For killing an 18-month-old infant under her care four years ago, a 42-year-old foster mother in Louisiana will be imprisoned for the rest of her life.
The victim was shaken to death for about an hour. Authorities declared that Tatianna J. Burns was found guilty on one count of second-degree murder in connection with the horrific death of young Angel Wong on Friday.
According to a news release from the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office, Burns decided to use her right to a bench trial before District Court Judge Donald E. Hathaway, Jr. on Monday as jurors were being selected. Prosecutors and Burns’s counsel presented their evidence on Wednesday, when the trial got underway in earnest.
Judge Hathaway then deliberated and convicted Burns guilty of murder.
Prosecutors further claimed that Burns had “tortured the child” in the past, leading to the removal of another child from Burns’ custody.
Prosecutors summoned eleven witnesses at the bench trial to establish that, on June 5, 2020, Burns killed Angel by shaking him.
“Evidence at trial established that Burns was caring for a toddler with whom she shared no familial relationship, and that Burns had previously cared for another unrelated child in 2013, and who was removed from her home following an investigation that determined she had tortured the child,” according to the release. “The state called four medical doctors who agreed that bleeding and swelling and brain bleeds to (Angel) resulted from acute abusive head trauma.
Additionally, according to the authorities, they were able to prove that Burns was Angel’s sole caregiver at the time of her fatal injuries.
In an interview with Shreveport Police detectives, Burns admitted to shaking the woman and taking her to the hospital, according to the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate.
“Burns stated that she then began to forcibly shake (Angel) for about 45 minutes to an hour trying to get her to wake up,” police wrote in an affidavit. “Burns demonstrated how she shook (Angel) by doing hand motions that indicated that she was upside-down, sideways, vertical and back-and-forth. Burns even admitted to holding (Angel) upside down by her legs while shaking her. Burns also demonstrated that she held the face and behind the head of (Angel) while shaking her back and forth.”
According to reports, Burns also acknowledged that she continued to shake Angel when she stopped at red lights on her way to the hospital.
Throughout the brief trial, Burns was portrayed by the prosecution as a “monster” with no holds allowed.
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Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman stated in his opening remarks, “The state will prove beyond a reasonable doubt, dare I say beyond all doubt, that that child never had a chance. The evidence will show that she was placed in the hands of a monster.”
Angel’s injuries were allegedly of obscene severity, according to the prosecution.
“What the doctors found would make King Solomon wince,” Bowman reportedly stated. Her poor, little skull was literally, literally your honor, bursting at the seams.”
When Burns returns to court on July 23, she will be given a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole under Louisiana state law.
