Hennepin County Attorney's Office releases statement on 'politicized' Myon Burrell case

(FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Attorney's Office released a statement Monday that supports the conviction of Myon Burrell in the murder of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards back in 2002. The case was recently brought back to light as the Associated Press raised questions about Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar's handling of the case when she was county attorney. 

In the statement, the attorney's office wrote, "this case is being politicized because it first arose when Amy Klobuchar was the Hennepin County Attorney. The case, however, involves the murder of an 11-year old girl, and the person who has been convicted twice of committing that murder. Amy Klobuchar was not the trial attorney on the case. It should not be treated like a political football. This office will continue to focus on the facts and will not let the politics of the moment influence that review of the facts."

"It also should be noted that the second trial - the conviction for which Mr. Burrell is now in prison - was obtained by this office after Amy Klobuchar had left this office and with no input from her. So, any complaints should be directed to this office, have nothing to do with Sen. Klobuchar, and it is inappropriate and unfair to try to make them an issue in the current presidential race," the statement continued.

"We focus on facts. Burrell is represented by legal counsel and the Innocence Project is actively working on his case. Last Friday they called, and we will be meeting with them soon. We will promptly review any new issues. However, we feel it important to release this preliminary statement as we have been reviewing this case for weeks and there is much misinformation out there."

For more information on the case and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office statement, click here.

In an interview with ABC Monday night, Burrell maintained his innocence and stated that he feels Klobuchar is "the source of everything that happened."

Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement:

"As I’ve said before, this case should be reviewed immediately. This was about an 11-year-old girl, Tyesha Edwards, who was killed while she was sitting at her kitchen table doing her homework. And as a prosecutor, our job is to convict the guilty and protect the innocent. So if any evidence was not put forward or was not appropriately investigated or if new evidence has emerged that should have been discovered at the time, it must be reviewed.
 
"When I was county attorney, I worked with the Innocence Project to advocate for better eyewitness identification procedures and for the widespread use of videotaped interrogations with the goals of reducing wrongful convictions and increasing accountability. In the county attorney’s office, we worked to go back and review all the major cases that involved DNA evidence and to reform the procedures for eyewitness identification. I have been and always will be on the side of justice."