Bronx man found guilty in 2018 Pittsfield murder
The verdict was delivered Thursday in Berkshire Superior Court, following a trial that included witness testimony, surveillance evidence, and an extensive cross-state investigation.
Burke was convicted of fatally shooting Green while he was sitting in his vehicle on Willow Street. Authorities identified Burke as the suspect using video surveillance, cell phone tracking, and witness statements. Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue praised the verdict but acknowledged the lasting impact of the crime.
'Mr. Green's family has been waiting a long time for this day,' said Shugrue. 'While we are pleased with the jury's conclusion, nothing can heal the wounds of losing a loved one in such a violent way. I hope today brings his family some sense of peace.'
Shugrue emphasized his office's commitment to holding perpetrators of violence accountable. 'The death of Mr. Green was caused by a defendant who drove into Pittsfield and committed murder. Those who bring illegal firearms, attempt to establish drug trafficking networks, and bring violence to our neighborhoods will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'
The case relied heavily on technology and forensic evidence. Pittsfield Police, with assistance from New York State Police, used surveillance footage, digital tracking, and other investigative tools to link Burke to the crime. 'Trying this case was extremely difficult,' Shugrue noted. 'The Pittsfield Police Department worked diligently, using all available technology to build a strong case against the defendant. Because of their efforts and the work of our prosecution team, justice was served.'
The trial was also marked by incidents of witness intimidation. 'The witnesses who testified showed tremendous bravery,' Shugrue said. 'During this trial, witnesses were directly threatened, and their families were also targeted. Law enforcement is actively investigating these acts of intimidation, and we will not tolerate interference with the judicial system.'
Burke's sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 19, at 9 a.m. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. This was Burke's second trial for the murder. His original trial in 2024 ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Testimony: Warren police SUV was going nearly 115 mph seconds before crash that killed 2
A Warren police vehicle that violently collided with an SUV carrying two men, killing them both, was traveling at 114.9 mph five seconds prior to impact and 93.8 mph at the time of impact, a Macomb County sheriff's evidence technician and crash investigator testified in court during a preliminary exam for a former officer charged in the case. Relatives and supporters of the men, Cedric Hayden Jr., 34, and his lifelong best friend, DeJuan Pettis, 33, shook their heads when Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Bosek testified on Monday, June 23, about the speeds the police-owned Ford Explorer was traveling before and when it collided with a Dodge Durango the men were riding in. Former Warren Police Officer James Burke, 29, is charged with two counts of homicide-manslaughter with a motor vehicle, a felony, and two misdemeanor charges, a moving violation causing serious impairment of bodily function and public officer−willful neglect of duty in the Sept. 30 crash. Burke was terminated by Warren police after he was criminally charged, his attorney, Marc Curtis, said after the hearing. More: Warren police officer charged in deaths of 2 men in violent crash in September More: New approach to domestic violence in Warren to help victims, hold suspects accountable Bosek testified that event data recorder information indicated the police SUV was traveling at 113.5 mph four seconds before impact; 113.4 mph at three seconds before impact; 111.4 mph at two seconds before impact, and 108.8 mph one second before impact. He testified that 2.6 seconds before impact was the first indication of braking and that there was evidence of braking "all the way through until you got to .7 seconds," when the anti-lock braking system kicked on. He also testified that steering control on the police SUV determined evasive steering, with an attempt to the right at 0.3 seconds and 0.2 seconds before impact and then to the left at 0.1 second before. Bosek, the third witness to testify June 23, told the court that he also reviewed data from the Durango, which is anticipated to be discussed when the preliminary exam continues June 25 before Chief Judge John Chmura in 37th District Court in Warren. Chmura will decide whether or not to bind over Burke to the county's circuit court for trial. The sheriff's office, which investigated the crash, previously indicated the police SUV had no emergency lights or sirens activated. A civil lawsuit filed in October against two officers and the city indicated the police SUV was traveling at or more than 100 mph. The courtroom was full for the start of the exam, with many of those present relatives or supporters of Hayden and Pettis. Several wore white T-shirts with "Justice for Twan & Juan Friends til the end" on them. One woman dabbed her eyes with a tissue several times when the first witness, Officer Andrew Piasecki, who responded to the scene that night, testified, describing the scene as "pretty hectic" and that Burke appeared "shook." Officer Rami Anees testified that he came upon the crash and saw Burke by the sunroof of the Durango, which was on its driver's side, trying to assist one of its occupants. Anees, who was in his third month of field training with Warren police at the time of the crash, testified that Burke "basically ordered" him to check on Burke's partner, then went back to assist Burke get the occupant out of the Durango. He testified that he saw another occupant on the passenger side of the Durango. Once the civilians were out of the Durango, Anees said he did CPR on one of them, as the man had no pulse, until firefighters arrived. Anees, too, described Burke in "some sort of shock." The sheriff's office indicated the police's oncoming SUV slammed into the Durango as it turned left from Schoenherr Road onto Prospect Avenue about 5 a.m. Fieger Law — the firm representing the men's families — released what it indicated were three new videos taken prior to and during the violent collision between the two vehicles. Burke's 34-year-old partner was hurt in the crash, but has not faced any charges. Burke said little during the exam except to answer "Yes," your honor" to questions Chmura posed to him. The sheriff's office previously indicated the Warren officers were responding to a Flock camera hit on a stolen, black Jeep Cherokee out of Sterling Heights that was traveling southbound on Schoenherr at 10 Mile. There allegedly were two stolen firearms in the Cherokee, the sheriff's office spokesperson previously said. She previously said there was no "pursuit," but the officers were responding to a be-on-the-lookout. Contact Christina Hall: chall@ Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Testimony: Warren police SUV going nearly 115 mph seconds before fatal crash
