‘It was a senseless crime’: Victim’s friends react to hotel stabbing murder

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -“It was a senseless crime.”

25-year-old, Brian Burns, was arrested for stabbing his girlfriend three times with a letter opener.

The victim was identified as Mary Williamson. According to the arrest report, she was found lying in a pool of blood with a trash bag over her head and a belt around her neck.

Her friends claim Brian Burns was usually searching for drugs and would tend to get aggressive.

“That was a heartbreaker for both of us because mary’s a very good person,” said the victim’s friend Markita Bowers. “You know, she would help anybody, she would do anything for anybody.”

According to police reports, two bottles of bleach cleaning products were found beside Williamson’s body in an attempt to clean up after the killing. Mary’s friends say they saw Brian Burns walking around the perimeter moments after the murder.

“And then, you know he’s just walking around and cops are all out here, and he’s walking around like he didn’t even do it, " said another friend, Ashley Cox.

We spoke to people who stayed in the hotel over the weekend and claim they were never notified about the crime.

“It kinda gives you an unsettling feeling like you can be on it, know what’s going on, and still something like this can happen,” said guest Antoinette Crosby.

When asked about the murder, Burns initially denied it but then admitted to stabbing Williamson three times.

Burns was initially arrested in the parking lot on an unrelated warrant and is detained in the Alachua County jail.

He is being held on a bond of more than two million dollars and now faces charges of murder and evidence tampering.

In a statement, Stayable Select Hotel officials say they are grief-stricken about the crime and their hearts go out to the family members.

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