Man handed 80-year sentence for murder of woman found in Fountain Square church

INDIANAPOLIS — A man was sentenced Thursday for the killing of a woman found dead in a Fountain Square church.

Robert Burks was ordered to serve 80 years in prison on a murder conviction in the November 2019 death of 58-year-old Julie Morey, according to the the Marion County Prosecutor.

He was found guilty in February of murdering Morey after a one-day trial.

Morey's body was discovered on Nov. 3, 2019, on a couch in the Religious Education Center building of St. Patrick Catholic Church.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office determined Morey died from strangulation and multiple stab wounds.

During the investigation, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives learned Morey had recently filed a police report alleging Burks punched her in the face, causing her to develop black eyes, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

A forensics expert found Burks’ DNA on Morey’s hands, face, neck and underneath her fingernails

“This case was solved through a true community effort,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. “Witnesses and nearby businesses played a crucial role throughout the investigation and prosecution, which ultimately led to justice for Ms. Morey and her family.”