Jamestown, NY – Michael Burham, 37, was sentenced Monday to 25 years to life in prison for the first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend, Kala Hodgkin, in May 2023. The sentencing took place in Chautauqua County Court, presided over by Judge David Foley, following Burham’s guilty plea in January.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced the sentence at a press conference Monday, detailing a case marked by violence and flight. Burham shot Hodgkin at her Jamestown home before embarking on a series of escalating crimes, including arson and kidnapping.
Following Hodgkin’s death, Burham allegedly set fire to a vehicle and then kidnapped an elderly couple from Pennsylvania. He subsequently fled to South Carolina, where he was apprehended two weeks later. His escape from the Warren County jail in July 2023 further prolonged the manhunt, keeping law enforcement engaged for nine days.
Burham had already received a sentence of 25 to 50 years in prison in Pennsylvania for the kidnapping and escape charges. District Attorney Schmidt confirmed that both the Pennsylvania and New York sentences will be served concurrently.
“After all of this, Mr. Burham goes back to Pennsylvania [and] serves his time,” Schmidt stated, as reported by Spectrum News. He further explained that upon his release from the Pennsylvania sentence, Burham will be under the control of the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and will be subject to periodic parole board review, with the possibility of remaining incarcerated for life.
The District Attorney’s office indicated its intention to pursue the maximum possible confinement for Burham. “It is our goal to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life,” Schmidt said.
The sentencing concludes the immediate legal proceedings in Chautauqua County, but Burham remains incarcerated in Pennsylvania. The timing of his transfer to New York custody, and the subsequent parole board considerations, remain to be determined.
