Christine Donahue Obituary, Death; – A man has been charged with the murder of a woman found deceased in the Kempsville area over the weekend, as reported by the Virginia Beach police.
The arrest followed a 911 call from a neighbor who discovered bullet holes in their property, which led authorities to the woman’s body next door. WTKR News 3 has learned from court documents that the two individuals were reportedly in a relationship, according to Virginia Beach neighborhood reporter John Hood.
Police reported that on Saturday at approximately 12:20 p.m., a resident from the 600 block of Oleander Circle called 911 to report bullet holes in their home. Shortly thereafter, police arrived and located a deceased woman outside the adjacent residence. The woman has been identified as Christine Donahue, 54, from Virginia Beach.
A criminal complaint indicates that she sustained a significant chest wound consistent with a shotgun injury. The complaint further states that police found Bryan Burton, 54, also from Virginia Beach, in the patio area, allegedly holding a firearm to his head and collapsing after discharging it. Authorities attended to Burton and noted that he exhibited no visible injuries.
According to the complaint, when questioned by police, Burton claimed that Donahue was his girlfriend and that he shot her because she intended to expel him from her residence. Burton has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony related to Donahue’s death. WTKR News 3 visited the neighborhood on Saturday during the police investigation.
One neighbor recounted that he was on his patio with his grandchildren and other family members when they suddenly heard a noise. ‘It was around 11:30 a.m. We heard a few loud pops, and one of my great-nieces remarked, ‘that sounded like a gun,” he recounted. He mentioned that he took one of his grandchildren upstairs for a nap, but approximately 45 minutes later, police were present on the street investigating the shooting. The neighbor expressed his shock, noting that the area is typically quiet.
