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More than 150 supporters and family members of Myon Burrell gathered in below-freezing temperatures at the site of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis on Sunday to call for Burrell’s exoneration. 

Burrell was 17 when he was first convicted in the 2002 shooting death of sixth-grader Tyesha Edwards in Minneapolis, but an 

Associated Press and APM Reports investigation

 published earlier this year found significant problems with how Burrell’s case was prosecuted. 

Burrell's now 19-year-old son, who is also named Myon Burrell, said he hasn't seen his father outside of prison since he was a year old. He said he was stunned that so many people would turn out to support his father.

"Other kids’ dreams are usually like, they want to be a movie star, they want to be an actor or doctor,” he said. “But my dreams were always, I wanted to grow up with my dad — I never had my dad."

The Associated Press and APM Reports investigation put a 

 on then-Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who originally prosecuted Burrell. She has said the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office should conduct an 

 review of the case. Current Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman first 

 confidence that the right man had been imprisoned, but later said the U.S. Department of Justice should re-

George Floyd’s killing created a climate where real change can happen, said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. But he said elected officials need to be held accountable. 

“We have to put some pressure on Amy Klobuchar right now, we’ve got to put pressure on her, make sure that she hears ‘Myon’ every single day,” Hussein said. “Let her know, Myon has people — Myon has people — and we are not going anywhere until this man is free with his family, and she is responsible.” 

As a mural of George Floyd loomed behind him, Burrell's father Michael Toussaint told the crowd at Sunday’s rally that he's frustrated by delays in re-examining his son's case.  

“The systems are the same people that make the laws, but break them,” Toussaint said. “If you really went by law, my son wouldn't be in jail now, he'd have been free."

Burrell is being held at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater, which his supporters say puts his health at risk due to an extensive outbreak of COVID-19 there. State data shows that almost half of all inmates at Stillwater have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Crime, Law and Justice

NewsPartners

The murder of George Floyd

Jon Collins

Author

More than 150 supporters and family members of Myon Burrell gathered in below-freezing temperatures at the site of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis on Sunday to call for Burrell’s exoneration. 


Michael Toussaint (left), father of Myon Burrell

Minneapolis rally calls for exoneration of Myon Burrell

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