MAYVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Michael Burham, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in January, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the death of Kala Hodgkin.
The District Attorney’s office said Burham shot and killed Hodgkin inside her home on May 11, 2023. Burham was charged with raping Hodgkin and there was a warrant out for his arrest when the deadly shooting occurred.
Burham then led authorities on a manhunt, during which he kidnapped a Pennsylvania couple and forced them to drive him to South Carolina. The couple was located alive in a cemetery and told law enforcement they were kidnapped at gunpoint from their home in Sheffield, Pennsylvania.
Burham was later taken into custody in connection with the kidnapping and was being held in Warren County Prison to face charges.
Then, in July 2023, Burham escaped the prison. Officials said they believed he used exercise equipment to get onto the metal-gated roof of the prison and tied bed sheets to climb down from the roof to the ground.
Pennsylvania State Police took Burham back into custody on July 15, 2023, nine days after he escaped from the prison.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General announced in January 2024 that Burham was sentenced to 3 1/2 years to 7 years in prison for his escape from Warren County Prison and sentenced to 21 years and 8 months to 43 years and 4 months in the kidnapping case.
He was ordered to serve an aggregate sentence of 25 years and 2 months to 50 years and 4 months.
