Shandine John receives 10-year sentence for DUI vehicular homicide
A Montezuma County judge imposed the maximum 10-year sentence on Shandine John after a March crash in Cortez that killed 44-year-old Michael Burnison.
On September 18, 2026, Shandine John was sentenced to the maximum 10 years in prison for a drunk-driving crash on March 24, 2026, that killed 44-year-old Michael Burnison near the Hawkins and East Main streets intersection in Cortez. John, who had a revoked license from a prior DUI, was driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.285; multiple 911 calls and a REDDI report were made after the collision. The case is logged under Montezuma County docket #26CR44 and the Cortez Police Department urged the public to report suspected drunk drivers.