Dc man sentenced to 37 years for murder of best friend, witness tampering — Police Handcuffs- File Photo - Arrest

WASHINGTON — A Washington, D.C., man was sentenced Friday to 37 years in prison for the 2015 murder of his best friend and for conspiring to influence a witness in the case, federal prosecutors said.

Eugene Burns, 32, was convicted in October 2024 of first-degree murder while armed, firearm offenses, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said Burns lured 23-year-old Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III to an apartment in Southeast D.C. on November 14, 2015, and shot him four times, killing him.

Burns was initially convicted in 2017, but his conviction was overturned on appeal in 2020. After the reversal, Burns and his cousin, Tyre Allen, 24, conspired to obstruct justice by persuading a witness to sign a false affidavit recanting their testimony.

A jury convicted both men in October 2024 of witness tampering and obstruction. Allen was sentenced to three years in prison.

Prosecutors said the case underscores the persistence of law enforcement in holding violent offenders accountable, even years after a crime is committed.

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