Indiana

Phillip Geans guilty of murder in 1988 shooting of Theresa Burns, jury rules

A jury found Phillip Geans guilty of murder in the 1988 killing of 16-year-old Theresa Burns in Mishawaka.

The Mishawaka man was charged in December 2013 in the shooting death of the Mishawaka High School sophomore. Geans was arrested nearly 26 years after the 16-year-old girl’s killing.

Geans opted not to testify during his five-day trial. His defense attorneys rested their case Friday after presenting one witness and two exhibits.

The jury deliberated for a little over three hours on Monday, Sept. 28, before reaching their verdict.

He’s set to be sentenced at 10 a.m. Oct. 28.

Geans was 17 when Burns was shot in her home after leaving school. Police say Geans and Burns knew each other through friends.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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