RENO, NEVADA: Michael Burciaga, a 36-year-old Nevada man, has been sentenced to life in prison for viciously stabbing his pregnant girlfriend as her three young children tried to fight him off.
Burciaga was sentenced on Monday, September 25 just months after he was convicted of murdering 37-year-old Amanda Davis and their unborn child on the Pyramid Lake Paiute tribal reservation.
In July, a federal jury convicted him of first-degree murder on tribal land, plus domestic assault by a habitual offender and violating the Protection of Unborn Children Act.
Burciaga won't be eligible for parole since he was found guilty in federal criminal court.
“Today’s sentencing ends a tragic story of cold-blooded murder,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer L Evans said in a statement following the sentencing hearing.
“While life in prison will not undo the crime committed by Mr Burciaga, it will prevent him from victimizing anyone on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation again. I appreciate the work of our investigators and tribal partners ensuring violent offenders such as this are held accountable, and residents can feel safe in their homes,” the statement continued.
When did Michael Burciaga kill Amanda Davis?
The investigation into the case began just before midnight on December 15, 2020, when officers with the Pyramid Lake Police Department responded to an emergency call from the victim’s daughter at their home in Nixon.
Upon their arrival, the first responders found three horrified young children in the front room. Later, they examined the residence and found Davis, a registered member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, lying face-down in the master bathroom
Despite medical assistance, she was pronounced at the scene, according to Law&Crime. As police continued their investigation, they heard the children screaming “He’s back! He’s back!.”
Outside of the residence, police located an adult male, later identified as Burciaga, who was bleeding from his wrist.
“I know what I did. That’s why I came back,” Burciaga told police, according to arrest documents. “I already know what happened, and I know what I did, which is why I slit my wrist,” he continued.
Authorities then took Burciaga into custody and transported him to the Renown Medical Center via ambulance for treatment.
Why did Michael Burciaga kill Amanda Davis?
When Davis' three children were questioned by the police, they told a terrifying story of how they battled the much bigger Burciaga for their mother's life.
Davis’ daughter revealed that she was sleeping in her room when her 8-year-old brother woke her up around midnight to tell her that Burciaga had stabbed their mother.
They discovered her still alive in the bedroom and used furniture to block the entrance. But, Burciage broke the door with his bare hands and dragged Davis to the bathroom.
“Burciaga then proceeded to stab [Davis] with a blue knife with a flower design on it,” the daughter told police, per the affidavit.
The daughter struck Burciaga with a lamp but was unable to get him to stop hurting Davis, who even went into the kitchen and came back with a second knife and continued stabbing Davis, ultimately killing her.
