Corey Lizette Burke, 33, is in custody at King County Jail on first-degree murder charges. According to Seattle police, Burke admits to killing her father, Timothy Burke, at their home in south Seattle, Washington. Police reports state that officers found her at the scene, soaked in blood and expressing satisfaction over the slaying, which she described as an “act of liberation.”
Court documents say that on the evening of Election Day, November 5, Burke allegedly killed her 67-year-old father using an ice pick. Her actions included strangling, biting, and repeatedly striking him with the weapon. Burke, a lesbian program manager at Jeff Bezos‘s Blue Origin, is married to Samantha Leigh Allen, the transgender editor of the LGBT magazine Them.
Public records indicate that Burke cited distress over President-elect Donald J. Trump‘s projected victory over Vice President Kamala Harris as a factor in her actions. A disagreement with her father over turning off the lights reportedly escalated the confrontation.
Upon police arrival, Burke allegedly expressed happiness and was seen clapping inside the home, with blood visible on her face. She surrendered to the authorities without resistance. During an interrogation, she reportedly whispered a confession to an officer.
The court has set her bail at $2 million.