On January 18, 2009, 24-year-old Kyle Morgan met 28-year-old Robin Burton Jr at a train station and invited him to his home in Woodstock, Illinois. The pair initially got along well, drinking and playing video games together – Burton was a drifter who was homeless at the time. They bonded after trying and failing to buy drugs in the city.
But everything changed within a few hours when Morgan bludgeoned a hammer to the back of Burton’s head and proceeded to stab him more than 20 times. After the murder, he fled to the neighboring states but was apprehended in Nashville. The crime scene was said to be “exceptionally brutal” with displays of “wanton cruelty”.
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Kyle Morgan had a long history of mental illness and substance abuse during the time of the murder
Kyle Morgan, who mutilated Robin Burton’s body and smeared the remains on the wall, was said to be mentally unsound when he committed the murder. He had placed a UNO card 666 on Burton’s chest and left a message written in blood that read: “It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.”
Due to the strange setting of the crime scene, it was presumed at the beginning that the murder was related to Satanism and ritual abuse. However, the trial brought Morgan’s history of severe mental health and substance abuse issues to light.
Morgan was not only diagnosed with bipolar disorder but also suffered from depression and drug addiction for a long time. Despite numerous rehabilitation, he had attempted to take his life at least eight times since he was 16 years old.
He used to run a MySpace page titled “Thrill Kill Kyle” and had an obsession with “true crime literature and drinking blood”. His profile contained photos of bound women, bombings, serial killers, and pentagram symbols.
Morgan is currently serving the remainder of his 30-year sentence in a state correctional center
In the days leading to the murder, Morgan had just switched medication to Vyvanse (a prescribed pill that is usually used to treat ADHD). The psychiatrist confirmed that a bipolar patient should not have been prescribed Vyvanse as it causes one to become highly irritable and triggers violent outbursts.
A few weeks after starting the medication in 2008, Morgan behaved erratically, injuring his then-girlfriend and jumping from a second-story balcony.
At the trial, the defense attributed the murder to Morgan’s prescribed medication and implied that his actions were based on impulse, not premeditated.
Nevertheless, Morgan pled guilty but mentally ill to the first-degree murder charge levied against him. On February 22, 2009, he was sentenced to five years in prison as a part of the plea deal.
Four years later, in another sentencing carried out on October 17, 2013, by McHenry County, Morgan was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He also issued a long overdue apology to the victim’s family, saying:
“I wish I could change the past, I hope I have the chance to thrive in a positive way.”
Kyle Morgan, currently 38 years old, is serving time in the Dixon Correctional Center, Illinois.
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