(WBFF) — A Columbia mother is on trial in Howard County, accused of orchestrating the shooting of two teens outside a grocery store in October 2024.
Proceedings in the case against 40-year-old Wyketa Burgess began Tuesday morning in Howard County Circuit Court, with the third day of testimony ending Thursday. Burgess is charged with attempted murder, assault and gun-related offenses in connection with a shooting outside the Giant Food store at the Columbia Palace Plaza.
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Prosecutors have acknowledged Burgess is not the person who fired the gun, but she still faces an attempted murder charge. Kurt Nachtman, a local defense attorney and former Baltimore City prosecutor who is not associated with the case, said prosecutors are expected to argue Burgess played a central role in planning and carrying out the attack.
“Howard County prosecutors have decided to charge her with attempted murder because – what they’re going to try to prove – is that she orchestrated it, she organized it, and then her and her co-conspirator drove the shooter to this location and then also drove them away,” Nachtman said.
Prosecutors alleged Burgess and her co-conspirator, 48-year-old Dienenba Traore, targeted the teens because they robbed Traore’s son and threatened Burgess’ son. The women’s sons are cousins.
Charging documents obtained by FOX45 News show Burgess and Traore were inside a white Mercedes SUV the night of the shooting, parked at the Giant on Centre Park Drive. The documents read that a gunman opened fire on a group of four teens, hitting two of them in the leg, then slowly walked to the white SUV, got inside and the vehicle sped away.
Nachtman said the state’s theory amounts to “a little bit of vigilante justice,” and he said prosecutors will likely rely heavily on circumstantial evidence to try to prove Burgess’ involvement.
“They’re going have to do that through a long series of what I assume is highly circumstantial evidence, communications with the police, communications via cell phone with the other individuals involved,” Nachtman said. “They probably have text messages, cell phone downloads.”
Traore has already been tried and convicted. A Howard County jury found her guilty, and she was sentenced to 20 years in prison on attempted second-degree murder and eight other charges. She is appealing the case.
Testimony in Burgess’ trial is scheduled to resume Monday.
Follow FOX45 reporter Keith Daniels on X and Facebook. Send tips to Kdaniels@sbgtv.com.
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