Saline County State’s Attorney Mike Henshaw will announce new charges in the case against Brian Burns during a press conference this afternoon.
Burns is currently charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a body in connection with the death of his estranged wife, Carla Burns. He is accused of shooting Carla to death and burning her remains to conceal her corpse.
The two counts of first degree murder are Class M felonies in Illinois, giving him a possible 20-60 years for each count, and the third charge of concealment of a body is a Class 3 felony, which only carries 2-5 years. In sum, Burns could face a maximum of 125 years in prison for the charges he is currently facing.
Carla Burns, 49, of Marion, was first reported missing by friends and family on March 10, 2016 and was last seen two days prior. Burns, 56, was arrested and charged on March 16, 2016.
The two had been estranged since Carla Burns first filed for divorce in Hamilton County, IL, in December of 2014. When the couple moved to 150 Baker Lane in Harrisburg, the case followed them to Saline County Court. Burns’ basis for filing was “irreconcilable differences,” along with “constant verbal abuse” from her husband. Burns also filed two temporary restraining orders against her husband, according to court documents, because she was worried that the alleged verbal abuse would escalate into physical abuse.
After his most recent appearance in court, Burns’ jury trial was scheduled to begin on March 22, 2017, with a final pre-trial hearing on Thursday, March 2, 2017. A status hearing in his case has been scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.
