A Lawrence County man on parole for a 1999 murder on Monday fatally stabbed his girlfriend’s 8-year-old son in front of several other children inside a home near New Castle, police said
“Die,” Keith L. Burley Jr. told Mark E. Mason as he attacked the boy with what a teenage witness called a “pink camouflaged knife,” according to a police affidavit.
Investigators said the stabbing was preceded by a domestic dispute with the child’s mother, identified in court paperwork as Maram Saada, 36, and a kidnapping.
Burley, 43, fled, but U.S. Marshals picked him up Tuesday in Youngstown, Ohio as he walked down Market Street.
He had been on parole since March 28 from state prison, where court records show he had been serving 19 to 38 years for third-degree murder and a gun charge.
Burley, of Edinburg, Lawrence County, is charged with homicide, aggravated assault, kidnap to inflict injury, reckless endangerment, and simple assault.
Burley, who was paroled March 28, is accused of killing the child around 10:30 p.m. Monday at a house along High Street in Union Township.
According to authorities, Ms. Saada was driving Burley and her 8- and 7-year-old boys when the two adults got into an argument over their cell phones. Police said Burley hit Ms. Saada in the face multiple times, prompting her to pull into a New Castle fire station’s parking lot and get out to seek help.
Burley drove away with Ms. Saada’s children still inside. He went to a friend’s house on High Street, where he then stabbed Mark, police said.
Burley is not the boys’ biological father, officials said.
Two other children — ages 8 and 15 — were home alone playing video games in the High Street residence when they realized someone was in the house. They found Burley, whom they knew through their mother. He was holding a gun, the affidavit said.
Burley told the children who lived in the home to look for the magazine of the gun he held. They ran to their mother’s bedroom to look for it, and when they came out they saw Burley stabbing Mark, according to the affidavit.
Police said the boys, along with Mark’s 7-year-old sibling, who was also inside the house, ran to a neighbor’s home for help. Burley fled.
State police Trooper James Long said Burley was released from state prison in March after serving more than 18 years for third-degree murder.
"Everybody hates the loss of a child," said Abdou Saada, 34, and brother of the woman. "We love our nephews dearly and his grandparents are taking this really hard. We are all just taking this time to mourn."
The New Castle native said his sister had known Burley for only a couple of months. He claimed that his sister didn’t willingly get out of the car after parking at the fire station, but rather was pushed out the vehicle as Burley continued to beat her.
"She didn't have a choice," he said.
Mr. Saada said he isn’t certain if she knew of Burley’s criminal history prior to dating him.
The 7-year-old is currently staying with his father, he said.
"We wanted to make sure he would be with someone he is familiar with," Mr. Saada said of his nephew. "He has a good relationship with his dad."
Mr. Saada said he and the family will discuss funeral arrangements Wednesday.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was corrected to note that the victim was 8 years old.
First Published: July 9, 2019, 10:16 a.m.
Updated: July 9, 2019, 6:24 p.m.