Linwood Richard Halliburton, 45, was sentenced today to prison for 228 years-to-life for two burglaries and the sexual assault of a 53-year-old church choir director in February, 2008.  Halliburton lived in Lakewood and was on parole escape status when he broke into two churches in Lakewood and committed the sexual assault.

Following six days of trial, a Jefferson County jury found Halliburton guilty of second degree kidnapping, two counts of  sexual assault – force, first degree burglary – assault, robbery, felony menacing, third degree assault, second degree burglary, and theft on October 14, 2009.

Halliburton’s two-night crime spree began when he broke into the United Methodist Church at 14th and Brentwood in Lakewood on February 10, 2008. He set off the security alarm as he ransacked the church offices, looking for something of value to steal. Halliburton escaped when the minister and her husband came to check on the alarm. While breaking a window to gain entry into the church, Halliburton cut his hand. He left a trail of blood and shoe prints in the snow which police were able to follow from the church to a nearby trailer park. Lakewood Police agents made every attempt to locate him that night but were unsuccessful.

The following night, February 11, 2009, Halliburton was burglarizing the First Presbyterian Church at 8210 W. 10th Avenue, just a few blocks away, when the 53-year-old choir director arrived to open the church and prepare for choir practice that evening. The victim is a long-time member of the church and has been a music teacher with Denver Public Schools. She arrived around 7:00 p.m. and heard suspicious noises coming from the church office. Halliburton showed himself and she ordered him to leave. He attacked her, hitting and kicking her several times in the face and head. Halliburton grabbed her purse and demanded her PIN numbers. He forced her into a more secluded area of the church and sexually assaulted her.

As other members of the choir began to arrive, Halliburton fled with the victim’s property. Lakewood Police were called and arrived within minutes. One of the Lakewood agents recalled the burglary of the nearby church that had occurred the night before. The agent returned to the trailer park where the trail of blood had come to a dead end. He waited. Halliburton arrived soon after. He had credit cards and other property from the victim’s purse in his pockets.

During the trial, witnesses told the jury that the First Presbyterian Church had befriended Halliburton many times, providing him with food, gift cards and other assistance. 

This is Halliburton’s sixth felony conviction. He was determined to be a habitual criminal at a trial to the court in December, 2009. The habitual criminal finding required that Halliburton be sentenced to four times the maximum prison sentencing range.