Burnsville Couple Charged With Torturing Their 2-Year-Old

BURNSVILLE, MN — A Burnsville couple has been charged with multiple felony offenses after prosecutors say they tortured and endangered their 2-year-old son over more than a year, according to Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena.

Karina Maria Burns, 27, the child's mother, faces two counts of child torture, six counts of third-degree assault (victim under four), and one count of harassment.

Colt Jonathan McNeese, 27, the child's father, was charged with two counts of child endangerment causing substantial harm.

According to the criminal complaint, Burnsville police were called June 4 to conduct a welfare check after someone provided officers with photos showing bruising across the child's body. When officers arrived at the home, they found the child had stitches on his forehead along with extensive bruising on his back, stomach, sides, arms, legs and face.

Neither Burns nor McNeese could give officers a plausible explanation for the injuries, the complaint states. A pediatrician later concluded the bruising was consistent with abuse, noting there were few marks in areas where toddlers commonly get hurt by accident, such as shins and knees.

The child was placed on a 72-hour health and welfare hold and taken to a hospital for evaluation, then removed from the couple's care.

Officers interviewed neighbors, caregivers and acquaintances, many of whom described hearing a constant level of chaos from inside the home. Police had responded to the residence before for welfare checks after reports of a woman and child screaming.

A search warrant on the couple's phones turned up more than 100,000 text messages, along with photos and videos, according to the complaint. Investigators say the messages show Burns grew angry when McNeese didn't respond to her calls or texts while at work, and in what the complaint describes as retaliation, she shook, struck, punched and threatened to kill the child. She then sent McNeese photos and videos of the child crying, documenting the abuse as it happened, prosecutors said.

Between May 2024 and April 2025, officers identified at least 11 dates where Burns texted McNeese about physically hurting the child. From May 2025 through June 4, 2026, investigators found at least 69 more dates where Burns told McNeese by text that she had assaulted the child, often with accompanying photos or videos of the child sobbing.

Burns denied ever hurting the child and minimized his injuries when questioned, officers said. McNeese also denied hurting the child but admitted the couple lightly spanked him.

"What this child endured is unimaginable," Keena said in a statement, thanking the person who reported concerns about the child's welfare. She said that person's willingness to act "undoubtedly protected this child from further harm and may have saved the child's life."

Both Burns and McNeese remain in custody at the Dakota County Jail.

A judge set bail at $500,000 for Burns and $140,000 for McNeese. Burns is scheduled to appear in court July 15 at 9 a.m., and McNeese is scheduled for Aug. 5 at 9 a.m.

Keena thanked the Burnsville Police Department for its investigation.