Suvechha Sarkar
Vicky L. Burks was a dutiful mother, beloved wife, and affectionate grandmother. Unfortunately, in May 2012, she was brutally killed in her own home in Springfield, Ohio. It left the community and her loved ones completely devastated. Investigation Discovery’s ‘American Monster: Momma’s Boy’ focuses on this case and its investigation, which revealed that the 59-year-old was killed by someone very close to her. The episode further traces the circumstances that led to the murder and features interviews with her loved ones and officials.
Vicky Burks’ Life Revolved Around Her Husband and Children
Victor and Mary Slusser welcomed Vicky L. Burks into the world on January 7, 1953. She grew up in a loving household in Bradenton, Florida, along with her sister, Karen, and brothers, Larry and James. At a young age, her family moved to Ohio. Her loved ones described her as someone who was like light in the darkness. Eventually, Vicky graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1971. Over the years, she built an impressive professional trajectory, working for the License Bureau and also as an employee at Toys “R” Us and K-Mart. Beyond that, Vicky was an avid sports fan who supported the Bengals and Reds teams. She also enjoyed camping and playing computer games with her family.
When Vicky moved to Ohio, she met her soulmate, Martin Burks. They soon began dating, and on July 17, 1971, they exchanged their vows. They welcomed their sons, Michael, on November 26, 1971, and Jason, in March 1976. However, according to Martin, their relationship became tumultuous by 1985, and they got divorced. He stated that Vicky then moved on to marry another man, but when she was 6 months pregnant, she allegedly wanted to return. In December 1986, Martin reportedly brought her back to Springfield, Ohio. After Vicky’s son, Ryan Dillon, was born on May 1, 1987, she and Martin remarried and began living happily. Sadly, tragedy struck the household when Michael unexpectedly passed away on December 6, 2007.
Vicky Burks’ Remains Were Discovered in the Cellar of Her House
Despite the pain, Vicky found solace in the presence of Jason’s daughters, Christina and Stephanie Burks. Things gradually seemed to be returning to normal when her life came to an abrupt halt on May 9, 2012. Martin woke up early in the morning and headed out for work at 6:30 am. During that time, he saw that Vicky was still sleeping. However, when he returned home for lunch in the afternoon, she wasn’t there. Ryan was at home and claimed that she had gone out shopping with her sister. However, when Martin again returned from work in the evening and found Vicky wasn’t home, he grew concerned. According to reports, he learned from Karen that she hadn’t met Vicky that day, which prompted him to call 911 to report her missing.
As officials arrived at Vicky’s home and inspected it, they discovered bloodstains on the floor and on the wall. They noted that the stains on the floor appeared to be disturbed, indicating that someone had attempted to clean up the blood. Additionally, forensic experts discovered the presence of blood in the dry clothing kept in the laundry basket and the washing machine. Detectives observed bloodstains leading to the back door, where they found a cellar. Upon opening the door, they discovered blood leading down the staircase, where they saw Vicky’s remains. The experts reportedly noticed that she had multiple traumas to her body, which were possibly inflicted with a blunt object. However, they were unable to find the murder weapon. The autopsy determined her cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.
Family Tensions and Past Violence Deepened Suspicion Around the Killer
After the discovery of Vicky’s remains, Martin reportedly informed the investigators that they had a baseball bat in their house, which was missing. According to reports, during the questioning, he revealed that Vicky had a major argument with Ryan the previous day, which continued till 1 am on May 9, 2012. As per his statements, Ryan was at home when Martin left for work. Martin continued that Ryan had allegedly told his stepfather on that afternoon that Martin shouldn’t have told Vicky about Ryan using her truck without permission. Upon further investigation, the officials learned that Ryan had a criminal record.
He had reportedly been arrested on charges of domestic violence twice. Official records state that the first charge was imposed in May 2006 when Ryan attacked his brother, Michael, and Vicky. He was reportedly charged with domestic violence for the second time in 2009 when he attacked Martin. According to investigative reports, detectives learned that Ryan often took the family cars away and was alleged to be involved in a hit-and-run case. Similarly, after Vicky’s murder, he took off with Martin’s Dodge Dakota. Hence, officials reportedly issued a warrant for him on felony theft. Ultimately, Ryan was found in Delavan, Wisconsin, when law enforcement discovered the stolen Dodge Dakota abandoned on the side of a rural road on May 10, 2012.
Ryan was walking a few miles away from the vehicle when he was arrested. During his interrogation, Ryan claimed that he was unaware of the car because it had been stolen by someone else. According to police records, he reportedly insisted on not having any involvement in the murder. He claimed that he wasn’t present at home between 7 am and 11:30 am the day Vicky was killed. As per reports, Ryan alleged that Martin was responsible for Vicky’s death. Ultimately, he was formally indicted on two counts of aggravated murder, purposeful murder, tampering with evidence, and receiving stolen property. Ryan was extradited to Ohio on July 17, 2012.
Ryan Dillon is Serving His Sentence at an Ohio Prison Facility Today
Ryan’s jury trial began in February 2014, and during the trial, the prosecution claimed that on May 9, 2012, he killed Vicky with a baseball bat and then dragged her remains to the cellar. They reportedly argued that Ryan then tried to clean up the scene. According to court records, they presented several pieces of evidence before the court. It included a letter that Vicky had reportedly written to a judge in 2009, describing her fear about threats and problems with Ryan. On the other hand, the defense claimed that Ryan was out of town on the day of the murder. They contended that there was no direct eyewitness or proof of his committing the murder. Ultimately, the jury convicted him of aggravated murder, purposeful murder, felony murder, receiving stolen property, and tampering with evidence.
The trial court reportedly merged Ryan’s three murder charges during the sentencing. On February 20, 2014, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder and concurrent terms of 18 months for receiving stolen property and 3 years for evidence tampering. Ryan later appealed his judgment on several grounds, raising multiple assignments of error, like the inclusion of his mother’s 2009 letter and the prior-bad-acts evidence. On April 15, 2016, the Appellate Court reversed his aggravated murder conviction and its corresponding sentence and remanded the case for further proceedings. However, the court affirmed the convictions for the other four charges.
The court records specify that the state declined to retry Ryan on the aggravated murder charge. They reportedly proceeded to sentencing on one of the murder convictions that was affirmed. On January 27, 2017, Ryan was resentenced to 15 years to life in prison for purposeful murder, to be served consecutively to the two previously-imposed terms (18 months and 3 years). However, the court ordered those two terms to remain concurrent with each other. Ryan’s next parole hearing date is scheduled for March 2030, with his expected release/ parole eligibility date set for May 5, 2030. Currently, he is incarcerated at the Toledo Correctional Institution in Toledo, Ohio.
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