XPost: alt.fan.states.indiana, alt.politics.liberalism, talk.politics.guns   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: abe.lincoln.was@a.fool   
      
   Pay attention people.  Democrats care more about dead dogs than they do   
   people.   
      
   CROWN POINT — A Gary man was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday for   
   killing an acquaintance in 2022 because the man "talked too much."   
      
   Kenneth Burns, 52, pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, a level five felony,   
   in connection with the crime. Level five felonies carry between one and six   
   years in prison, which is significantly less than the 45 to 65 years   
   required for murder. Prosecutors dropped his murder charge in exchange for   
   his plea.   
      
   Burns stood trial for the murder in late February but the jury was unable to   
   reach the unanimous verdict required for murder cases. Rather than retry the   
   case, the prosecution and defense opted for a plea.   
      
   The charred body of Andre White, 39, was found June 8, 2022 in an area near   
   the 4800 block of West 21st Avenue with gunshot wounds to the stomach and   
   neck.   
      
   A witness told police he was upstairs in a home the night before White's   
   body was found and said he heard multiple popping sounds come from   
   downstairs, the affidavit said.   
      
   Burns called the man downstairs and when he rushed down, he saw Burns   
   holding a gun at his side and White slumped forward over a chair, bleeding.   
   The man said when he asked Burns why he shot White, he said White was   
   "talking too much" and "talking (expletive)."   
      
   At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Burns shot and killed Andre   
   White, 39, and then tried to cover up the crime by burning White's body and   
   leaving it in a field. He evaded police for two weeks by hiding out in an   
   abandoned home.   
      
   By the time police found him, there were buckets of feces throughout the   
   home, which indicated to detectives that Burns had been living there,   
   according to a probable cause affidavit.   
      
   During Burns' sentencing hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Jacquelyn Altpeter read   
   a letter from White's mother to the court in which she detailed the "immense   
   sorrow" she and her family felt from the loss.   
      
   "He was my pride, my joy, my reason for living," White's mother said in the   
   letter. "Now all I am left with [are] memories."   
      
   The killing left an "indelible mark" on the life of her and her family. She   
   requested Burns be given the maximum penalty for his actions.   
      
   Defense attorney Scott King said Burns and the individuals who were with him   
   on the night of the killing had been drinking heavily. While intoxication is   
   not a defense for homicide, King asked the court to consider it when issuing   
   a sentence.   
      
   "If this case could somehow be encapsulated as a warning label to alcohol,"   
   King said, "that would be appropriate."   
      
   Burns struggled with his alcohol use but has remained sober since his   
   initial arrest and since he was released from jail on recognizance earlier   
   this year.   
      
   Burns' criminal history is "lengthy," King said, which often warrants an   
   aggravated sentence. His convictions were from more than ten years ago,   
   however.   
      
   King asked for a sentence that would allow Burns to transition back to the   
   community after incarceration and believes he is capable of "moving forward   
   positively with his life."   
      
   Altpeter said the state requested the maximum of six years because of the   
   crime's circumstances. Evidence showed Burns had cleaned blood from the back   
   of his car after supposedly transporting the body, burning it and dumping   
   it.   
      
   His criminal history should be considered to be aggravating, Altpeter said.   
      
   In his statement, Burns told Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez he   
   was sorry and he hopes the court can see him for the man he "truly" is   
   rather than how his history portrays him on paper.   
      
   "I would like you to know that I value life," Burns said. "Not just mine,   
   but others."   
      
   Vasquez said Burns effort conceal the evidence of homicide was concerning   
   and warranted a higher sentence.   
      
   "Certainly seems to me as a reasonable view is your attempt to conceal and   
   manipulate this process," Vasquez said.   
      
   While Vasquez recognized Burns criminal history, he commended Burns for   
   appearing to turn his life around and live a law-abiding life for about   
   seven years until White's killing.   
      
   Ultimately, Vasquez said a five-year sentence would be appropriate given the   
   circumstances of the case. Burns is not eligible for any alternative   
   placement, such as a work release program or probation.   
      
   https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/police-gary-plea-homicide-   
   guilty-crime-courts-mugshot/   
      
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