Homicide: Hours to Kill - Timeline of the Theresa Burns murder: From a brother's failed polygraph to a broken alibi

The docuseries Homicide: Hours to Kill revisits the shocking murder of a 16-year-old, Theresa Burns, by a Mishawaka teenager, who shot Theresa 6 times in the head and face inside her home on January 11, 1988. According to WSBT, Dr. David Jentz, who conducted Theresa's autopsy, revealed that the gun's barrel was pressed against Theresa's forehead when the trigger was pulled. As a result, the shot was fatal.

True Crime Central revealed that Theresa's brother, Steve Burns, initially failed a polygraph test. During the investigation, Steve came under early suspicion because he was the person who found her body. Homicide: Hours to Kill revealed that when he entered the house, he noticed his sister lying face down on the floor but assumed she was playing a prank on him. He stepped past her to answer a ringing telephone.

Detectives initially scrutinized Steve's behavior and treated him as a primary suspect. After he failed the polygraph test, investigators later concluded the failure was not an indication of guilt but the result of extreme emotional trauma and shock. Instead of administering a second polygraph, detectives thoroughly verified his alibi through statements from his girlfriend and his best friend's mother. After verifying the timeline and reviewing the case evidence, investigators completely cleared Steve of any involvement in his sister's murder.

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Timeline of the Theresa Burns murder in Homicide: Hours to Kill

January 11, 1988 - The day of murder

The South Bend Tribune revealed that Theresa left school that morning and returned to her Dittman Avenue home in Mishawaka to change clothes. Around 11:30 a.m., prosecutors alleged that 18-year-old Phillip arrived at the house, rang the doorbell, and was allowed inside. At some point after entering, he allegedly shot Theresa with a .22-caliber revolver. Hours later, her brother returned home and discovered her body.

January 1988 - Steven came under suspicion but was cleared

Homicide: Hours to Kill mentioned that after the murder of Theresa, detectives immediately focused on her brother, Steve. Investigators knew that many killings inside a home involved family members, and they were concerned because Steve stepped past his sister's body to answer a ringing phone before calling for help.

As part of the investigation, the detectives conducted a polygraph test on Steve. Although he strongly denied having any role in Theresa's murder, the test results indicated that he was not telling the truth. However, detectives understood that severe emotional trauma and lack of sleep could affect polygraph results.

According to True Crime Fix, the detectives reviewed Steve's movements on the day of the crime and confirmed his alibi. Records revealed that he had been working at the family rental business, spent his lunch break at a park with his girlfriend, and then returned to work. Homicide: Hours to Kill mentioned that his account was supported by his girlfriend, a restaurant witness, and workplace records. After thoroughly verifying the evidence, investigators officially ruled Steven out as a suspect.

Late 1980s - Key developments in Theresa's murder investigation

A few weeks after Theresa was murdered, Phillip's parents turned a .22-caliber gun over to police because they didn't want their son to have a gun. After the gun submission, the police noticed that the ejector rod was missing from the gun, which was an important detail because a separate ejector rod had been found at the crime location. Despite this connection, detectives were unable to make a successful ballistic match at the time.

Homicide: Hours to Kill revealed that during an ongoing investigation, detectives investigated another potential suspect named James Lewis, who claimed to have an alibi. Years later, investigators found that Lewis and Phillip had been handling the stolen .22-caliber murder weapon around the time of the crime.

Later, the case went before a grand jury, but jurors returned a 'no true bill.' Without sufficient evidence to move forward, the investigation stalled, and the case remained cold for more than two decades.

2013-2015 - Phillip's alibi broken

Phillip's alibi fell apart after three breakthroughs in the investigation. Modern ballistic testing conclusively matched the bullets recovered from Theresa's body to the .22-caliber gun linked to him. James Lewis admitted he was with Phillip when the gun was stolen in 1987. Investigators also uncovered multiple witnesses, including Phillip's former girlfriend.

September 2015

The trial began, and witnesses stepped forward to testify that Phillip had openly bragged about killing Theresa. Steve took the stand to recount the horrific evening he witnessed.

December 4, 2015

According to Cinemaholic, Phillip was sentenced to a maximum prison term of 60 years after being convicted of the murder.

Records revealed that Phillip remained incarcerated at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, LaPorte County. Under his current sentence, the earliest date he could be released from prison is December 13, 2043.