Homicide parolee screams ‘die’ while stabbing girlfriend’s young son to death: Docs

U.S. Marshals apprehended a Pennsylvania man on Tuesday, roughly 10 hours after he allegedly stabbed his girlfriend’s 8-year-old son to death and fled to Ohio.

KDKA reported that Keith Burley, 44, was apprehended without incident in Youngstown, Ohio, after fatally stabbing Mark Edward Mason in New Castle. Before his capture, authorities described Burley as “armed and dangerous.”

Police said they initially received a call 10 p.m. Monday regarding a kidnapping and a domestic dispute between Burley and his girlfriend in a vehicle. PennLive reported that the woman’s two children were also in the car at the time.

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The mother reportedly exited the vehicle at the New Castle Fire Department to get help. Burley then drove the children to his friend’s New Castle home, where police said he stabbed Mason to death.

KDKA reported that three other children—the victim’s 7-year-old brother, a 15-year-old, and 8-year-old—witnessed the slaying. The children told authorities that Burley exclaimed, “Die!” as he stabbed the boy to death with a “pink camouflaged” knife, a criminal complaint stated.

Burley was reportedly paroled in March following a third-degree murder conviction. State police Trooper James Long told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he was arrested in 1999 and served 18 years in prison for the charge. The outlet noted that he also faced “assault by prisoner” charges in 2002.

Police told the Post-Gazette that the couple had gotten into an argument over cellphones when Burley assaulted his girlfriend and hit her near her eye “multiple times.”

The girlfriend’s brother told the news outlet that he isn’t sure whether his sister knew of Burley’s criminal history before Monday’s incident. He also claimed that Burley had forced his sister out the car at the firehouse while assaulting her.

“She didn’t have a choice,” he said.

KDKA reported that Burley is awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania where he’ll face multiple charges, including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, kidnapping, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, and unlawful restraint.

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[Featured image: Keith Burley/Pennsylvania State Police]