MEDFORD, Ore. (TCN) -- A 41-year-old man entered a plea deal five years after a missing former member of "The Mickey Mouse Club" was found dead under a pile of clothes in his home.
The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office announced July 8 that Daniel Burda pleaded no contest to criminally negligent homicide and second-degree abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of Dennis Day. A judge subsequently sentenced Burda to 50 months, or just over four years, in prison with three years of post-release supervision.
Burda is also serving a two-year sentence for a burglary in February.
According to Oregon State Police, on July 17, 2018, Day was supposed to visit friends but never returned to his home in Phoenix, Oregon. Phoenix Police conducted welfare checks at his home, but Day never responded. Nine days later, on July 26, 2018, Oregon State Police responded to a domestic disturbance involving a male and female who were driving in a car that Day owned. Day was entered into a missing persons database on July 27, 2018.
On Aug. 8, 2018, Phoenix Police officers received a call about a "bad smell" emanating from Day’s house, though police wrote in notes that there was "nothing observed or smelled in the area."
Oregon State Police and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office announced in January 2019 that they would each provide a detective to assist Phoenix Police in the investigation. Four months later, on April 4, 2019, Phoenix Police Department detectives brought a cadaver dog to Day’s house, where they found human remains, which were identified on June 6, 2019, as Day’s.
Burda was arrested July 5, 2019, on charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, second-degree abuse of a corpse, criminal mistreatment, and identity theft.
The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office said Day was "found in his own residence buried under clothing," and investigators had reason to believe Burda "caused Mr. Day’s death."
The Oregonian/Oregon Live reports Burda lived with Day and Day’s husband for "many, many months." Day’s husband was taken to the hospital July 13, 2018, due to several falls. He stayed in a care facility until his death. Deputy District Attorney Michael Cohen reportedly said in court that Day and Burda "had some spats along the way."
Day’s relatives are suing the Phoenix Police Department for negligence and emotional distress. Day’s sister, Nelda Adkins, said, "Our family is participating in this plea agreement because we need this horrible nightmare to end. Dennis did not deserve this."
Day was one of the first Mouseketeers, or members of Disney’s "The Mickey Mouse Club," in the 1950s.
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