At 5 p.m. Thursday, Bret Burns officially assumed the duties as District Six District Attorney.

At 6 p.m. he watched a man die.

Burns was in attendance for the execution of Grady County murderer James Patrick Malicoat. It was a case that he and former-District Attorney Gene Christian prosecuted together.

As the father of a five-year-old when the case was prosecuted in 1998, Burns said it was hard for him personally.

“It was a hard case for everyone involved,” Burns said, “This one pulled at everyone’s heart due to the nature of the charge and the age of the child - 13 months.”

Following the execution, Burns recounted entering the crime scene.

Dog feces littered the floor. More food in the house for the animal than for humans, and no baby food.

Tessa Leadford lived with Malicoat for 19 days of her life.

Everyone of those 19 days was she was tortured, Burns said. Although typically not determined until formal arraignment, stepping into the crime scene, Burns said he knew the punishment he would be pursuing.

“From the day we walked into the crime scene, the day of his arrest we knew we would seek the death penalty,” Burns said.

“It was a gruesome, gruesome crime.”

Nine and a half years later, Burns sat and watch Malicoat received the punishment his office had worked so hard for.