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Jury recommends life sentence for Jacksonville man who paid to have wife killed, decides against death penalty

Jerry Burns was found guilty of first-degree murder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A jury on Tuesday recommended that a Jacksonville man found guilty of first-degree murder in the plot to have his wife killed in 2019 spend the rest of his life in prison, deciding against the death penalty.

After the testimony ended on Tuesday afternoon, the jury started the process of deciding whether to recommend life in prison without parole or the death penalty for Jerry Burns, who was found guilty Friday in the plot to kill his wife, Velvet Burns.

The jurors voted 10-2 in favor of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Velvet Burns was stabbed 39 times at her home on the Westside on May 9, 2019.

RELATED | A Jacksonville woman was stabbed 39 times while she slept. Her husband is accused of paying his mistress to kill her

According to prosecutors, Jerry Burns worked with his mistress, Amanda Love, to hire someone to murder his wife. That someone happened to be Love’s longtime on-again, off-again partner, Stephen Hand.

Amanda Love, the mistress of a man charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife in 2019 is set to testify Thursday to her role in what prosecutors are calling a murder-for-hire plot. (Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

Jerry and Velvet Burns’ children were among the people who took the stand during the sentencing hearing.

“My mother, Velvet Burns, was a beautiful person inside and out,” her son said. “She put everyone above herself and had the kindest heart of all.”

“The hurt that my family has gone through I wish on no one,” he added.

Jerry and Velvet Burns’ daughter said she is still navigating the loss of her mom and dad.

“I struggle to cut up my food because I wonder if this is the kind of knife that my mom was killed with,” she said.

They both feared they and other loved ones would be murdered next.

“We were terrified that they would come back to get our family. We took turns sleeping,” the daughter said. “Now I am planning a wedding without the guidance of my mom. My dad won’t be there to walk me down the aisle. There won’t be anyone for my children to call grandparents.”

Velvet Burns. (Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

Hand and Love were both convicted of killing Velvet Burns. Hand pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison in 2022.

MORE | ‘Cheaper if she was killed’: Mistress of man accused in murder-for-hire plot says she killed wife for money, not love

Under a new state law that went into effect last year, the jury did not need to reach a unanimous decision to recommend the death sentence.

The recommendation requires at least an 8 to 4 split, in favor of execution.

Florida is one of just three states out of the 27 that impose the death penalty — to not require unanimity.

MORE | Man convicted in murder of Jacksonville woman testifies her husband paid him to stab her to death

The defense on Monday attempted to spare Jerry Burns' life from the death penalty characterizing him as a family man.

Burns was assessed to have a low IQ and also had low self-esteem due to childhood abuse. But the prosecution said a witness said he wanted to pay $30,000 to kill his wife and give her pills that would cause her to have a heart attack. The defense brought this up to suggest that despite his low IQ he still had the ability to plan his wife’s murder.

The judge in the case will make the final decision on Jerry Burns' sentence at a later date.


About the Authors
Marcela Camargo headshot

Marcela joined News4JAX in 2023. She grew up in Mexico and eventually moved to California to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Now, she is a proud San Diego State University alumna who has many years of experience in TV and digital journalism.

Tarik Minor headshot

Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.

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