In a tragic turn of events on a Friday afternoon in Harper Woods, Michigan, 45-year-old Khalilah Elam was killed in her own home. On September 2, 2022, gunshots shattered the peace on Woodside Street, leading to a police response and a grim discovery.
Inside the residence, officers found Khalilah Elam and her 52-year-old boyfriend, Reginald Farmer, Jr., in an upstairs bedroom, both having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Farmer was pronounced dead at the scene, while Elam was rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
The sole suspect in the double homicide was identified as Elam's 19-year-old son, Demond Thomas Burgen, Jr. After the shooting, Burgen allegedly barricaded himself in the basement of the home. Following negotiations with law enforcement, which included the Grosse Pointes and the East Wayne Special Response Team, Burgen was taken into custody.
Demond Thomas Burgen, Jr., was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm. During his arraignment in 32A District Court, a judge set his bond at $1 million. The motive for the tragic incident was reported to be related to the suspect's feelings of jealousy regarding his mother's relationship with Farmer.
