MN Man Whose Murder Sentence Was Commuted Faces Drug, Gun Charges

ROBBINSDALE, MN — A convicted murderer whose sentence was commuted in 2020 was charged Friday with ineligible gun possession and fifth-degree controlled substance possession.

Myon Burrell, 37, was found guilty of killing an 11-year-old girl in Minneapolis in 2002. Tyesha Edwards was killed by a stray bullet that entered her Minneapolis home while she was doing homework.

Burrell has maintained his innocence, saying he was not involved in the girl's death.

He was sentenced to life in prison and served 18 years before Gov. Tim Walz and others on the Minnesota Board of Pardons voted to immediately release him in 2020 after an Associated Press investigation found flaws in the case against him.

Burrell was arrested Tuesday and remains in Hennepin County Jail without bail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Friday.

If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

On Aug. 29 at about 11 a.m., a Robbinsdale police officer spotted a white SUV drifting across the lanes — crossing the center line at times — and going above the speed limit of 30 mph.

The officer pulled the SUV over and identified the driver as Burrell. When Burrell rolled down the driver's side window, smoke billowed out of the vehicle and the officer detected the smell of burnt marijuana and noticed marijuana remnants in the center console, according to the criminal complaint.

The officer had Burrell step out of his vehicle and perform a field sobriety test, which indicated intoxication, police said. It remains illegal to drive while under the influence of marijuana in Minnesota or to possess more than two ounces of the substance.

When the officer told Burrell that he needed to sit in his squad car, Burrell "pulled away and began to actively resist the officer" until he was placed into handcuffs, the criminal complaint states.

Police said they searched Burrell's SUV and found a Glock 17 9mm handgun with an extended magazine in the center console. Officers also found baggies containing additional marijuana, methamphetamine, and MDMA, according to the criminal complaint.

Burrell remains barred from possessing a gun due to his murder conviction.