Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, now the running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, is facing questions about his role in freeing a man twice convicted of the killing of an 11-year-old girl, and who now facing gun and drug felonies.
Myon Burrell, then 16, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison after a stray bullet killed 11-year-old girl Tyesha Edwards while she was doing her homework at her dining room table in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in 2002.
Police said that the bullet was fired by Burrell, who was aiming it at a rival gang member at the time.
He was charged as an adult with first-degree murder by then-prosecutor Amy Klobuchar, now a Democrat United States senator, who used the conviction to bolster her political career.
Burrell refused to take any plea deals and maintained his innocence.
The state Supreme Court set aside the conviction in 2003, but Burrell was convicted a second time in 2009 when the court presented new evidence.
Years later, Burrell’s case received new attention after Klobuchar ran for president in 2020 and the Black Lives Matter protests demanding criminal justice reform.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13715977/tim-walz-myon-burrell-free-prison-arrest.html
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has been under fire this week for claims of stolen valor has been accused of more stolen valor after a photo published by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is raising eyebrows in the veterans community.
Walz was a guest of Governor Murphy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford to see a Bruce Springsteen Concert. Beto O’Rourke, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Walz were also in attendance.
Walz, who had claimed he carried a ‘weapon of war’ during ‘war’ has been criticized of embellishing his military service record. He never served in a combat zone. He served in an artillery unit of the Minnesota National Guard, but he was deployed for a short time to Italy during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the photo posted by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Walz is wearing a hat bearing the U.S. Army Special Forces crest. Walz was never a member of the Special Forces. To the outside, wearing a hat in support of such a prestigious organization could be seen as a kind gesture, within military veteran circles, it is frowned upon.
It is frowned upon because it misleads people into thinking that person served with the special forces.
“Walz is falsely wearing the crest my husband earned. Walz was never Special Forces, another lie. Lying about his rank & combat wasn’t enough. Stolen Valor Walz,” said one woman on X.