Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to 2022 Brutal Murder of Pregnant Woman in LaGrange

On March 27, 2024, Curteze Avery, 30, of Lafeyette, Alabama, admitted guilt in the 2022 murder case involving LaGrange resident Breanna Burgess, who was 20 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. The Troup County Grand Jury charged Avery on October 6, 2022, with Malice Murder and Feticide in Case Number 22-R-0761. As part of a negotiated agreement, Superior Court Judge Erica Tisinger sentenced Avery to two concurrent life sentences for the murders of Burgess, aged 26, and her 20-week-old unborn child. Under Georgia law, Avery may apply for parole in 2052, though the parole board retains the authority to deny his request.

Senior Assistant District Attorney David McLaughlin handled the prosecution, while LaGrange Police Department Detective Charles Brown led the investigation, which uncovered the following details:

In the early hours of July 27, 2022, Burgess was discovered deceased near Fort Drive and Whitesville Road in LaGrange, GA. She had sustained at least 14 stab wounds to the throat and was pronounced dead along with her unborn child at the scene. Through analysis of cell phone records, law enforcement quickly linked Burgess to a friend who had been with her shortly before the incident. This friend informed authorities that the last time they saw Burgess, she was in the company of Avery, driving away in a neon green Chevrolet Camaro.

Using traffic cameras in LaGrange, investigators traced the movements of the Camaro to and from the murder scene around the time of the crime. The vehicle was later located at a LaGrange residence with blood visible on its exterior. Subsequent searches of the car and the residence led to Avery’s discovery hiding inside. Blood was found inside the car, residence, and on clothing in the washing machine and dryer. DNA analysis by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab confirmed the blood belonged to Burgess.

Curteze Avery’s actions tragically ended the lives of Breanna Burgess and her unborn child. As a consequence, he has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. While the wounds inflicted upon Burgess’s family may never fully heal, the District Attorney’s Office is grateful to have secured a life sentence without subjecting the family to the distress of a jury trial.