MADISON, Wis. — One of the men arrested in a November 2021 shooting took a plea deal to avoid a murder charge Feb. 14.
Justin Burage, 35, pled guilty to one felony charge of attempt arm robbery as a party to a crime and one felony charge of harboring/aiding a felon. A charge of 1st degree intentional homicide was dismissed.
Burage was charged with Chabris Link in the shooting death of 24-year-old Eric Ranson. The criminal complaint against both men stated the shooting was captured by a security camera from the residence Ranson was staying at. Footage from the camera reportedly shows Ranson leaving the residence and approaching a light-colored SUV that was parked out front.
Audio from the recording captured the sound of multiple gunshots coming from near the SUV. It showed Ranson, who was armed with a handgun at the time, falling backward while shooting toward the street.
A witness later told police that Ranson exited the residence shortly after receiving a call from a friend police later identified as Burage. When Burage was later arrested, officers seized two cell phones. Records from one of the phones were used to confirm the number had made calls and sent messages to Ranson’s and Link’s phones.