Irina Burton is the deceased identical twin sister of Ava Parulis, who stole her identity after burying her.
History[]
In 1997, Ava & Irina came to the United States on fiancée visas through EuroMatch, a mail-order bride service. After her marriage was annulled, Ava would have flings with rich men, even if abusive, whilst Irina settled down and married George Burton, with whom she had a daughter, Julia. The twins' other sister Oksana Parulis was being held captive and pimped out in a "mail-order brides" ring, and the twins were fighting to get her back because a "husband" didn't like her and returned her. The ring's leaders, Razvan Toscu and Valentina Bilescu, would force Oksana and Ava to be raped by Toscu and for payment from other rapists. In April 1998, Ava was near reporting the ring, so Tocsu abducted Irina, whether assuming she was Ava or not, and raped and strangled her, leaving her wearing a collar and leash used in the rapes.
Ava saw Tocsu leave a garbage bag by the Burtons' house and found Irina dead. She buried Irina in the garden of their neighbors', the Stantons, and took Irina's identity for three years. The new homeowners, the Sawyers, found Irina's skeleton when attempting to dig out a foundation for a Jacuzzi.
When Irina's dental records don't match the remains, Ava was found out and originally suspected of Irina's murder, but when the ring was disbanded and Bilescu was arrested, Ava revealed the truth about Toscu. Since Toscu left pollen from his favorite orchids on Irina's panties, his immunity as a Romanian diplomat is rescinded and he's arrested.
Irina is laid to rest in a proper burial in New Jersey, and Ava and George give testimony to get Toscu convicted (SVU: "Parasites")