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Thread: Drue Burd Sentenced to LWOP in 2018 PA Murder of 16-Month-Old Angela Beard

  1. #11
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    Burd gets life in prison

    City man pleads to first-degree murder in death of 16-month-old

    By Kay Stephens
    Altoona Mirror

    HOLLIDAYSBURG — A 23-year-old Altoona man was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for causing the 2018 death of his then-girlfriend’s 16-month-old daughter, Angela Elizabeth Jones Beard.

    Blair County President Judge Elizabeth A. Doyle imposed the sentence after Drue S. Burd assured her of his desire to plead guilty to first-degree murder, with malice, defined in court as an intentional killing that was willful, deliberate and premeditated.

    Burd was scheduled for trial in September where a jury, if it reached a first-degree murder conviction, would have then considered a life or death sentence.

    In court Friday, Burd sometimes hesitated when Doyle questioned him about his decision to render a guilty plea for the recommended sentence.

    “I don’t want to put certain people through a trial,” Burd said in explaining his decision. “I already hurt a lot of people.”

    Burd also told Doyle he still wanted to render the plea even though he wasn’t fully satisfied with the legal representation provided by Chief Public Defender Russ Montgomery and Assistant Public Defender John Siford.

    “I don’t think they did the best they could,” Burd said.

    Siford, who was in court on Friday with Burd, spoke of meeting numerous times with Burd, including Thursday at the Clearfield County Prison where they discussed his pending plea for a life sentence.

    Siford also spoke of Burd’s remorse and his acknowledgment of responsibility.

    Altoona police arrested Burd and charged him with murder and other offenses based on an investigation starting May 20, 2018, when officers went to an apartment on the 900 block of 23rd Avenue for a report of an infant in cardiac arrest.

    At the apartment, an officer found Burd, then 19, attempting to administer CPR to the unconscious infant who was initially transported to UPMC Altoona, then flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She died four days later.

    In an interview with Altoona police, Burd allegedly admitted that had put his hand over the child’s mouth and nose in an attempt to get her to be quiet and go to sleep.

    Medical reports listed the child’s cause of death as massive neurological brain damage, suffocation and abuse. An additional medical report identified injuries to the child’s anus, with “penetrating trauma” as the most likely explanation.

    Assistant District Attorney Derek Elensky told Doyle that in exchange for the guilty plea to murder, he would withdraw Burd’s other charges. They included aggravated assault, strangulation, simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and in a separate criminal case also filed by Altoona police, three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault.

    “We’re moving forward with this plea today,” Elensky said, “because it’s the most significant charge and provides for life in prison without the possibility of parole.”

    The prosecutor also said the recommended life sentence addresses what was “a brutal and senseless killing of a 16-month-old child … who endured a cruel death.”

    Nearly a dozen family members and friends came to court to support Angela’s family members and friends, including those wearing T-shirts decorated with “Justice for Angie” lettering.

    During the court proceeding, some cried and embraced.

    Elensky advised Doyle that the child’s mother didn’t want to speak.

    “It’s been very, very tough for her,” Elensky said.

    In the child’s obituary, the family described 16-month-old Angela as “simply amazing in every way.”

    “She showed how a very young child could make such a big impact on so many lives with her constant smile, love and happiness,” the obituary stated.

    “I am so sorry for your loss,” Doyle said looking at the child’s family.

    “You have a hole in your heart that will never be filled.”

    The judge also recognized the sadness within the nearly dozen family and friends who came to court in Burd’s support.

    When Elensky described Burd’s actions as intentional, one of his family members shook her head no in disagreement.

    “This is a tragedy for Mr. Burd’s family as well,” Doyle said.

    One of Burd’s family members said outside court that her family is glad that the matter is over.

    “It was a tragic, stupid mistake,” she said. “And it’s sad that someone is dead and that another person will be in prison for the rest of his life.

    Doyle proposed for both families that comfort may be found “in a higher power than this court.”

    The judge also apologized for the length of time that the legal proceedings have taken. More than four years have passed since Altoona police filed charges against Burd, who remained in jail.

    Burd’s case has involved several challenges, including attempts to keep prosecutors from using statements Burd made to police, the imposition of the death penalty because of his young age and lower intellect as well as delays associated with the procurement of psychological evaluations and expert reports.

    “In a matter so serious, you cannot rush to judgment or rush the proceedings,” Doyle said.

    https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/l...ife-in-prison/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  2. #12
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Appeal filed in death of child

    Burd serving life sentence after pleading guilty to killing infant girl

    By Kay Stephens
    Altoona Mirror

    HOLLIDAYSBURG — An Altoona man sentenced a year ago to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder in the death of a 16-month-old baby is pursuing an appeal in Superior Court.

    Drue S. Burd, 24, now represented by court-appointed attorney Robert S. Donaldson, has been directed to file a statement of errors with Blair County Court by the end of the month to support his appellate pursuit.

    On Aug. 5, 2022, Burd confirmed to President Judge Elizabeth A. Doyle that he was willingly entering a guilty plea to first-degree murder, with malice, defined as an intentional killing that was willful, deliberate and premeditated. In exchange, the district attorney’s office agreed to recommend a sentence of life in prison and to withdraw all other criminal charges.

    At the time of the plea, Burd was about a month away from a jury trial. He was facing numerous charges and the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder in the May 25, 2018, death of Angela Elizabeth Jones Beard, his then-girlfriend’s daughter.

    The child died a few days after she was found unconscious at an apartment on the 900 block of 23rd Avenue. A responding Altoona police officer said he found Burd trying to perform CPR on the girl. He also said Burd spoke of putting his hand over the child’s mouth and nose in an attempt to get her to go to sleep.

    Burd, in a handwritten notice filed in April with Blair County Court, claimed that after being sentenced, he advised the public defender’s office that he wanted to withdraw his plea but no action was taken.

    In July, Donaldson filed a petition showing no post-sentence filings were made on Burd’s behalf. In response, Doyle reinstated Burd’s appellate rights and set an Aug. 9 deadline for submission of an appeal. The judge followed her order with another one on Aug. 10, directing a statement of errors in support of the appeal to be filed within 21 days.

    Doyle’s order also indicates that any issues not identified in the forthcoming statement will be deemed to be waived.

    Burd is an inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Greene. Before he pleaded guilty, the public defenders representing him raised evidentiary issues in challenging the criminal charges. They also contested consideration of the death penalty based onBurd’s age — 19 at the time of the offenses — and introduced scientific research showing uneven brain development of those between 18 and 21 years old. Doyle turned down that challenge by pointing to current law allowing the death penalty to be considered for defendants at least 18 years old.

    https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/l...eath-of-child/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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