Tim Walz commuted life sentence of teen convicted for murdering 11-year-old girl

While serving as Minnesota’s governor, Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz, made headlines for commuting the sentence of a teenager convicted of murdering an 11-year-old girl. Myron Burrell, the teen in question, began facing trial for a separate charge on Monday, coinciding with the start of the Democratic National Convention.

In 2002, Burrell was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Tyesha Edwards, a young girl who was tragically killed by a stray bullet while doing her homework. At the time, police alleged that Burrell, then 16 years old, had fired the shot in an attempt to target a rival gang member.

In 2020, Walz, as a member of the Minnesota Board of Pardons, voted to commute Burrell’s sentence. Since his release, Burrell has been arrested twice. His first arrest came in 2023 on charges of illegal firearm possession and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested again in 2024 on another count of fifth-degree controlled substance possession, after police reportedly found drugs in his vehicle, including a pill that tested positive for methamphetamine. The jury trial for the 2023 charges against Burrell, now 37, began in Hennepin County on Monday morning.

The initial sentence was handed down by then-prosecutor Amy Klobuchar, with the case resurfacing during her 2020 presidential run. Burrell has consistently maintained his innocence, and an Associated Press investigation raised doubts about the case, noting the lack of DNA, fingerprints, or a gun directly linking Burrell to the crime. The conviction largely relied on eyewitness testimony and jailhouse informants.

Walz’s decision to commute Burrell’s life sentence to 20 years, of which he had already served 18, marked the first time in 22 years that a murder case had been commuted in Minnesota. The remaining two years of Burrell’s sentence were to be served under supervision outside of prison.

At the time of the commutation, Walz stated, “We cannot turn a blind eye to the developments in science and law as we look at this case.” Addressing Edwards’ family, he added, “We’re not here to relitigate the crime committed against your family that took your daughter away. There is nothing I can do to ease your pain, and it will not be made better. But we must act today to recognize the law in this area has changed. Justice is not served by incarcerating a child for his entire lifetime for a horrible mistake committed many years ago.”

By Kate Stephenson
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