LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- "At first a bunch of tears." That was the reaction of the daughter of one of the victims in the Brent Burke murder case after Burke was found guilty of all charges.
Burke was accused of the murders of his estranged wife Tracy Burke and her former mother in law Karen Comer, in Comer's Rineyville home in 2007. Comer's daughter, Michelle Kerstetter, confirmed the verdict to WDRB News.
Kerstetter, when asked about Burke's reaction to the verdict, said, "He didn't have one. He's had the same stone cold look on his face the entire time. And he had it today. Nothing. I got no reaction. I don't even think he was crying."
She added that Burke's parents stayed in the courtroom. "When we left they were still sitting there just looking down," Kerstetter said. "No one moved. They just sat there. Nothing."
Kerstetter was asked how her family reacted as the verdict was read. "Well, we were told in the beginning that there would be absolutely no talking," she says. "So we pretty much just kind of fell back and we just started crying."
Kerstetter was elated as WDRB's Rachel Collier spoke to her on the phone, saying she didn't know she'd been carrying so much anxiety around all this time. She says, "Yeah, we're all happy. My mom finally has the justice we've been looking for the past four and a half years."
And now that justice has finally been served after five trials, Kerstetter says now feels a great sense of "relief -- relief that you know the kids will be safe, that I can finally know that my mom, you know, finally put him away. It's just relief. I didn't realize how much anxiety you can carry around with you for this long, until that verdict came."
The Army tried Burke after four mistrials in civilian court.
Both sides presented their closing arguments in military court Monday. That came after Burke's young son and stepson testified against him.
For an earlier story on their testimony in civilian court, click here.
Burke has been sentenced to life without parole.
trials in Hardin County, two civilian juries could not reach unanimous verdicts. In the first, the jury split down the middle -- six and six. The next time, though, four jurors believed he was not guilty, while eight believed he was -- that's a two-thirds majority.
The military jury was allowed to consider Burke's character, but also his military history, including any honors and whether he has performed well as a soldier.
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