A Special Gift

On Christmas Eve 2013, a fourteen year old girl called 911 and pleaded with them to send someone to an apartment in Lake Luzerne, New York. She told the dispatcher that her mother had been stabbed and was dying. When the attacker fled the scene the girl was able to give the dispatcher a detailed description of the man, because she knew him, it was her father.

Sources:

Articles:

1. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Killer-of-estranged-wife-to-face-judge-5735932.php

2. https://poststar.com/news/local/clifford-burns-pleads-guilty-to-murdering-his-wife-in-lake-luzerne/article_3a882a1c-c62d-11e3-90c1-0019bb2963f4.html

3. https://dailygazette.com/2014/04/17/guilty-christmas-eve-murder/

4. https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2015/10/man-sentenced-in-death-of-wife-appeals-plea/

5. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Precious-life-sudden-death-1019248.php

6. https://dailygazette.com/2014/09/05/niskayuna-man-sentenced-murdering-wife/

7. https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/appellate-division-third-department/2015/106991.html

8. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Child-pleads-as-Lake-Luzerne-mom-dies-5148308.php

9. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/History-of-violence-now-another-death-5093794.php

10. https://dailygazette.com/2014/04/17/guilty-christmas-eve-murder/

11. https://dailygazette.com/2013/12/29/1230vigil/

12. https://dailygazette.com/2013/12/25/1225_luzerne/

13. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timesunion-albany/obituary.aspx?n=patricia-canavan-burns&pid=168770030&fhid=5016

14. https://poststar.com/news/local/murder-charged-in-christmas-eve-stabbing-of-mom-in-lake-luzerne/article_98f86b8e-6cfa-11e3-856e-001a4bcf887a.html#_=_

15. https://poststar.com/news/local/death-threats-preceded-stabbing-man-says/article_c5214a1c-78af-11e3-bc17-0019bb2963f4.html

16. https://poststar.com/news/local/filing-suggests-christmas-eve-stabbing-suspects-lawyer-plans-to-use-psychiatric-defense/article_37dff44c-9aaf-11e3-8f63-0019bb2963f4.html

17. https://poststar.com/news/local/man-accused-in-wifes-death-had-record-of-abuse/article_9e471476-71de-11e3-b6f7-0019bb2963f4.html

18. https://poststar.com/graphic-content-clifford-burns-interrogation/youtube_31604e84-7e33-11e3-ba4f-001a4bcf887a.html

19. https://poststar.com/news/local/records-murder-suspect-sent-ominous-text-to-family/article_625c210e-a960-11e3-9316-001a4bcf887a.html

20. https://poststar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/appeals-court-denies-appeal-in-lake-luzerne-murder-case/article_b2f71503-8cdb-50ba-8f3a-4941eff28e0b.html

21. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Court-hears-appeal-of-Patricia-Burns-estranged-6595648.php

22. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Child-pleads-as-Lake-Luzerne-mom-dies-5148308.php

23. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Murder-arraignment-will-be-Wednesday-5144565.php

24. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Niskayuna-man-faces-murder-charge-for-Christmas-5142992.php

25. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Not-guilty-plea-in-wife-s-death-5125195.php

26. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Fund-to-aid-slain-woman-s-children-5096911.php

27. https://www.nycourts.gov/judges/cji/2-PenalLaw/125/AC.125.EED.pdf

28. https://www.pbzlawfirm.com/blog/2020/may/grand-jury-vs-preliminary-hearings/#:~:text=A%20Preliminary%20Hearing%20is%20an,lawyer%20is%20allowed%20to%20attend

29. https://dailygazette.com/2014/08/03/taking-back-plea-usually-futile-effort/

30. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2883340/Mother-daughter-stabbed-death-Christmas-Eve-ex-husband-prepared-festive-turkey-urges-domestic-abuse-victims-speak-out.html

31. https://ncadv.org/STATISTICS

32. https://www.vice.com/en/article/wnw3xm/the-hidden-crisis-of-domestic-violence-over-the-holidays

33. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/world/coronavirus-domestic-violence.html

Videos:

1. Pt. 1: Christmas Eve Ended Tragically For Patricia Burns - Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen