Indiana Appeals Court upholds Gary man’s conviction for killing man staying with neighbor
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a Gary man’s conviction Tuesday for killing a man staying at a neighbor’s Glen Park home in September 2022.
Lamar Golston, 62, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 19 years in December in the Sept. 8, 2022, death of Curtis Burnside, 51.
In a 3-0 decision, Chief Judge Robert Altice wrote the sentence was not unduly harsh, given what happened.
The men had been arguing when Golston flashed a gun. Burnside tried to diffuse the situation, put his hands up, and turned to walk away. Golston shot him in the back, buttocks and shoulder. Prosecutors later said Burnside had only been there a couple days.
Golston apologized in court to Burnside’s family.
“Nothing about these circumstances indicates that Golston is deserving of a lesser sentence,” Altice wrote in a five-page document.
The judge also wrote a 1980s-era military rape and sodomy case still reflected on his character, even if it was decades old and he had no major criminal record since. Golston served about 12 years for it.
Around 12:11 p.m., Gary police were sent to the 4100 block of Buchanan Street about a person who suffered gunshot wounds, according to a release.
Police went inside the residence and found Burnside, who had multiple gunshot wounds and did not appear to be breathing.
Witnesses told police they were outside smoking when a neighbor and a man one witness didn’t know — later identified as Golston, who lived on the block — asked for Burnside, who was inside sleeping. When Burnside came out, the talk turned into an “argument” before gunshots rang out. They had argued before, according to court documents.
Burnside came into the residence bleeding from gunshot wounds and collapsed on the floor, the release stated, and a dog was also grazed on the left side behind its left front leg, according to police.
