Eugene Burns, 32, from Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 37 years in prison for the murder of Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III and for conspiring to influence a witness. U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department announced the sentencing.
Burns received a 31-year sentence for first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was given an additional six years for conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Co-defendant Tyre Allen, 24, also from Washington, D.C., was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo to three years in prison. Both Burns and Allen were convicted on October 28, 2024, of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice charges.
According to evidence presented by the government, Burns lured his best friend Osuchukwu to his mother's apartment in Southeast Washington on November 14, 2015. There he shot Osuchukwu four times. Initially convicted in 2017 for this murder, Burns's conviction was overturned on appeal in 2020. Following this reversal, Burns and his cousin Allen conspired to influence a witness into signing a false affidavit recanting previous testimony against Burns.
U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the investigative efforts of several agencies including the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. They also recognized former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Willoughby and Kevin Flynn as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles R. Jones and Sharon Donovan for their roles in prosecuting the case.