INDIANAPOLIS — A judge sentenced a man Thursday to 80 years in prison for the murder of a woman found dead in a church in 2019.
Robert Burks was convicted of murder in the Nov. 3, 2019 killing of Julie Morey. Burks was found guilty after a one-day court trial.
"This case was solved through a true community effort," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a press release. "Witnesses and nearby businesses played a crucial role throughout the investigation and prosecution, which ultimately led to justice for Ms. Morey and her family."
Morey was found dead on a couch in a hallway of St. Patrick Catholic Church at 950 Prospect St. An autopsy found she died of multiple stab wounds.
Detectives learned that Morey had recently filed a police report alleging that Burks punched her in the face for declining his request for sex.
Witnesses also helped lead investigators to Burks. His DNA was on the victim's hands, face, neck, and underneath her fingernails.