A murder over a lawn mower has finally led to justice.

Nery Arnoldo Lopez Morales, a man from Iowa who shot and killed his neighbor, 42-year-old Amber Marie Burton, in September 2021 over a dispute regarding a repossessed lawn mower, was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison.

Burton had taken back a lawn tractor she had sold to her neighbor Morales, who still owed her money for the mower. 

Morales initially faced a charge of first-degree murder but entered a plea deal with the Polk County Attorney’s Office in February. They charged him with voluntary manslaughter, burglary in the first degree, intimidation using a dangerous weapon, and committing an assault while participating in a felony.

During the sentencing proceedings, Burton’s mother spoke out against the senseless killing, calling it one of the stupidest reasons she had ever heard for committing a murder. Even though Morales may have been angry about losing his lawn mower or tools, Burton’s mother noted that taking someone’s life was not a justifiable response. Burton, a nurse who worked with the elderly, was described as someone who loved spending time with her children and family.

A bystander called 911 asking police to perform a welfare check on Burton after they heard her screaming and then suddenly stopping.

Surveillance footage captured Morales’ red GMC pick-up truck at Burton’s residence before the shooting, and witnesses said they saw him at the scene. When responding officers arrived, they found Burton dead on her couch with injuries to her upper torso. 

District Court Judge Heather Lauber accepted Morales’ guilty plea, finding that he understood the charges, penal consequences, and the rights he was waiving. She also determined that the guilty plea was voluntary and based on a factual basis. The judge ordered Morales to pay $150,000 in restitution, and was sentenced to at least 20 years in state prison without parole. He will be eligible for parole when he is in his seventies.