In the summer of 2020, the life of 55-year-old Michelle O'Neal was tragically cut short in Detroit, Michigan. On the evening of July 12th, police officers were dispatched to a wooded area near the intersection of Hyde Street and Helen Street. There, they made the grim discovery of O'Neal's body, lifeless from a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation into her death led authorities to two individuals who were acquainted with O'Neal.
Oscar DeAngelo Smith, then 31, and Temmika Burgess, then 41, both residents of Detroit, were identified as suspects. According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, it is alleged that Smith and Burgess fatally shot O'Neal and subsequently moved her body to the wooded area where she was later found by law enforcement.
Following an investigation by the Detroit Police Department, both Smith and Burgess were arrested on August 2, 2021. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office brought forth a series of charges against the pair. Smith was charged with first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of felony firearm. Burgess faced charges of first-degree murder, felony firearm, tampering with evidence, and third-degree arson. The two were arraigned in the 36th District Court, with a probable cause conference scheduled for August 20, 2021, and a preliminary examination set for August 27, 2021.
