On September 10, 2018, the life of 19-year-old Bruce Kane, a White male from Sweden, New York, was tragically cut short. His body, along with that of his friend, 20-year-old Alexander Burrow, was discovered inside a burned-out Ford Focus behind a warehouse on King Street in Hamlin. Both Kane and Burrow were former student-athletes at Brockport High School, where they had been part of a record-setting swim relay team. The vehicle belonged to Kane's father, and it appeared Kane had been driving.
Investigators from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office determined that both Kane and Burrow had sustained gunshot wounds before the fire, leading them to treat the case as a double homicide. The investigation revealed that the murders were drug-related, specifically involving marijuana. The killings were described by police as a targeted act of violence.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect: 19-year-old Mason Earle of Hamlin. Earle was known to the victims. He was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Authorities reported that after being taken into custody, Earle waived his right to remain silent and confessed to the shootings.
Mason Earle was subsequently indicted on and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree arson by a Monroe County Jury on April 5, 2019. The prosecution detailed that on the night of the murders, Earle entered the vehicle where Burrow and Kane were parked, shot both of them, and then set the car on fire. Despite a video confession to the police, Earle's defense attorney claimed he was intimidated into confessing and maintained his innocence. Following the guilty verdict, prosecutors announced their intention to seek the maximum sentence, which could range from 20 years to life in prison to life without parole. The conviction brought a sense of closure to the families of the two young men whose lives were violently ended.
