In the summer of 2020, the life of a 55-year-old Detroit woman, Michelle O'Neal, was brought to a tragic and violent end. On the evening of July 12th, her body was discovered in a wooded area near the intersection of Hyde Street and Helen Street in Detroit. An investigation by the Detroit Police Department revealed that O'Neal had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
For just over a year, the circumstances surrounding O'Neal's death remained a grim mystery.
However, a breakthrough in the case came in August of 2021 when investigators arrested two individuals known to O'Neal. Oscar DeAngelo Smith, then 31, and Temmika Burgess, then 41, both from Detroit, were taken into custody in connection with her death. The pair were acquainted with O'Neal, adding a layer of personal betrayal to the heinous crime.
Following their arrests, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office brought forth a series of grave charges against Smith and Burgess. It is alleged that they were responsible for fatally shooting O'Neal and then transporting her body to the secluded, wooded location where she was later found. Both Smith and Burgess were charged with first-degree murder. Smith also faced charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of felony firearm. In addition to the murder charge, Burgess was charged with felony firearm, tampering with evidence, and third-degree arson.
