Courtesy of the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office
A Rapides Parish jury took just 90 minutes to find 46 year old David Anthony Burns guilty of a murder that happened 18 years ago. The body of 19-year old Courtney Coco was found in 2004 in Texas. Authorities say she was killed in Alexandria. Rapides District Attorney Phillip Terrell says Burns and Coco were in a relationship.
“The jury felt that because of this relationship he ended up killing her and took her body to Winnie Texas and disposed of it in the most horrific unceremonious manner,” said Terrell
Terrell says it was on of the most difficult cases of his career. It was investigated by numerous law enforcement agencies—and Burns was questioned numerous times right after the crime but didn’t confess to law enforcement.
“He had in the past confessed to lay people, and through the efforts of law enforcement recently we tracked those people down,” said Terrell.
Terrell says the investigation received critical help from Louisiana State Police. He says he is glad to get the conviction but is also thinking about Coco’s family.
“Our hearts go out to them and as best as it can be I hope that this brings them some closure and that they are able to move on from this and have some healing,” said Terrell.
Burns, who is from Boyce, is facing a mandatory life sentence on the second degree murder conviction. He’ll be sentenced on November 28th.
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