Affidavit: Coweta Man's Relatives Paid To Have Him Killed

NewsOn6.com

COWETA, Oklahoma – Court records show the wife and daughter of a Coweta man found shot to death last month had solicited multiple persons to kill him.

Arthur Burney, 53, was found shot to the death on February 18, 2011, in a barn near his home in Coweta.

His wife, Patricia Burney, and the couple's daughter, Michelle Burney, were arrested for the murder. Michelle Burney's boyfriend, Michael Richardson, was also arrested.

3/10/2011 Related Story: Wife, Teen Daughter Arrested In Coweta Man's Death

According to an affidavit, Michael Richardson said Patricia Burney and Michelle Burney had hired him to kill Arthur Burney for $6,000.

Court records show Patricia and Michelle Burney picked Richardson up from a home in Oklahoma City on February 18, 2011, and drove to the Burneys home in Coweta.

The affidavit states Patricia Burney gave Richardson a rifle, and he headed to the barn.  According to court records, Richardson waited for Arthur Burney to enter the barn and then shot him one time. Court records show Richardson then hid the gun underneath the Burney's trailer home. 

Moments after the shooting, Richardson, along with Patricia Burney and Michelle Burney drove to a Tulsa mall, court records showed.

According to the affidavit, Patricia and Michelle told Richardson they had been trying to find someone to kill Arthur for seven months.

Court records show Michelle Burney posted on Facebook, "I'd love to tell my dad to just grow up but he never will. We are sick of him bing [sic] home."

According to the affidavit, Richardson said he "had not seen any money other than a small amount" Patricia paid him when he and Michelle went to the mall.

The affidavit states a witness said Arthur Burney "had stopped eating and drinking items prepared by Patricia because he suspected he was being poisoned."

The affidavit states the same witness told investigators Michelle Burney often said she hated her dad and would "shoot him" if he ever laid a hand on her or her mother.

According to the affidavit, Michelle Burney had asked at least two other people to kill her father.