Ex-University of Arizona football player sentenced to 20 years for murder

Ex-Arizona Wildcat cornerback DaVonte’ Neal was sentenced Friday to 20 years for the 2017 death of Bryan T. Burns.
Published: Oct. 4, 2024 at 11:47 AM MST|Updated: Oct. 4, 2024 at 3:27 PM MST
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PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A former University of Arizona football player will spend decades behind bars for murder.

Ex-Wildcat cornerback DaVonte’ Neal was sentenced Friday to 20 years for the 2017 death of Bryan T. Burns. Neal was charged with first-degree murder, drive-by shooting and discharging a firearm at a structure. He was facing up to 25 years in prison.

Emotional victim statements were read during the hearing, including one from Burns’ sister-in-law.

“....We are 100% sure that if you [Bryan] would have not faced this tragedy, if you would have moved, we all would be living together or near one another. But that is not the option that you are able to get due to DaVonte’ Neal taking your life as if he had to that night,” a speaker read for Burns’ sister-in-law, who was not present during the hearing. “Losing a loved one is hard, no matter the circumstances. But to lose Bryan by being shot several times, his passing has been unbearable for all of us.”

On Friday, ex-Arizona cornerback DaVonte’ Neal was sentenced to 20 years for the 2017 death of...
On Friday, ex-Arizona cornerback DaVonte’ Neal was sentenced to 20 years for the 2017 death of Bryan T. Burns.(Arizona's Family)

Neal was arrested in 2022 while he was an assistant football coach at Idaho State University. He was held at the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello, Idaho, before being extradited to Arizona.

Neal was born in Akron, Ohio, and played college football at U of A from 2013 to 2016. He was also a two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale.

Before transferring to Arizona, he spent the 2012 season at the University of Notre Dame and has coached at the high school and junior college levels.

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