The Kansas Supreme Court has affirmed convictions for second-degree murder and mistreatment of a dependent adult in a Coffey County case.
The case against Carol Sue Burris developed after the 2017 death of her husband of over 45 years, Michael Burris, who suffered from dementia and other health issues before he died and relied on Carol Burris as his only caregiver. A jury convicted Carol Burris on both counts and District Court sentenced her to over 10 years in prison.
Carol Burris appealed, saying her omissions in care could not be the only reason she was convicted for second-degree murder. She also said there were three reversible errors in the closing argument phase of her trial. However, the Supreme Court unanimously said Carol Burris had a legal duty of care to either provide care for her husband or to find somebody to handle those duties. The high court also said there was no prosecutorial error, another appeal point.
