The Mississippi Court of Appeals this month affirmed the 2023 murder convictions of three brothers from Sunflower County.
Lamarcus Wallace, Kerry Wallace and Patrick Wallace, of Indianola, were convicted in June of 2023 of the 2013 murder of Drew businessman Christopher “Zeke” Burnett.
Burnett’s body was discovered on Valentine’s Day in 2013 by his sister after he had not been heard from for several days.
“After reviewing the record, we find no reversible error by the trial court,” the Court of Appeals’ decision last week said. “Therefore, LaMarcus Wallace’s, Patrick Wallace’s, and Kerry Wallace’s convictions of capital murder and their sentences for capital murder are affirmed.”
The brothers, who were tried together in 2023, argued a number of legal items in their appeal.
All three of the Wallace brothers argue on appeal that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support their respective convictions.
All three objected to the key witness’s prior statement to police being allowed at trial.
According to the complaint, Kerry Wallace claims that the trial court erred in allowing the lead witness to testify about “prior bad acts, wrongs, crimes and improper character evidence of alleged drug use by the [Wallaces].”
Patrick Wallace argued that he had been denied a speedy trial, among other things.
