Bay County man on meth binge sentenced to life for slaying 64-year-old disabled woman
PANAMA CITY — A man who had been out of prison less than six months before stabbing a disabled woman to death was found guilty Wednesday of second-degree murder.
A Bay County jury took about 20 minutes to reach its verdict on William Jacob Burks, 37, in the Feb. 13, 2021, slaying of Cynthia A. Black, 64, in her Southport home. Burks was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Prosecutor Peter Overstreet successfully argued that defense attempts to mitigate the homicide by saying the defendant was delusional and on a methamphetamine binge were not based on the law. He said Burks knew what he was doing before, during and after the stabbing, and voluntary intoxication is not a defense in Florida.
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"Life is about choices, the choices we make every day," Overstreet told jurors. "We get out of bed, we choose to brush our teeth or not brush our teeth. Maybe we get a cavity, maybe we don't. We suffer the consequences of the actions and choices we make every, single, day.
"When William Burks decided he was going to do methamphetamine for five or seven days and go on a bender, there were consequences to that action," Overstreet continued. "And now he's asking you to find him guilty of a (lesser charge), because he knew he couldn't come in here and say, 'I didn't do it.' Hold Mr. Burks responsible, find him guilty of second-degree murder."
Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson agreed with Overstreet that Burks qualified for an enhanced sentence under Florida's Prison Release Reoffender statute, which meant a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
"The words we've heard today were powerful," Judge Stephenson said of victim impact statements from Black's family. "The words we heard in testimony during the trial were powerful. This appears to be an absolutely senseless killing. Absolutely senseless. I don't know what other words to use."
Witnesses testified that Burks' girlfriend was Black's caregiver and all three lived at the victim's residence.
According to testimony, Burks had been using meth for days and was making bacon the morning of Feb. 13, 2021, when hot grease landed on him. His girlfriend said he walked into the bathroom where the victim was in a handicapped-accessible seat and stabbed her in the throat.
Medical Examiner Dr. Jay Radtke, one of 11 witnesses called by the state, testified the resulting large wound struck both the jugular and carotid arteries, and was fatal.
Burks fled the house, stole a truck, abandoned it and ultimately was found hiding in the woods a few miles away. He admitted stabbing Black to the deputies who captured him and Sheriff's Office Investigator Jake Roberts, who interviewed him.
Burks claimed Black and others had abused his son; the evidence showed there had been no abuse.
After the verdict, Black's sister addressed the court to ask for the maximum sentence. Carla Madinger said she suffers from anxiety, nightmares and depression because of the murder.
She said her sister, disabled by a stroke, was unable to defend herself when attacked.
"Since she could not do these things, an able-bodied man took her life, a person who she had to trust, someone she had to depend on, and someone that she could not get away from," Madinger said. "I cannot imagine what Cindy felt, the fear she must have experienced … nor the horror she must have known knowing she was about to die and there was nothing she could do."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County Florida man convicted of stabbing stroke victim to death
