George Washington Burnett was a former pastor and a convicted child molester. At 82, his neighbors though of him as a kindly old neighborhood grandfather. I believe his neighbors did not know of his past. Somebody he knew murdered him. He was shot and stabbed to death. It was a cruel end to a tragically sad life. At times like this, I must reconsider my telling of the story. Do I praise his good works, or do I say that street justice caught up with a religious hypocrite? I’m inclined to be kind. He served his time, but that is often not enough for the victims who carry the scares of abuse for life.
There were multiple victims; there may be more that did not come forward. One may have settled an old score. Of course, it could be a case of robbery gone wrong or that of a prostitute turning on her John. The possibilities are endless.
A few years into the abuse, she was confronted by a woman who said Burnett raped her. At first she denied anything had been done to her, but when she found out she wasn’t the only victim, she broke her silence and told her family. Burnett was charged with five offences in 1993. He eventually pleaded guilty to three of those charges.
I would write the story like like this. Former pastor and convicted pedophile murdered in his own bed. A sad end to a corrupt life.