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Ex-Ald. Edward Burke released early from prison
Good afternoon, Chicago. Less than 10 months after reporting to federal prison, Edward Burke was released to begin spending the rest of his sentence in the Chicago area today, according to federal officials. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons released a statement verifying the release. It was not clear whether Burke would be there long before being placed on home confinement, sources said. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History A Champaign abortion provider accused in a lawsuit of perforating a patient's uterus and leaving half a fetus inside her body has been reprimanded and fined in connection with that case by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, according to records obtained by the Tribune. Read more here. More top news stories: The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through U.S airports, according to media reports. Read more here. More top business stories: Noa Essengue doesn't want to pick sides. But one basketball debate is hard to avoid in Chicago: Michael Jordan versus LeBron James. Read more here. More top sports stories: McDonald's announced this morning that it has turned up the heat on breakfast with the launch of its new Spicy McMuffin sandwich lineup. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Authorities leading the search for victims of the devastating flooding in Texas deflected intensifying questions today about who was responsible for monitoring the weather that killed more than 100 people and warning that flash floods were barreling toward camps and homes. Read more here. More top stories from around the world:
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Former Chicago Ald. Edward Burke's release from federal prison expected Tuesday
Less than 10 months after reporting to federal prison, Edward Burke was expected to begin spending the rest of his sentence in the Chicago area Tuesday, according to sources close to the once-powerful alderman who have knowledge of the matter. Burke was expected to report to a halfway house as soon as midday. It was not clear whether he would be there long before being placed on home confinement, sources said. Burke, 81, had checked himself into the low security federal prison camp at Thomson, Illinois, in late September to start a two-year sentence on his corruption case. It was an ignominious moment for a onetime city leader who had wielded power for decades as the city's longest-serving alderman. The camp, which houses about 133 male inmates, is situated about 2 1/2 hours' drive west of Chicago, along the Mississippi River. His original release date was expected to be in the first half of next year, but he apparently qualified to leave the facility early due to his age. Most federal inmates are required to serve 85% of their sentences, which originally would have seen Burke released in May 2026 at age 82. Burke lawyer Charles Sklarsky could not immediately be reached for comment on the imminent release. Burke is expected to serve a year on court-ordered supervision. He also was to pay $65,000 in restitution to the owners of the Burger King franchise he was convicted of shaking down, as well as a $2 million fine imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall. Burke, one of the last vestiges of the old Democratic political machine, was convicted by a jury in December of racketeering conspiracy, bribery and attempted extortion in a series of schemes to use his considerable City Hall clout to try and win business from developers for his private property tax law firm. Among them were efforts to woo the New York-based developers of the $600 million renovation of the Old Post Office, extorting the Texas owners of the Burger King, who were seeking to renovate a restaurant in Burke's 14th Ward, and intervening on behalf of a developer in Portage Park who wanted help getting the pole sign approved for a new Binny's Beverage Depot location. Even in a state that has seen countless politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, handed prison terms for corruption, Burke has been among the most influential. The head of the vaunted Finance Committee, Burke not only worked the city's purse strings but also was a shrewd ward boss, political tactician and judicial slate-maker. Kendall had ordered a relatively light prison term for Burke, citing the dozens of letters she received from citizens of all walks of life extolling Burke's acts of kindness and charity, even when they had nothing to do with his role as alderman. During his sentencing hearing last June, Kendall said that the comparatively limited period of criminal conduct for which Burke was convicted at trial does not wipe away those decades of good works. She also criticized the U.S. attorney's office for its unprecedented deferred prosecution agreement with former Ald. Daniel Solis, who wore a wire against Burke and others and was rewarded with a deal that will keep him even having a conviction on his record — let alone serving jail time. 'It is uncomfortable for me to see that when the government steps up and says you must send a strong message' to elected officials, that Solis has been allowed to skate, Kendall said at the time. However, she said she agreed with prosecutors that courts must deter other public officials from political corruption, which leads to 'part of this erosion, part of this chipping away at our democracy, really whittling away at our rule of law.' 'When citizens lose faith (in their public officials) they begin to take the law into their own hands,' she said. 'If a citizen starts thinking 'Oh that's just the Chicago Way,' that's when we're eroding it.' In addition to the time behind bars, Kendall ordered the $2 million fine, finding that financial penalties for politicians who engage in corruption should be far higher and noting the money will go to help victims of crime in which the defendants are not as wealthy as Burke. 'I think that really does send a message, if you want to commit public corruption by being greedy, then the disgorgement of your own funds will go toward the people,' Kendall said. Before he was sentenced, Burke read an uncharacteristically brief statement to the court, saying he'd been blessed with a long career and was sorry to 'see it end like this.' Then he asked the judge for mercy. 'Whatever amount of time God has decided to leave me on this earth, I'd like to spend as much of it as possible with my devoted wife, my wonderful children and grandchildren,' Burke said. The Thomson prison was not Burke's first choice of places to serve out his sentence. His attorneys originally requested the prison camp in Oxford, Wisconsin, a facility that had seen so many Chicago-area politicians serve time it was jokingly referred to as 'going to college.' The request was later altered to a camp in Terre Haute, Indiana, however, because the Oxford camp was changing security missions.
