Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, now Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, is facing questions about his role in the release of a man twice convicted of murdering an 11-year-old girl and now facing gun and drug crimes.
Myon Burrell, then 16, was sentenced to life in prison after a stray bullet killed 11-year-old girl Tyesha Edwards as she did homework at her dining room table in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in 2002.
Police said the bullet was fired by Burrell, who was aiming it at a rival gang member at the time.
As an adult, he was charged with first-degree murder by then-prosecutor Amy Klobuchar, now a Democratic U.S. senator. Klobuchar used her conviction to boost her political career.
Burrell refused to accept a plea deal and continued to maintain his innocence.
The state Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 2003, but Burrell was convicted a second time in 2009 when the court presented new evidence.
Years later, Burrell’s case gained renewed attention after Klobuchar ran for president in 2020 and the Black Lives Matter protests demanding criminal justice reform.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to the press in 2020
An Associated Press investigation raised questions about problems with the prosecution, despite the fact that there was no DNA, no weapon and no fingerprints to convict Burrell. The case, it was reported, was based on jailhouse informants who gave conflicting testimony that Burrell was responsible.
Walz, a member of the Minnesota Board of Pardons in 2020, voted to commute Burrell’s sentence to one, thereby scientifically proving that a life sentence was too much for a teenager.
“We cannot close our eyes to developments in science and law as we study this case,” Walz said at the time.
He urged the family to recognize that times had changed since the original conviction.
Myon Burrell is released from Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater, Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Walz argued that the punishment was too draconian
“Justice is not served by locking up a child for life for a terrible mistake made years ago,” he said when announcing his decision in December 2020.
Jimmie Edwards III, Tyesha’s brother, said at the time that the family was upset by the verdict and that he remembered his sister’s death.
“She never went to her senior prom. She never went to college. She never went to high school or junior high,” he said. “Her life was taken away at the age of 11. Who is the victim?”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greets reporters before Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Planned Parenthood, March 14, 2024
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (left) greets U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris upon her arrival at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Although Burrell was released from prison in 2020, he was later arrested by police officers and charged with weapons possession and drug crimes from September 2023.
Police said that Burrell, now 37, was found with a firearm in his vehicle and that marijuana smoke was coming from the vehicle when he was pulled over after driving erratically and to go above the legal speed limit.
He was arrested for the second time since his release from prison on drug charges in May 2024, after police said he was in possession of illegal drugs. Police also said they found $60,000 in cash in his apartment.
According to the report, police found bags containing suspected marijuana, ecstasy pills, methamphetamine pills and a digital scale.
Police said Burrell resisted arrest and attempted to run away before being handcuffed and placed in a police car.