An Augusta woman accused of murder in the death of her allegedly abusive boyfriend will remain in jail until at least her son, believed to have fired the fatal shotgun blast, is in custody, judge said Friday, Dec. 9.
Angel Burley, 40, and her friend Stephanie Overton, 38, are both in jail on murder charges in the Nov. 20 death of Ahmed J. Hill, 46, at the Tullocks Hill Drive home where Hill and Burley lived with their 6-year-old child. Richmond County Sheriff investigators are still looking for 19-year-old Ricardo Daggett.
During Burley’s bond hearing in Richmond County Superior Court, Assistant District Attorney Keagan Waystack said there is evidence Hill was abusive to Burley, and that Hill was on bond on a charge of family violence battery at the time of his death.
MORE: Aiken felon with history of gun violence is killed in drive-by shooting
But, Waystack said, investigators believe that Burley knew her son, Daggett, a member of the Loyalty Over Everything gang, wanted to take the law into his own hands over Hill’s abuse of his mother.
Daggett came to the home with a shotgun, Waystack said. Overton, who Burley also asked to come to the home that day, drove Daggett away after the shooting, Waystack said.
But defense attorney Lucy Bell said there was much more to the violence Burley endured, stuck in the cycle of domestic violence. When she saw Burley three days after her arrest, Burley still have visible bruises, Bell said.
Burley called her friend and son for help that day and had no idea her son was going to come with a gun, Bell said. She was just trying to protect her child, Bell said.
Judge John Flythe said his biggest concern was possible communication between Burley and her son. He said he would postpone a decision on Burley’s bond until Daggett is in custody.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
