Tennessee Inmate Kevin Burns Fights for Freedom from Death Row
Kevin Burns sits on Tennessee’s death row, maintaining his innocence for a crime he insists he didn’t commit. Despite 28 years at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison, he remains hopeful. Born in West Memphis, Arkansas, Kevin’s life took a tragic turn on his 23rd birthday. What was meant to be a celebration ended in tragedy when a robbery led to two deaths. Despite never firing a shot, Kevin was convicted of felony murder. Throughout his time in incarceration, Kevin became an ordained minister and is the only death row pastor in the United States pastoring “The Church of Life” on Riverbend Maximum Security Institution’s Unit 2 in Nashville, TN.
Despite compelling evidence of his innocence, including conflicting witness descriptions and discrepancies in the case, Kevin’s appeals have been exhausted. The Supreme Court declined to hear his case, leaving his fate in the hands of Governor Bill Lee.
Join in the fight to save Pastor KB from an unjust fate. Stand with us to bring attention to his case and urge Governor Lee to reconsider Kevin’s sentence. Every voice counts in the fight for justice.
Kevin Burns’ conviction and death sentence are the product of extreme malfunctions in the justice system.
His lawyers were completely unprepared for trial, and failed to show the jury that Kevin could not be one of the two killers. They also failed to prepare for capital sentencing, thus their entire mitigation case took less than twenty minutes to present – they spent more time on a mid-trial dinner break than they did in arguing for Kevin’s life. Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson concluded that the legal basis for Mr. Burns’ death sentence is “indefensible” and that the final decision imposing his sentence of death is so flawed that the “errors leap off the page”. These legal errors have never been corrected, and his lawyer’s failures have never been remedied. Thus, Kevin Burns awaits wrongful execution.
In The News
Over the past few years, Kevin Burns (KB) has received significant media attention. Here are press releases highlighting his journey to clemency:
- Tennessee inmate on death row for 28 years fights for his freedom (ABC News)
- The Faith of Kevin Burns (Nashville Scene)
- Death row inmate Kevin Burns is a redeemed man and deserves a chance at freedom | Opinion (The Tennessean)
- 3 justices protest Supreme Court decision to deny appeal of Tennessee man on death row (The Tennessean)
- Sotomayor slams SCOTUS majority’s ‘indefensible’ move to uphold death sentence, chastising justices for a decision that ‘will be the last’ for condemned man (Law & Crime)
A Prayer from Death Row, by Pastor Kevin Burns
Watch Pastor Kevin Burns Sermons
To learn more and to get involved, please visit the official website: savepastorkb.com. You can also follow and support on social media through the official Facebook page: Save Pastor KB – Pastor Kevin Burns, Instagram page: @savepastorkb, and TikTok account: @savepastorkb
