INDIANAPOLIS — A man was sentenced Thursday for the killing of a woman found dead in a Fountain Square church.
Robert Burks was ordered to serve 80 years in prison on a murder conviction in the November 2019 death of 58-year-old Julie Morey, according to the the Marion County Prosecutor.
He was found guilty in February of murdering Morey after a one-day trial.
Morey's body was discovered on Nov. 3, 2019, on a couch in the Religious Education Center building of St. Patrick Catholic Church.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office determined Morey died from strangulation and multiple stab wounds.
During the investigation, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives learned Morey had recently filed a police report alleging Burks punched her in the face, causing her to develop black eyes, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
A forensics expert found Burks’ DNA on Morey’s hands, face, neck and underneath her fingernails
“This case was solved through a true community effort,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. “Witnesses and nearby businesses played a crucial role throughout the investigation and prosecution, which ultimately led to justice for Ms. Morey and her family.”
-
Newton County deputy critically injured in Illinois shooting
The deputy from Newton County, located northwest Indiana, was shot during an incident in Sheldon, Illinois. This is about 10 miles west of Kentland, Indiana.Arrest made in 1993 homicide of Indianapolis teen
52-year-old Dana Shepherd of Missouri is now charged with Murder and Rape in connection to the 1993 death of 19-year-old Carmen Van Huss.4-year-old girl found in Greenwood pond after being reported missing
An officer with the Greenwood PD found the child in a pond behind a residence in the neighbor shortly after arrival.Chase Briscoe holds off Kyle Busch to advance to NASCAR Cup playoffs
Indiana's own Chase Briscoe holds off Kyle Busch in Cook Out Southern 500 to advance to NASCAR Cup playoffs