Judge finds Myon Burrell guilty in gun case

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A judge has found Myon Burrell, the man freed from a life sentence for the death of a Minneapolis child in 2022, guilty in a new gun case following an arrest in Robbinsdale last year.

Background

Last September, Burrell was stopped by Robbinsdale police for speeding and erratic driving.

When the officer approached the vehicle, they said smoke was coming out of the window and the officer suspected "active drug use" inside the car.

The complaint said Burrell attempted to walk away from the scene and fought with officers when asked to step out of the vehicle. After getting a search warrant, officers found a handgun in the center console of the vehicle.

Even though he had been freed from prison, Burrell had not been pardoned and wasn't allowed to own a gun as a convicted felon, police said.

Also in the vehicle, officers found pills that later tested positive for MDMA.

After the 2023 arrest, Burrell was arrested a second time last May. Burrell was also charged with drug possession in that case.

What's new

Last Friday, a judge issued a ruling finding Burrell guilty on both counts in the case: possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance.

In a statement to FOX 9, Burrell's attorney wrote: "The stipulated facts trial will allow us to get to the central issue of the case: the validity of the initial traffic stop and the expansion of that stop by the officer. Putting that constitutional question in the hands of the court of appeals has been our focus since early on in the case."

Previous conviction

Burrell was sentenced to life behind bars for the death of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards in 2002.

Police said Burrell attempted to fire a shot at a rival gang member but the bullet instead went into Edwards' home and hit her as she was sitting at her table doing homework.

Burrell was freed from prison in 2022 after his sentence was commuted by a decision from Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. Walz and Ellison decided a life sentence was too stiff of a punishment for a teen offender. Burrell was 17 years old when Edwards was killed.

Burrell has maintained his innocence in the case, despite being convicted twice after his first conviction was overturned due to a Miranda warning failure by police. Advocates for Burrell had also argued that the case against Burrell wasn't strong, with no hard evidence or witnesses connecting Burrell to the shooting. An Associated Press investigation also found police failed to investigate Burrell's alibi that he was at a convenience store when the shooting happened.

Burrell's co-defendant, Ike Tyson, also reportedly took the blame for firing the shot.