Duval County Jury Finds Burns Guilty of Murder-For-Hire of his Wife

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Jerry Burns guilty of First-Degree Murder for the murder-for-hire of his wife Velvet Burns. The State is seeking the death penalty for Burns’ crimes; the jury will return Dec. 16 to begin the penalty phase.

Co-defendant Amanda Love previously pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder on July 16, 2019, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Co-defendant Stephen Hand pleaded guilty to First-Degree Murder on Aug. 2, 2022, and was sentenced to life in Florida State Prison without the possibility of parole.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Alan Mizrahi, Christina Stifler, and Brittany Johnson.