matching the description of the one involved in the hit-and-run -- began being unearthed on Marburger's land, narrowing the search. Mike Cox, spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, told the paper most of the boat was found about 4 feet underground. Authorities are still looking into whether anyone else was on the boat with Marburger. Marburger is being held in Burnet County Jail.