BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WAND) — The mother charged with concealment of her baby's death has been found not guilty by reason of insanity according to WEEK.
Infant, Zaraz Walker was initially discovered to be missing in February 2022 when Bloomington PD received a call requesting a wellness check. Police initiated a neighborhood canvas and attempted to locate the father. Zaraz has never been found and is presumed dead.
In March, the mother of Zaraz, Kimberlee Burton, was deemed unfit to stand trial after a fitness evaluation.
On Thursday, WEEK said that Burton appeared for a stipulated bench trial in which Burton's public defender and the prosecutors agreed to the facts and the case's outcome.
Burton was acquitted by reason of insanity by McLean County Judge Casey Costigan. Under Illinois law, a person can be found not guilty by reason of insanity if they lack "substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality" of their conduct. Two psychiatrists agreed that Burton has a schizophrenic spectrum illness, and one of them said that she also had PTSD.
The Illinois Department of Human Services was ordered to take custody of Burton and make treatment recommendations to the court. DHS in-patient care can last up to six years, which is the same amount of time she might have faced in prison had she been found guilty in the case.
Burton's next court hearing is scheduled for December.
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