Mississippi court affirms conviction in the killing of a man whose body was found in a freezer

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Court of Appeals has affirmed a woman’s conviction in the death of a man whose body was found stuffed into a freezer at his home.

In a unanimous decision Tuesday, the 10-member court also affirmed the sentences received by Samantha Simmons — life in prison for conviction on the murder charge in the killing of 54-year-old Thomas Burns, plus 20 years for conviction on a charge of receiving stolen property.

A Lamar County jury convicted Simmons in August 2022.

Burns’ body was found in a freezer in his home in Purvis in May 2018. Court records show Simmons had started dating Burns early that year, and she was living with him in his home.

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The state medical examiner found zip ties around Burns’ neck, wrists and ankles, a belt around his legs and a trash bag over his head. An autopsy showed Burns died from either strangulation from the zip tie around his neck or “environmental/positional asphyxia” from being put in a freezer with a bag over his head.

According to court records, investigators found that Simmons had a key to a padlock that was on the freezer where Burns’ body was discovered by neighbors and his brother who checked his house after not seeing him for months. Court records also showed that tests run by the Mississippi crime laboratory found Simmons’ DNA on the zip ties.

Simmons argued that the DNA on the zip ties did not prove she killed Burns. But an analyst testified that the amount of DNA on the zip ties would be unusual for someone who just handled the items.

“This testimony, coupled with the DNA evidence, could lead a reasonable juror to conclude that Simmons killed (Burns),” the Court of Appeals wrote.

A witness testified that Simmons had contacted his wife about trying to sell some of Burns’ belongings.