Prison murder trial delayed for convicted Bristolville killer; new charges filed

Austin Burke

A former Bristolville man serving life in prison for murder in Trumbull County will not go on trial this week for killing a fellow prison inmate as he awaits a hearing on additional charges for another violent crime behind bars.

According to Scioto County, Ohio court records, the trial has been rescheduled for 26-year-old Austin Burke who faces charges of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, and one count of felonious assault.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety told 21 News that Burke was involved in a fight with another inmate, 65-year-old Ruben Melendez at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility on August 12.

During the fight, Melendez suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Burke was in prison for the murder of Kenneth Brandon Sample in June 2017 after being arrested following a robbery at a Cortland Pizza Joe's restaurant. The homicide took place in Bristolville, where Sample was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head at the Grand River Wildlife Area.

A jury convicted Burke in March 2018 on charges of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, two charges of aggravated robbery, and weapons violations.

He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years, followed by 11 years for the aggravated robbery convictions and firearm specifications. Those charges would keep Burke in prison for a minimum of 47 years.

Burke was handed another 11-year sentence for possession of a deadly weapon while in a detention center after he was found to have a "shank" in a Trumbull County Jail cell.

In addition to those previous cases, a Scioto County Grand Jury handed up a seven-count indictment against Burke earlier this month charging him with felonious assault and other charges after prison officials said he attacked an inmate with a homemade knife and kept a sharpened broom handle as a weapon.