Former kidnap suspect loses bid for new trial

Friday, Dec. 28, 2001 | 9:54 a.m.

Jerald Burgess will be sentenced Feb. 8 for a conviction of multiple firearms charges after a federal judge denied his request to acquit him or grant a new trial.

Burgess, 64, had claimed in his Aug. 6 motion that prosecutors were unable to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

U. S. District Judge Kent Dawson disagreed, saying that evidence at the trial "overwhelmingly supported" the guilty verdicts.

A prior conviction for tax evasion barred Burgess from possessing guns or ammunition. He served about nine years in prison for that conviction and is currently being held at North Las Vegas detention center.

Burgess' attorney could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In 1982, Burgess was acquitted of kidnapping 6-year-old Carey Sayegh, the son of a wealthy Las Vegas businessman. He became the prime suspect in the case when he led authorities to where he believed the boy was buried. The boy was not found, but one of his shoes was discovered.

archive