Kankakee man sentenced to 45 years for murder

DANVILLE – A Kankakee man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in the September 2021 shooting deaths of two Danville men.

The case was prosecuted by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office. Vermilion County Circuit Court Judge Mark Goodwin sentenced Gregory Burns, 26, of Kankakee on Jan. 31.

Burns had been found guilty of murder in connection with the death of Leslie Fisher, 20, of Danville.

The sentencing was announced Tuesday by Raoul.

“This sentence brings justice to those affected by this senseless act of violence,” Raoul said in a news release. “I will continue to partner with local state’s attorneys to hold perpetrators of gun violence accountable.”

Raoul said Burns and two co-defendants – Ezell Fulton and Darryl Jordan – confronted four men in a liquor store drive-thru in unincorporated Danville regarding a stolen handgun.

During the confrontation, Burns shot and killed two of the men while wounding the remaining two passengers. The murder weapon later was found in Burns’ apartment.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case with Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline M. Lacy’s office.

“I am grateful for the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois State Police for their efforts investigating this challenging case,” Lacy said in the release. “We hope that this conviction can begin the healing process for the victims and their families.”

Charges against Fulton and Jordan, of Kankakee, remain pending.

Bureau Chief Michael Falagario and Senior Assistant Attorney General Brian Holmes prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Criminal Prosecutions and Trials Assistance Bureau.