Mary Courtney York

Background

Mary Courtney York was a Del City woman. She previously entered a guilty plea to a first-degree murder charge in the death of Patrick Burton, 51, of Norman.

The offence

Patrick Burton was shot to death and then set on fire inside his home. York pleaded guilty to acting in concert with Christopher Cody King in plotting to rob Burton. Burton was shot to death when he scuffled with King during the robbery attempt. The couple then set Burton’s body and house on fire to hide evidence of his murder.

After Burton’s death, King, York, Dewberry and Walker were caught on a casino video camera trying to use Burton’s credit cards. Smith was connected with efforts to dispose of Burton’s pickup.

Investigation

Neighbors on Villa Drive called fire officials on Feb. 13, 2013, when they saw the Burton residence on fire. His body was found inside. The house appeared to have been ransacked and his pickup was missing.

York later told investigators she knew Burton because he had given her money in the past. After her arrest, her cellphone records indicated she had talked to Burton the night before he was killed. York said she was present when King shot Burton during a struggle but said she was not there when his body and house were set on fire.

In a court affidavit filed with charges Friday, investigators said they found Burton's partially stripped truck Feb. 15 at 4309 SE 55 in Oklahoma City. It contained items that had been stolen from Burton's home.

Police began looking for York and King after photographs surfaced of them at Riverwind Casino trying to use credit cards that belonged to Burton. The two also were caught on camera at an Oklahoma City hotel in possession of Burton’s truck, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, King went to Burton's house to rob him and an altercation occurred. During the struggle, Burton was shot, police said. After Burton was killed, King poured an accelerant around his body and set a fire to cover evidence of the crime, according to the affidavit.

After her arrest, York told detectives she had followed Burton to a bank the evening of Feb. 12 so he could get money and then was at his house when he was shot, the affidavit states.

Only King and York were charged in Burton's death. Police released photographs of two other people they were seeking for questioning. Evidence indicated others may have been involved in Burton's death, although no names were released and no other arrests made.

Arrest

Police arrested King and York later that day at SE 29 and Sunnylane Road in Del City.

Trial

York previously had entered a guilty plea to a first-degree murder charge in the death of Patrick Burton, 51, on Feb. 13, 2013, at 619 Villa Drive.

Sentencing

Cleveland County District Judge Lori Walkley sentenced Mary Courtney York on May 30, 2014.

The judge ordered York to serve life in prison with the last 22 years suspended, meaning York would be required to serve 85 percent of the first 23 years of the term.

York also was sentenced to 35 years in prison on an arson charge, with all but two years suspended.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

A co-defendant already was serving a life sentence in the killing of Patrick Burton, 51, of Norman.

Christopher Cody King pleaded guilty this year to a first-degree murder charge in Burton’s death and was serving a life sentence. King also had been sentenced to 35 years on an arson charge and 20 years on a charge of larceny of a motor vehicle.

Three other men pleaded guilty to accessory to murder charges for helping York and King escape the crime scene and/or dispose of evidence: Justin Tyler Dewberry, 27, of Oklahoma City; Michael Dwayne Walker, 26, of Midwest City; and Jeremy Alan Smith, 27, of Oklahoma City. They were serving 10-year suspended sentences for their part in the crimes.

Other details

York was described as a 21-year-old Del City woman in relation to her sentencing and as a 19-year-old Del City woman in connection with the filing of charges.

Charges of first-degree murder and arson were filed Friday against a Del City man and woman in the shooting death of Patrick Burton, 51, whose body was found Feb. 13 in his burning home in Norman. Police say the last person Patrick Burton talked to on his cellphone before he died was Mary Courtney York.

York ran an online computer advertisement for an escort service. Police said York and a companion, Christopher Cody King, also of Del City, were charged Friday in Cleveland County District Court with first-degree murder in Burton's death.

They were accused of shooting him while trying to rob him, then setting a fire to cover evidence of the crime. Both faced first-degree arson charges, and King faced an additional count of larceny of Burton's truck.

Burton was found by firefighters about 11 a.m. Feb. 13 inside his burning home at 619 Villa Drive. The house appeared to be ransacked and his truck was missing.