Mom of missing teen found dead near Montour Trail calls for justice after suspect charged
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A mother's search for justice continues.
Dorian Serrano went missing in July 2022 and his body was found in November 2022. Since then, his mom, Dominique Burwell, has been waiting for someone to be held accountable.
On Monday, 22-year-old Daniel Kelly was charged in connection with Serrano's death. His mother says she is one step closer to justice, though it does not bring back everything she has lost.
"Still a lot of anger. There's always going to be the anger, but justice will be solved," Burwell said.
Since the summer of 2022, she's had to wait, wait, and wait for this day. There was the search for her son starting in the summer of 2022, which ended with police finding him dead in the woods near the Montour Trail in Clairton that fall. Each day that went by was agonizing, knowing her son's killer was still out there.
"I told him a long time ago that I would never stop if something happened to him, and I meant that," Burwell said on Monday.
With four other children, the wait was not easy.
"I've had my moments here and there. But I've had to just keep remembering that if I fall, everything will fall," Burwell said.
Dorian would have been 20 years old now. Countless memories and precious moments have been robbed from his mother and family.
"Christmas, birthdays, his siblings, you robbed us of us. You took a child's life," Burwell said.
Nothing will bring her son back, but as this case progresses through the courts, Burwell is ready to have her day. She continues to pray everything goes in their favor. Burwell hopes Kelly pays for the pain he has caused.
"This is what you took from me. I didn't get to see this before I laid him to rest. This is what was taken from me and I hope that he sees this face and he remembers it forever," Burwell said while showing an image of her son.
The criminal complaint for Kelly is sealed. He is currently in the Allegheny County Jail.
Kelly was arraigned on charges of homicide, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse and persons not to possess a gun. He also faces charges in connection with a deadly shooting in Pitcairn last year.
