Weeks after a mistrial in which a professed Durham gang member faced murder charges, he pleaded guilty Friday to the first-degree kidnapping of club promoter Shawn Burton.
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Darrius Lavale Tyson, 34, will serve a minimum of six years and 11 months and a maximum of nine years and four months in prison. He will receive credit for the four years and two months he already has been in custody.
Burton, 44, of Durham was last seen March 22, 2022. His fiancée saw him get into a vehicle outside her apartment and never saw him again.
None of Burton’s family have heard from him since, and his body has never been found. The only trace of him was his pickup truck found on Warren County railroad tracks.
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Durham prosecutors zeroed in on Tyson, who described himself as a “top Blood” gang member, according to investigators. Tyson was charged in 2022 with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree kidnapping.
But after a July trial that lasted over two weeks, a Durham County jury could not agree on a verdict, and the judge declared a mistrial on July 14, The News & Observer previously reported.
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This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published July 31, 2026 at 5:12 PM.