Del City woman sentenced to life term in Norman man's death

A Del City woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the death of a Norman man a year and a half ago. A co-defendant already is serving a life sentence in the killing of Patrick Burton, 51, of Norman.

By Jane Glenn Cannon - NewsOK.com

May 30, 2014

NORMAN — A Del City woman has been sentenced to life in prison, with a portion of the term suspended, in the killing of a Norman man who was shot to death, then set on fire inside his home a year and a half ago.

Mary Courtney York, 21, previously had entered a guilty plea to a first-degree murder charge in the death of Patrick Burton, 51, on Feb. 13, 2013, at 619 Villa Drive. Cleveland County District Judge Lori Walkley sentenced her Thursday.

The judge ordered York to serve life in prison with the last 22 years suspended. That means York will be required to serve 85 percent of the first 23 years of the term. York also was sentenced to 35 years in prison on an arson charge, with all but two years suspended.

York pleaded guilty to acting in concert with Christopher Cody King in plotting to rob Burton. Burton was shot to death when he scuffled with King during the robbery attempt.

The couple then set Burton’s body and house on fire to hide evidence of his murder.

King already is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty this year to a first-degree murder charge in Burton’s death. King also has been sentenced to 35 years on an arson charge and 20 years on a charge of larceny of a motor vehicle.

Three other men have pleaded guilty to accessory to murder charges for helping York and King escape the crime scene and/or dispose of evidence.

Justin Tyler Dewberry, 27, of Oklahoma City, Michael Dwayne Walker, 26, of Midwest City, and Jeremy Alan Smith, 27, of Oklahoma City, are all serving 10-year suspended sentences for their part in the crimes.

Neighbors on Villa Drive called fire officials on Feb. 13, 2013, when they saw the Burton residence on fire. His body was found inside. The house appeared to have been ransacked and his pickup was missing.

York later told investigators she knew Burton because he had given her money in the past. After her arrest, her cellphone records indicated she had talked to Burton the night before he was killed.

York has said she was present when King shot Burton during a struggle but that she was not there when his body and house were set on fire.

After Burton’s death, King, York, Dewberry and Walker were caught on a casino video camera trying to use Burton’s credit cards. Smith later was connected with efforts to dispose of Burton’s pickup.

Murder, arson charges filed in Norman case

Charges of first-degree murder and arson were filed Friday against a Del City man and woman in the shooting death of Patrick Burton, 51, whose body was found Feb. 13 in his burning home in Norman.

By Jane Glenn Cannon - NewsOK.com

February 22, 2013

NORMAN — Police say the last person Patrick Burton talked to on his cellphone before he died was Mary Courtney York, a 19-year-old Del City woman who ran an online computer advertisement for an escort service.

York later told police she knew Burton, 51, and that he sometimes gave her money.

York and a companion, Christopher Cody King, 24, also of Del City, were charged Friday in Cleveland County District Court with first-degree murder in Burton's death. They are accused of shooting him while trying to rob him, then setting a fire to cover evidence of the crime.

Both face first-degree arson charges, and King faces an additional count of larceny of Burton's truck.

Burton was found by firefighters about 11 a.m. Feb. 13 inside his burning home at 619 Villa Drive. The house appeared to be ransacked and his truck was missing.

In a court affidavit filed with the charges Friday, investigators say they found Burton's partially stripped truck Feb. 15 at 4309 SE 55 in Oklahoma City. It contained items that had been stolen from Burton's home. Police arrested King and York later that day at SE 29 and Sunnylane Road in Del City.

Police began looking for York and King after photographs surfaced of them at Riverwind Casino trying to use credit cards that belonged to Burton. The two also were caught on camera at an Oklahoma City hotel in possession of Burton's truck, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, King went to Burton's house to rob him and an altercation occurred. During the struggle, Burton was shot, police said.

After Burton was killed, King poured an accelerant around his body and set a fire to cover evidence of the crime, according to the affidavit.

After her arrest, York told detectives she had followed Burton to a bank the evening of Feb. 12 so he could get money and then was at his house when he was shot, the affidavit states.

Only King and York have been charged in Burton's death, although police also released photographs of two other people they were seeking for questioning.

According to the affidavit, evidence indicates others may have been involved in Burton's death, although no names have been released and no other arrests made.

Mary Courtney York

Christopher Cody King