Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab criticizes Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) for commuting the sentence of Myon Burrell, who was convicted of murdering an 11-year-old girl. Teirab, a Republican candidate for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, made these remarks during an interview on Fox Business. He expressed his concern over Walz’s response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots and accused him of being an “utter failure.
Myon Burrell, a member of the Bloods criminal street gang, was convicted in 2002 for the murder of Tyesha Edwards. After serving almost 20 years in prison, his sentence was commuted by Governor Walz. Following his release from prison, Burrell was arrested again for possession of drugs and a gun in his car. The Minnesota Freedom Fund, which Kamala Harris had been soliciting funds for during the riots, bailed him out.
Burrell was 16 years old when he was convicted and sentenced for the murder. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), then serving as Hennepin County’s district attorney, led the case against Burrell. In December 2020, Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea voted to commute Burrell’s sentence. As part of the commutation, Burrell was released from prison and served the remainder of his sentence under supervised release.
In September 2023, Burrell faced new charges for “gun and drug felonies” after law enforcement officers discovered he allegedly had a gun and drugs in his car during a traffic stop.