Edmond man charged with murder, corpse desecration

An Edmond man has been charged with stabbing a man to death and burning his body.

In Oklahoma County District Court, Matthew Branch, 33, is charged with first-degree murder, first- and third-degree arson, cruelty to animals and desecrating a human corpse in connection with the homicide of William Burgess, 31.

In late March, an Edmond police detective dispatched to a house fire in the 1700 block of Magnolia Lane reported finding a severely burned body later identified by the medical examiner’s office as Burgess.

A dog reportedly died in the fire.

Police said Burgess and Branch had been involved in an altercation a month earlier and that Branch allegedly said of Burgess he would “get him.”

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A day after Burgess’ body was discovered, his truck was located by Edmond police about half a mile from Branch’s home.

Police reported the inside of the truck was burned and a bottle of accelerant was found on the center console.

Police executed a search warrant at Branch’s residence and arrested him.

Branch “admitted to stabbing Mr. Burgess and leaving the scene in Mr. Burgess’s truck,” a detective wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

Branch is being held in the Oklahoma County jail on a $20 million bond.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Edmond man charged in homicide, corpse desecration case