CHP Officer's Killer Sentenced to Die
June 23, 2000
Courts: Victim's widow and father denounce 'this animal,' 'loathsome individual.' Judge calls the 1996 slaying after a traffic stop a cold-blooded execution.
SANTA ANA
Hung Thanh Mai, 29, of Anaheim sat stiffly as Superior Court Judge
Richard Weatherspoon rendered his decision, calling the killing of
Officer Don Burt Jr. a cold-blooded execution.
The officer's widow, 32-year-old Kristin Burt, told Weatherspoon: "For
every bullet that entered my husband's body and inflicted pain upon him,
this animal deserves the death penalty. . . .
"And the one thing that I will never, ever forgive him for is leaving
my son without a father," said Burt, who was seven months pregnant when
her husband died.
The slain officer's father, CHP Officer Don Burt Sr., said that "over
the last three years, 11 months and 11 days, I pondered the just
punishment. The Mr. Mai I have seen is a sad parasite, a pathetic,
loathsome individual."
Mai shot patrolman Burt in a Fullerton parking lot nearly four years
ago after a routine traffic stop. The officer had found counterfeit
traveler's checks in the trunk of Mai's car. Before he had a chance to
confront Mai, the slightly built gang member got out of the car firing a
9-millimeter semiautomatic weapon. As Burt lay wounded, Mai delivered a
final shot to his head, authorities said.
Mai confessed to the murder and was convicted last year as part of a
deal with federal prosecutors, who had charged him with dealing weapons
and ordering a murder for hire while in jail awaiting trial. He is
serving a 25-year sentence for the federal crimes. In return for his
pleas, the prosecutors agreed to be lenient with his girlfriend, who was
involved in the contract-murder plot.
Mai remained mostly quiet Friday, his hands and legs shackled over an
orange jail jumpsuit.
During the penalty phase of his trial, Mai shocked the courtroom with
his violent outbursts. He also threatened a prosecution witness and once
had to be restrained by several deputies as he tried to topple the
defense table.
On the final day of testimony in April, Mai took the witness stand and
said he was prepared to pay the ultimate price.
"I believe in an eye for an eye," he said. "There's a price to pay for
everything in life. . . . It's part of the game." It took the jury less
than an hour to render its verdict.
On Friday, the victim's father delivered his own message.
"As Mr. Mai said, 'It's part of the game.' Then it is only appropriate
that he should be ejected from the game of life," he said.
Next week, Mai will be transferred to a maximum security federal
prison in Florence, Colo., which also houses Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and
the two men convicted of bombing New York's World Trade Center in 1993.
Mai "is the most highly secured prisoner in the federal system," said
Assistant U.S. Atty. Marc Greenberg. "He was certainly a danger to
society and continues to be a danger to other prisoners."
Mai is under 24-hour surveillance and has only restricted access to
reading materials and visitors. He has vowed not to appeal his death
sentence in the federal courts, but the state Supreme Court must
automatically review his case.
If the sentence is upheld, he will be transferred to San Quentin's
death row for execution. Authorities say it may be five to 10 years
before that happens.