Jamestown, New York – A man previously suspected in the May 2023 shooting death of Kala Hodgkin, a Jamestown woman, has been sentenced to between 25 and 50 years in a Pennsylvania state prison on kidnapping and escape charges. Chautauqua County district attorney, Jason Schmidt, emphasized that this lengthy sentence would not impact the potential prosecution of the suspect locally. Schmidt expressed his commitment to ensuring that justice is served for Hodgkin, stating, “We get one shot at this and it needs to be perfect. Nothing less is acceptable.”
Despite no charges being announced, Schmidt revealed that the investigation into Hodgkin’s death has been “substantially complete for months now,” with his office awaiting results of forensic testing by the FBI in Virginia. While there is no immediate need to charge the suspect locally, Schmidt indicated that any sentence the suspect might receive in Chautauqua County would be added to his current sentence in Pennsylvania.
The suspect, Michael C. Burham, received the maximum sentence after pleading guilty to charges in Pennsylvania connected to the kidnapping of a couple in the days following Hodgkin’s death and for his subsequent escape from jail. In the sentencing in Warren, the judge did not mince words, stating, “You’ll do anything to anybody to maintain your freedom.”
Burham’s escape from the Warren County Jail in July sparked a 10-day manhunt that brought the county national and international attention. Jamestown police were called the morning of May 11 to Hodgkin’s home, where she was pronounced dead. Shortly after her killing, police described Burham as being potentially “armed and dangerous.” He was eventually captured on May 24 and returned to Warren when he escaped just weeks later.
It is important to note that any potential sentence Burham might receive in Chautauqua County regarding Hodgkin’s death would be added on to his current sentence in Pennsylvania. The case remains under investigation as Schmidt’s office awaits forensic testing results from the FBI.