A Coffey County criminal case will go before the Kansas Supreme Court this week.
The case against Carol Sue Burris revolves around the 2017 death of Michael Burris, who suffered from dementia and other notable health issues before his death. After a coroner’s report indicated “severe emaciation” as a major factor in Michael Burris’ death, Carol Burris was charged with mistreatment of a dependent adult and reckless second-degree murder. A jury convicted Carol Burris on both counts and District Court sentenced her to over 10 years in prison.
The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in a prior ruling.
Both sides have filed for review. The Supreme Court will look at whether Carol Burris’ “failure to provide adequate care” violated state law because she had no legal duty to care for Michael Burris, whether the state offered enough evidence for a reckless second-degree murder conviction and whether the prosecutor “committed reversible error” during closing arguments.
The hearing will start after 10:30 am Thursday in Topeka.
