Police arrest man who killed bicyclist in 2003

The Standard Democrat is reporting that a motorist who killed a bicyclist three years ago, then fled the scene, has been apprehended and charged:

Robert L. Burnes, 24, of Marston was arrested at 11:37 a.m. Thursday and following questioning by officers made a video confession relating to the death of Claude Delaney Minner. Minner was struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident on Dec. 3, 2003. . . .

The driver of the first vehicle which had struck Minner had stopped as had another vehicle. An autopsy determined Minner had died from injuries caused when he was struck by the extended cab truck, which had left the scene.

Burnes is charged in New Madrid County with the Class D felony of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident with bond set at $25,000. . . .

“It is one of those I have worked on three years now,” he said. “I wanted to solve this for the family and to give them some closure.”

McNiell praised the efforts of the many officers involved in the case including those with the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department, SEMO Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control.

This is an outstanding effort by those law enforcement officials involved.

MoBikeFed has previously praised the efforts of Missouri Highway Patrol Lt. Jim NcNiell, who was instrumental in creating a reward offer in December 2005 that resulted in the information that led to the recent arrest of Burnes.