GUILTY GA - Kimberly Burton, 39, murdered in her Canton home, 19 Jan 2009

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cherokee/stories/2009/01/21/canton_optometrist_death.html

Canton police and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office want to talk to the husband of an optician found beaten to death.

Police found Kimberly Leigh Burton’s nude body about noon Monday inside her home in the 300 block of Arlington Circle in the Rivergreen subdivision, according to a Canton police report released Wednesday.

http://www.macon.com/198/story/596750.html

"
Friends of a 39-year-old optician from Juliette found beaten to death in her Canton home Monday say she was a devoted mother who achieved her dream of succeeding in business.
The death of Kimberly Leigh Davis Burton, a 1987 graduate of Mary Persons High School in Forsyth, is being investigated by the Canton Police Department and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

Jerry Hicks, Burton’s former father-in-law, discovered her body after looking through a front window at her home in Canton’s Rivergreen subdivision around noon. Employees at her Eyes on You Eye Care business called him when she didn’t show up for work that morning.
An autopsy performed by the GBI on Wednesday listed her cause of death as “blunt force trauma to the head, Canton police spokeswoman Cpl. Stacy Bailey said.
Authorities have not named any suspects, she said."


...and then:


"Shane Godfrey, a former boyfriend and a longtime friend, met Burton when they were ninth-graders at Mary Persons. He said during their last conversation she spoke about wanting to leave her husband, Rodney Burton.
“Last Tuesday, she told me that she was tired of the relationship and it was coming to an end,” said Godfrey, a former Monroe County sheriff’s deputy who lives in Jasper. “He drank a lot. He lied to her a lot.”

My money's on the husband. How very sad.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/p...n=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

Video included at this link.

But how annoying! LE is still seeking the husband, but no one shows a picture of him or even says his name. How is the public supposed to help find him?

Unless he's spelunking or on a silent retreat somewhere, then why hasn't he shown up to ask about his dead wife?

He must have gone to the Casey Anthony school of criminal activity.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/p...n=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

Search for husband suspect continues..

"Police said Rodney Burton is now a suspect in his wife's murder. Burton is facing charges of murder and aggravated assault.

Investigators said Burton left a Canton home in his wife's vehicle and drove to Hartsfield Jackson International Airport where they say he abandoned the car and took a flight out of the country.

Police said they knew where Burton was headed, but did not release the information.

Neighbors said there have been problems before at the Burton household and police confirmed they were called to the house in July for a domestic situation in which they say Burton threatened to kill himself. "

I live in Canton and I had recently visited her eye clinic after meeting Kim at the post office. She had given me a card and asked me to come in. She is a really sweet person and even more prettier than her pictures. Rumors are flying around our community and it really bothers me. No matter what her history or past, the fact is that, a contributing member of society, a mother to two beautiful children, and a daughter/sister, is brutally murdered. No one deserves that.

This is so sad... my cousin dated Rodney when they were young for nearly six years.

Probably fled to a country with no extradition policy, anti-DP...

He has turned himself into police, in Cancun.

a link, he will appear in court on mon.

http://www.ajc.com/traffic/content/metro/cherokee/stories/2009/03/21/burton_cherokee_surrender.html

mocity said:

This is so sad... my cousin dated Rodney when they were young for nearly six years.

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Holy cow! What does your cousin think of this turn of events? Was he ever violent with her?

That would really freak me out.

http://www.ajc.com/services/content...urton_murder.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13

Accused wife killer spent $17K at Mexican resorts

Rodney Burton, the Canton man police say fled to Mexico after murdering his optician wife, spent two months in coastal resort cities draining thousands of dollars from their joint checking account.

Burton surrendered Saturday, 61 days after his wife Kimberly was found bludgeoned to death in their Cherokee County home Jan. 19. He remained in jail without bond Monday after an initial court appearance.

...

Jerry Hicks, Kimberly Burton’s former father-in-law, was frustrated by the time it took. He, a neighbor and his son, Kevin, her former husband, were first to find her dead on the living room floor of the Burtons’ home.

Hicks said he called investigators every day. He and his wife, Shirley — grandparents to Kimberly Burton’s two sons — contacted elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), for help.

Ford, hired a week ago by relatives of Rodney Burton said, “we anticipate defending him vigorously on the charges. And we believe he has a defense.” He did not elaborate.

Okay, I for one cannot wait to see what kind of defense they pull out of their...hat.

Second, I have to applaud Kimberly's former in-laws for being such determined advocates for justice. Sounds like they really stuck with it when things got very frustrating!

So your wife is dead and you spend 17K at a resort in Cancun. He better have a dream team on retainer.

From August 2010:

http://www.ledgernews.com/news/top_...cle_72bffacd-e4b9-5d83-82d4-9db596b5f1aa.html

Rodney Burton, of Canton, who was accused of killing his wife, was ordered on Aug. 9 to serve 20 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and 10 years on probation for aggravated battery...

Burton, who is not eligible for parole, pleaded guilty to the January 2009 death of his wife, Canton optometrist, Kimberly Burton...

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation autopsy revealed back in 2009 that Kimberly Burton was killed by a combination of blunt force trauma to the head and asphyxiation.

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