The deadly stabbing of 50-year-old Toye Mims Jones outdoors an Orange County sober residing dwelling was fast and primarily based on a collection of lies, prosecutors informed an Orange County jury.
On Tuesday, the jury discovered Effrum Maland Burnett, 53, responsible of second-degree homicide in Jones’ demise, which prosecutors say was prompted by false allegations by a pal of Jones that Burnett had raped her and stolen her truck. The killing occurred on July 18, 2023, outdoors a sober residing dwelling in Anaheim.
In response to the Orange County district legal professional’s workplace, Burnett had arrived that afternoon on the Sober Dwelling Home on Canton Avenue with Bryon Martinez and Christina Roberts with the intention of retrieving a truck.
Roberts informed Martinez and Burnett that she had been kidnapped, drugged and raped by Jones and his roommate on the sober residing dwelling, in response to courtroom paperwork. When Roberts awakened after the drugging, she claimed, her kidnappers allowed her to go away however saved her pickup truck.
None of that was true, prosecutors stated.
Burnett hadn’t met Jones earlier than that day, and the truck didn’t belong to Roberts. She made up the story simply to get Martinez and Burnett to assist her steal it, in response to courtroom data.
Outdoors the sober residing dwelling, Burnett drove his automotive as much as a Dodge pickup truck and tried to start out the automobile. Jones got here out of the house and confronted Roberts, then fought briefly with Burnett earlier than going again into the home, investigators say.
Two different males, Jorge Hinojosa-Salazar and Bryan Huntington, have been contained in the sober residing dwelling on the time. Hinojosa-Salazar informed investigators that Jones walked into the home and stated, “Going outdoors to combat Crimson,” referring to Burnett.
Jones walked again outdoors and informed Burnett, “Not in entrance of the home,” in response to courtroom data.
Jones walked a brief distance away from the sober residing dwelling and Burnett adopted carefully behind. Surveillance cameras captured simply parts of the fights between the 2 males, but it surely’s clear that Burnett had his proper hand in his pocket as he trailed Jones, prosecutors stated.
After Burnett struck Jones repeatedly, Jones ran again to the home clutching his stomach, and Hinojosa-Salazar referred to as 911 to report that Jones had been stabbed a number of occasions. He and Huntington tried to stanch the bleeding with towels, however by the point Orange County sheriff’s deputies arrived, prosecutors stated, Jones was lifeless.
Burnett drove away from the scene however was arrested a number of hours later, in response to the Orange County Sheriff’s Division.
A forensic pathologist stated that Jones died from large blood loss from 5 stab wounds within the face, chest, stomach and groin. One of many 5 pierced his coronary heart.
Burnett’s protection legal professional, Lee Stonum of the Orange County Alternate Defender’s Workplace, contended that his consumer acted in self-defense. However Deputy Orange County Dist. Atty. David Porter informed jurors that between the 2 fights, Burnett determined to stab Jones, in response to reporting from the Orange County Register.
“He wished revenge,” Porter informed the jury. Burnett was satisfied on the time that Jones raped his pal. “You simply don’t stab somebody 5 occasions in 15 seconds and have another intent however to kill,” Porter stated.
Stonum informed the jury in his closing arguments, “It was a mindless demise over a truck and a set of lies.”
Burnett’s conviction included the particular allegation that he used a knife through the killing, in response to the Orange County district legal professional’s workplace. He’s scheduled for sentencing on July 19.
Burnett plans to attraction the conviction.
“We respect the exhausting work the jury put into this case although we disagree with the result,” Stonum stated in an emailed assertion to The Instances.
The members of the jury have been unable to listen to Burnett’s interview with investigators after his arrest, Stonum stated, the place he “clearly articulated that he acted in self-defense and expressed acute and real regret when he realized he had taken Mr. Mims’ life. We expect it might have made the distinction.”
Burnett had been beforehand convicted in Los Angeles County in October 1993 of kidnapping and theft, prosecutors stated. The earlier 12 months, Burnett was stabbed a number of occasions and severely wounded by a neighbor throughout an argument outdoors a Buena Park residence complicated.
