PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A jury has convicted Zamir Burton of third-degree murder and other charges for the torture and brutal killing of Darius Cheesboro, and the assault and mutilation of another man.
Burton is the final defendant to stand trial in the case. His three co-defendants all pleaded guilty to the same charge in the case.
The four are accused of torturing, mutilating and killing Cheeseboro, 22, after his ex-girlfriend Lashawna Dantzler lured him to her house in December of 2019.
Burton was also convicted on abuse-of-corpse and weapons offenses, as well as attempted murder, aggravated assault and related offenses for the brutal attack, separately, of another man, who survived.
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"I think this gave important closure to the family, because this was the last defendant to go to trial, or to be convicted. I am also confident the judge will give a sentence commensurate with the depravity and horrible nature of this crime," said Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski, who prosecuted the case.
Burton faced the possibility of a first-degree murder conviction. Defense attorney Angelo Cameron said he had hoped for an acquittal, but "third degree is acceptable. It’s not life in prison, without the possibility of parole."
Two other defendants, Zahmir Mason and Jordan Oliver-Williams, pleaded guilty to similar third-degree murder offenses, as did Dantzler.
Mason and Oliver-Williams were sentenced to decades in prison, Dantzler is expected to be sentenced by the end of this year.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect that Darius Cheeseboro and the other unidentified victim were not tortured on the same date.