Teen gets 59-year sentence in crime spree, killing

The teen convicted of a 2013 Southside crime spree that resulted in the death of an Indianapolis man has been sentenced to 59 years in prison.

The sentence comes about three weeks after Sirquain Burr, 18, Indianapolis, pleaded guilty to murder, aggravated battery and robbery. Marion Superior Judge Mark Stoner imposed a total sentence of 68 years, with nine years suspended and the rest to be executed at the Indiana Department of Corrections. Burr will be on probation for three years after he served his sentence.

Prosecutors say Burr shot John Yingling, 38, during an attempted robbery in the driveway of Yingling’s home in the 3300 block of Babette Court near Southport. Another teen, Gabriel Edwards, 16, who was accused of being Burr’s accomplice, waited nearby behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle.

The teens also are accused of shooting Rex Souter, who was walking his dog at Dandy Trail and Rutherglen Way in Indianapolis, and in the attempted armed robbery of Kenneth Winslow in the 7400 block of Earl Court in Southport. Souter was treated and released from the hospital the day of the shooting.

The one-day crime-spree occurred on Feb. 13. 2013. Police said the two led officers on a chase that ended in a crash in Brownsburg.

Burr appeared in court this morning in red overalls, his hands were handcuffed and his ankles were chained. In arguing for a more lenient sentence, Burr’s attorney, Jason Bunch, said told the judge that Burr had a “rough and brutal” childhood and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“He grew up in an environment of violence,” Bunch said, as an expressionless Burr sat next to him.

Bunch added that Burr has the “ability to be rehabilitated.”

“This is not a lost soul,” Bunch said. “This is someone who can come to life” even after spending much of his life in prison.

Burr’s mother, Tyease Dunn, wept after the sentencing hearing as two women tried to console her.

“He was there,” Dunn said. “He made the choice.”

Edwards also pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder and robbery and could face 51 years in prison. His plea deal also calls for 10 years of probation, according to court documents. He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing Wednesday morning.

Contact Star reporter Kristine Guerra at (317) 444-6209. Follow her on Twitter: @kristine_guerra.