An Illinois doctor is accused of killing his estranged wife and attempting to cover up the crime by burning her remains and spreading the ashes.
Brian Burns, of Harrisburg, was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one charge of concealment of homicidal death, according to formal charges announced by the Saline County state's attorney's office.
His wife, nursing professor Carla Burns, was last seen in Saline County around 3:30 p.m. March 7, police said. Family and friends reported her missing to the Marion Police Department the following day. She was 49.
Carla Burns was shot to death and her body was burned and the ashes scattered, police said. Authorities would not comment further on what led them to her remains.
Court records show Carla Burns had sought a restraining order against her husband, fearing his alleged verbal abuse would escalate to physical violence. In subsequent filings, Brian Burns accused his wife of her own "verbal harassment" and "economic blackmail," the Southern Illinoisan reports.
Brian Burns was a physician at Harrisburg Medical Center through the Morthland College Health Services based in West Frankfort, court records uncovered by the Southern Illinoisan indicate. A spokeswoman at MCHS would not comment on his employment when contacted by the paper.
Carla and Brian Burns married in 2009, according to the Southern Illinoisan. Records show Carla Burns filed for divorce in 2014. She was a nursing professor at Southeastern Illinois College and had two children from a previous relationship, the paper reports.
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"The SIC Family is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own, nursing instructor Carla Burns. The whole campus community mourns for her family and friends," Southeastern Illinois College said in a statement. "Our hearts especially go out to our colleagues who worked with Carla day to day."
Brian Burns is being held on $1 million bond. It wasn't immediately known if he had an attorney.
