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Burnett gets l ife sentenceSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Convicted murderer Linda May Burnett was ordered to spend the rest of her life in prison after jurors said it was unlikely the 35-year-old housewife would commit future violent acts.Burnett could have received the death penalty for her part in the July 1978 murder of five members of the Bishop Phillips family.After the verdict was announced late Wednesday by State District Judge Larry Gist. Burnett said just thank God,” and then burst into tears as family members cried and hugged each other.The jury deliberated for almost 10 hours before returning the punishment verdict about 12:30 p.m. CDT. The panel reported it was deadlocked about 7 p.m. but Gist ordered jurors to continue deliberations.Burnett, of Nederland, received the death penalty in 1979 in the slaying of 3-year old Jason Phillips of Woodward, Okla., but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned her conviction last year.Investigators found the child, his parents, Elmer and Martha Phillips, and grandparents Bishop and Esther Phillips, of Winnie, shot and buried near Fannett on July 9, 1978.A jury convicted her Sunday of murdering Jason’s mother, Martha Phillips.Defense Attorney Charles Carver said he would appeal Burnett’s capital murder conviction, but he would not specify the grounds.“Everyone on the defense system is extremely pleased,” that the jury did not return the death sentence, Carver said.
Newspaper Details
Odessa American
Odessa, Texas, US
Thu, Aug 18, 1983
Page 18
Full Page
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NA, NA 07 Jun 2023
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