An Iowa man was convicted of murder in the 2019 slaying of a Baton Rouge resident.
Nathaniel Mitchell III, 46, was convicted in the slaying of Zacchaeus "Zac" Burton, 29, of Baton Rouge in July 2019.
Mitchell was convicted of shooting the victim, then later helped burn his body. He was convicted of second-degree murder, which in Louisiana carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Sentencing is set for November 23, 2022 before Judge Michael Canaday.
Assistant District Attorneys Jacob Johnson and Taylor Alexander prosecuted the case for the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Back when the slaying occurred, the body was found burned, at the end of a dead-end street in DeQuincy.
At the time, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said a warrant was issued for Mitchell, but he fled the state.
Mitchell has an extensive criminal history, including drug charges, attempted murder, obstruction and resisting charges and robbery charges, the sheriff said.
Mancuso said detectives believe that Burton took the bus to Calcasieu Parish to participate in some criminal operation with Mitchell and other suspects, but something went wrong and he ended up dead.
Mancuso said it doesn't matter what Burton's history was or why he was in the parish, his murder is being treated like the murder of anyone else.
"We don't care the status of any citizen in CP, when we have a homicide here, we're going to do everything we can in our power to solve this murder," Mancuso said. "Would-be murders need to understand that we're going to give 110 percent, no matter who it is, no matter what the circumstances."
Burton had a long history of mostly drug crimes on his record in Baton Rouge. He was released from state prison in January after serving a sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegal use of a weapon. He’d originally been arrested in 2015 in that case on armed robbery and attempted murder. In that case there was a struggle over a gun during the robbery and a shot fired, but no one was injured.
CPSO Detective Keeba Barber was the lead investigator on this case.
