Former golf director sentenced to 24 years in prison for deadly crime

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Rylan Burge's birthday, Sept. 18, will never be a day of celebration again. Instead, it will be a sad day, reliving the deaths of his mother, Kim Burge, and his best friend, Jaden Harvey, at the hands of drunk driver Brent Wills.

This will be the day he relives his medical decapitation, meaning his head was only attached to his body by his spine. He will remember the weeks he spent in the hospital after the accident as he fought to become the rare 3% who survived these injuries.

“Actions have consequences,” Rylan said during Wills’ sentencing hearing in a packed courtroom. “Most of the time, consequences are given and deserved. Sometimes consequences are imposed for no reason.

“Did I do anything to cause my mother’s murder?” No,” Rylan asked and answered rhetorically. “Did I do something to deserve my best friend’s death? No way.”

Wills sped through the intersection of Tippecanoe County Route 400 West at US 52 around 9:25 p.m. on September 18 as Kim Burge was returning westbound to Fowler after celebrating Rylan's birthday with her best friend, Harvey. Wills Jeep Grand Cherokee slammed into Kim's car at 60 mph, killing her and Harvey instantly and seriously injuring Rylan.

Wills' blood alcohol level was 0.248%, more than three times the legal limit, the hearing was told to correct the erroneously reported 0.32%.

“It’s hard to have everything you know taken away from you,” Rylan said. “Future plans and comfort turned into countless late nights. Lying awake thinking about how you were forcibly kicked out of the life you wanted.

“Actions have consequences,” he reiterated. “They all have consequences, and I ask Brent to accept his.”

Rylan's comments were measured and controlled, especially for a teenager so close to death. Other family members Burge and Harvey made emotional comments that even struck Wills, who at one point sighed heavily as his shoulders sagged and his head bowed.

He composed himself before the next family member's victim impact statement, but he appeared shaken throughout much of the hearing.

The judge's comments and the sentence

“Two people were killed and one seriously injured by the selfish actions of the defendant,” Tippecanoe Superior 2 Judge Steve Meyer said.

“This irresponsible act by the defendant was unnecessary,” Meyer said. “He had plenty of opportunities to avoid killing a 56-year-old mother, a 17-year-old boy and seriously injuring another 17-year-old. My boy, everyone who was out there for the innocent purpose of celebrating the birthday of a teenager.

Meyer detailed the missed opportunities Wills had avoided in the accident, starting with not drinking before traveling to Indianapolis for a golf tournament. He could have passed up the drinks and shots during the golf tournament. He could have refrained from drinking at the restaurant after the golf tournament. He could have accepted an offer to spend the night in Indy instead of driving home. He could have called an Uber. He could have stopped at a hotel on the way back. Even after arriving in Lafayette, Wills stopped at another bar to get more drinks.

“Unfortunately, the defendant did not choose any of these options,” Meyer said.

Meyer sentenced Wills to 11 years in prison for Kimberly Burge's death, 11 years in prison for Harvey's death and six years in prison for Rylan's injuries.

Meyer suspended four years of the 28-year sentence, ordering it to be served on probation and two years in community corrections.

That leaves Wills with a 24-year stint in an Indiana prison. Credited for good behavior, Wills will serve 18 years in prison.

Wills' apology and letters to families

On Monday morning, Wills' attorney, Brian Dekker, submitted letters of apology that Wills wrote to the families.

“It's absolutely heartbreaking for me to know how drastically Rylan's life changed that day, losing his mother and best friend right before his eyes on his birthday,” Wills wrote to Rylan and the Burge family. “Please know that I, my family and all my loved ones pray for you and your loved ones every day.”

“And while my apology and no amount of punishment will ever be enough to make up for what I did, I want to atone for what I did to your family by continuing to cooperate with the attorneys in the civil lawsuits and adhering to any restitution which may be required by the courts,” Wills wrote to the families.

Lina Portman

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